Fashion Club
Fashion Club |
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The Fashion Club is a fictional clique that is regularly featured in MTV's animated spinoff series, Daria.
The Fashion Club is a four piece clique consisting of vaccous, popularity obsessed high school girls in the fictional Daria universe. The group is largely a competition between Sandi and Quinn to garner attention and praise from their peers, and the two often struggle to exert their influence over the group. This group's purpose is primarily farcical, serving as a humorous sounding board for the darker and more realistic lives led by Daria and her cohorts.
History
Presumably, the Fashion Club existed in a time previous to Quinn Morgendorffer's arrival to Lawndale in episode #101, "Esteemsters." At the start of the Daria series, the Club was made up of the following members:
Sandi Griffin
- (First Appearance: Episode #101, "Esteemsters")
- The club president, or more appropriately, its tyrant, she rules the fashion club with an iron fist. Sandi is a control freak who is intensely jealous of Quinn's popularity and ability to get what she wants, and tends to bully the other Fashion Club members into submission. She was voiced by Janie Mertz.
Stacy Rowe
- (First Appearance: Episode #101, "Esteemsters")
- Pigtailed Stacy is the secretary of the club and appears in the beginning of the show to be skittish, extremely insecure, and a born follower. However, later in the show, it was frequently hinted at that she probably possessed more character than anyone else in the fashion club except perhaps Quinn. She has developed a powerful following among Daria fans, and was voiced by Sarah Drew.
Tiffany Blum-Deckler
- (First Appearance: Episode #102, "The Invitation")
- The "yes man" of the club, Tiffany will always side with either Sandi or Quinn, depending on who's winning at the time. She is generally presented as the least intelligent of the group. She speaks slowly with a valley girl monotone to her voice. Tiffany is also the only Asian high school student featured as a constant character in the series. She is also very shallow and self-centered (even more so than the other fashion club members). Her role in the Fashion Club was Coordinating Officer, whose only job was to make sure that the club members never wore clothes that clashed with each other. Tiffany was voiced by Ashley Albert.
And Then There Were Four: Quinn Morgendorffer
- (First Appearance: Episode 3101, "Esteemsters")
- Daria's materialistic younger sister. Quinn's only interests are fashion and dating, and she holds a Vice Presidency in Lawndale High's self-appointed Fashion Club. Polar opposites, she and Daria rarely agree on anything (except to disagree), and so ashamed is Quinn of her sister that she claims status in her social life as an only child, referring to Daria when necessary as her cousin. Quinn is occasionally hinted at as having high intelligence but simply disguising it. Quinn is voiced by Wendy Hoopes.
Philosophy
Among other things, Quinn insists that "...The whole Fashion Club philosophy is built on getting guys to follow us around." And follow, they do. The Fashion Club has a talent for attracting men of all ages, and then using them to perform whatever tasks they desire. The girls have used their charms to get even perfect strangers to drive them about town, buy them dinner, clothes, accessories, or to perform physical labor. Most of the attention from men is centered around Quinn, who excels in tempting the opposite sex without ever rewarding them with sexual advances.
Initiation and Membership
The Fashion Club prides itself on being one of the most exclusive groups at Lawndale High; so exclusive that the girls find recruiting and admitting new members too difficult, with the lack of other students appealing to their standards of vanity. For the most part, prospective members are chosen based on their physical attractiveness and overall popularity. This is perhaps the reason Quinn was singled out as a candidate for admission on her very first day at Lawndale High; allowing her to join the Club would increase the clout of the previously existing members while scuttling any chance for Quinn to singlehandedly overpower the group with her own individual popularity. Sandi makes good use of Quinn's genial manner by allowing her to attract attention to the Fashion Club as a whole, but is quick to put Quinn in her place when her admirers detract from the spotlight of Sandi or the other girls.
As central as Quinn is to the core of the Fashion Club, her position is not tenured. Sandi makes this clear in episode #109, "Too Cute," when fellow schoolmate Brooke becomes a potential rival (and candidate for Fashion Club membership) after getting plastic surgery. When Brooke inquires about joining the group, Sandi refers to Quinn's possible departure. "...We may have an opening soon. What's the rule? Last hired, first fired?" Sandi also enforces a "Fashion sabbatical" whenever any of the girls steps outside of her good graces. Quinn has been put on such probation at least twice. ("Quinn the Brain," "Depth Takes a Holiday")
It is not clear if potential members are required to complete a form of initiation or hazing beform being admitted to the Fashion Club, however, the practice would not be out of Sandi's character.
Volunteer Work
The Fashion Club's volunteer and charity work primarily serves to either improve their social status, inflate the members' egos, or to update their wardrobes and makeup supplies.
- Episode #105, "Malled." Quinn suggests that the group sponsors a surprise makeover for a random mall shopper in order to draw attention to their fabulous creative talent. Sandi agrees, adding that the girls should "...Have a fundraiser to buy her makeup."
- Episode #212, "Pierce Me." The Fashion Club participates in a charity mother-daughter fashion show. While the other girls walk the runway with their real mothers and/or step-mothers, Tiffany recruits a professional model, an African American woman.
- Episode #302, "The Old and the Beautiful." The Fashion Club starts a clothing drive to donate gently used clothing to the needy. However, instead of glady accepting any and all donations given to them, the girls refuse to take any article of clothing that doesn't meet their trendy standards. They eventually present a pair of go-go boots and a belly chain as their donation, much to the dismay of Principal Angela Li.
- Episode #406, "I Loathe a Parade." The girls show their school spirit by riding a Fashion Club sponsored float for Lawndale's annual homecoming parade. Each of the members is dressed from head to toe in formal evening wear.
