WHAT’S YOUR MANIFESTO? — 002
Hannah
19 — Washington, D.C.
Co-Founder, Project 315
“Your circle matters. People should feel comfortable enough to be themselves.”
A conversation about self-expression, breaking norms, fashion, and creating spaces where people feel comfortable enough to become themselves.
Some people move through college trying to fit into existing spaces.
Hannah seems more interested in creating new ones.
Whether it’s through fashion, writing, leadership, or co-founding Project 315, a lot of her thinking revolves around one idea:
What happens when people stop shrinking themselves?
The conversation moves through creativity, identity, community, and confidence, but repeatedly circles back to a central question:
How do you create a space where people feel free enough to be themselves?
What’s been taking up your headspace recently?
I think one of my biggest passions is finding ways to break norms and challenge things that people consider normal. That mindset has really driven a lot of the things I do on campus. For example, co-founding Project315 created a space where people can show up as they are, embrace self-expression, and collaborate with people who are like-minded. I’ve also been trying to apply that to my own life. I’m really into fashion, and I always try to find ways to express myself differently. Fashion has become one of my outlets. Writing too. Writing gives me a space where I can just put my thoughts somewhere without feeling criticized or feeling like I have to fit into a certain structure.
What kind of writing do you do?
Mostly self-expression. I write my thoughts down. But I’ve also gotten into poetry recently. I love writing about things I’m passionate about in a way that’s poetic and sometimes rhymes.
What’s your manifesto right now?
I think my manifesto is embracing our differences. That idea drives a lot of the things I do. A lot of my work, my leadership positions, and my role as a co-founder revolve around creating spaces where people feel comfortable enough to break norms. That extends into everything. My fashion. My writing. The spaces I help create. I want people to feel confident enough to embrace themselves and feel like they don’t have to hide who they are.
What does breaking norms look like for you?
For me, it looks like being comfortable enough to express myself in any space.
Being a woman of color and being part of a marginalized community, it definitely takes time to get to that point.
There’s a lot of trial and error involved.
But I think what helped me most was being around people who encouraged me to be myself.
Your circle matters a lot.
That’s one reason I want to continue expanding my connections and meeting new people on campus.
I want people to feel comfortable being themselves and embracing that.
What’s inspiring you right now creatively?
I’ve really been into fashion recently.
I love Supreme and how they’ve evolved beyond just putting logos on things.
I think they found ways to build a world around their brand.
I also really love Tyler’s work.
I went to his store in New York, and even though I didn’t buy anything, I remember feeling inspired just walking through it.
🎧 Sound of the Manifesto:
Walking On A Dream— Empire of the Sun