It starts with a word.
Each issue of Added to the File (ATTF), Georgetown’s first student-run fashion magazine, is based off of a one-word theme. Lindsay Khalluf (CAS ’26), the magazine’s creative director, started last semester by writing the theme for the third issue—“Reprise”—on a chalkboard to brainstorm ideas.
“For like two hours straight, I think everyone just said every single thought that popped into their mind,” Khalluf said.
Lindsay Khalluf and Kat Mintchev (CAS ’27) officially launched ATTF at the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year. At Georgetown, where clubs are notoriously career-oriented and exclusive, ATTF seeks to be a haven for creatives to both express themselves and gain professional experience.
Photo by Izzy Wagener Several of ATTF’s models pose for a shoot.Photo by Izzy Wagener
“The reason we made it in the first place was because I missed having a creative community that produced something together,” Khalluf said. “Because there’s a whole different bond with that than just doing it on your own.”
The magazine has more than 40 members across several teams—spanning everything from graphic design to photography. Welcoming students of all technical backgrounds, ATTF represents a wide array of interests and experience.
Madeline Burns (CAS ’26) is ATTF’s executive director. She first learned how to do editorial photography, which uses models and posed shoots to highlight a larger story, when she joined the magazine.
“All of our photographers come from such different backgrounds, so we have a lot of film photographers this year, which we’re really, really excited about. But we also have people that are experienced in digital, mostly street photography,” Burns said. “No two shoots are the same because our photographers are so distinct.”
Photo by Izzy Wagener One of ATTF’s photographers shoots a photo of a model. Photo by Izzy Wagener
Myriad interests bring members to the magazine. Isabel Liu (CAS ‘27), a member of the wardrobe team, was inspired by her passion for streetwear at home in Taipei.
“Thrifting is a big thing for me back home, and so coming here to Georgetown I really wanted to find creative outlets to do things. It was really exciting for me that the semester that I came to Georgetown was also the first semester that the magazine started,” Liu said.
Sophia Fife (CAS ’27) models for ATTF. She appreciates the “abstract” approach that the magazine takes to photo shoots.
“I feel like for a long time I struggled to be a Black girl growing up in predominantly white institutions. It was very easy for me to try to stay in my bubble and to try to fit in. But I feel like modeling is an expression of not fitting in,” said Fife. “It’s like an alter ego.”
Photo by Izzy Wagener Fife poses for a shoot.Photo by Izzy Wagener
Photo shoots for the magazine take place across the course of the semester. ATTF recently finished shooting for “Reprise”, with plans to release it in February.
“Reprise” and the photos in it bring together several different meanings, including the upcycling of clothing, routines, and childhood nostalgia. Along with photo shoots themed around these ideas, the magazine’s third issue will include interviews with designers and delve into fashion history with written pieces.
Khalluf also spoke about the transition to including more writing in the magazine.
“There’s one about the Rococo fashion style—just a lot more [written work] as we transition into wanting to analyze more about fashion itself, rather than just how we can use it in a more abstract, self-expression sort of way,” Khalluf said.
When the magazine first started, the wardrobe team sourced most of its clothing from members’ closets. Recently, ATTF has begun to borrow more pieces from the Department of Performing Arts and local designers that they find through social media or on-campus connections.
“Reprise” will feature a dress from GREEN’s Trashion Show made out of repurposed trash, as well as clothing from Mad Matta, a D.C.-based designer who specializes in silver jewelry and upcycled clothing.
“They were kind enough to lend us literally a suitcase worth of clothes,” Liu said.
Photo by Izzy Wagener Fife watches a shoot take place.Photo by Izzy Wagener
The magazine doesn’t currently receive funding from the university. Media Board, a student board that advises publications, is reviewing ATTF’s application to become an Access to Benefits club next semester. This would grant it greater access to university resources.
Issues are currently financed through member dues and small fundraisers. ATTF sold printed versions of its second issue and hopes to mass print copies of “Reprise” when it’s released.
With ATTF, Khalluf and Burns hope to show that creative clubs can both provide a space for community and also help students gain experience for future careers—not only in photography and fashion but also marketing, graphic design, and the numerous other skills that go into creating the magazine.
Photo courtesy Quisha Lee Students flip through issues of “Intimacy” in Georgetown’s Maria & Alberto De La Cruz Art Gallery.Photo courtesy Quisha Lee
“We have talked about how Georgetown does not promote a lot of creative careers. And there are so many creative careers to be found in publications, in photography, and we also wanted this to be a space for them,” Burns said. “For a campus that is so focused on pre-professional clubs, I think that this is an opportunity for us to show that creativity is pre-professional.”
Khalluf and Burns have been excited to see members pursue new interests they discovered through the magazine.
Since last semester, the club has also hosted several public events, including a launch party for its second issue “Intimacy” in Georgetown’s Maria & Alberto De La Cruz Art Gallery and a clothing swap or ‘Swap Shop’ on the Village A rooftop.
Photo courtesy Quisha Lee Khalluf (left) and Burns (right) stand in the middle of the art gallery at the launch party for “Intimacy.”Photo courtesy Quisha Lee
“We want to get people involved beyond just our members. We want Georgetown to become a creative campus. And I mean, creativity shows so much through fashion, so much through clothes. So hosting a Swap Shop is a way to get Georgetown creative,” Burns said.
As the outreach of the club grows, so has its membership. Many new freshman members joined after the CAB fair last semester, where about 150 people showed interest, according to Burns.
“A lot of them were freshmen who went through [CAB fair] and didn’t see a lot of creative clubs, and then they were like, ‘Hey, I’m creative. Let’s go join.’ And what’s been amazing for us to watch is how many of our freshmen are friends with each other,” Burns said.
A year and a half after founding Added to the File, Khalluf has watched the community grow into a family.
“I feel like a proud mom,” Khalluf said.
