With Baz Luhrmann’s Great Gatsby trailers capturing the imaginations of millions world-wide as well as setting fashion trends due to its glamorous and opulent nature, aficionadas will finally have the long awaited opportunity to catch what Leonardo Di Caprio, Tobey Maguire and Baz Luhrman have to offer. No, this is not another review of the wardrobe it showcases, we all know the roaring 20′s was a magical era; however I just can’t help but compare a South Africa in its early democracy to the Great Gatsby plot and its overarching them being the American Dream.

The rise of the democracy has left South African citizens with infinite hope, an excited hope influenced by pop culture and simultaneously differentiating themselves. What we have now is a bunch of cool kids making waves across various mainstream media platforms as well as, men openly putting effort in every single detail of the outfit. Small precincts have been known as the melting pot of all things creative young individuals, who have intricately set their map to attain their African reinterpretation of ‘The American Dream,’ while at the same time jostling their way through varying sets of fabricated personalities and inflated egos.

In the original novel, and the best rendition of the Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald states that “There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy and the tired.” Whichever one you are, I hope it’s productive enough to inspire generations to come, be it through fashion, corporate or ‘hustling’ as Joburg cool kids call it. All I can do is quote Adele ‘Round my hometown, memories are fresh, Round my home town the people I’ve met, are the wonders of my world.’

A model’s life may seem to consist of champagne and designer labels but there is a harsh reality to the seemingly glamorous job. A few weeks ago British Vogue became the first fashion publication to sign the Models Equity Committee’s code of conduct. The code outlines the terms and conditions of a models work environment and the expectations of how a model should be treated.

Typically there are no formal laws are governed by a Union to protect Models rights .Former model, Dunja Knezevic, initiated this movement to safeguard the working rights of models. Dunja was definitely impressed with the step British Vogue has taken as she hopes “other magazines and publishing houses, retailers and designers will also understand the importance of protecting models in the workplace,”. The 10 point code includes: the respectful treatment of models; reasonable hours and temperatures to work in; the approval nudity; privacy for models and (the best point) no models under 16 will represent older women.

And so a new path is being paved for a healthier fashion industry. In 2007 The CFDA implemented the Health Initiative.  Last year 20 Vogue publications signed and pledged its allegiance to the implementation of the Health Initiative’s code. But t there is clearly reluctance when it comes to the promotion of the ‘healthier look’, as there is this ingrained notion of size zero beauty. The poster-girl of this notion, Kate Moss, has her words, “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels,” turned into a mantra amongst women who are hungry to be skinny.

Vogue publications stated that, “We will not knowingly work with models under the age of 16 or who appear to have an eating disorder. We will work with models who, in our view, are healthy and help to promote a healthy body image” as one of the many points to the initiative. I somehow feel this is too vague. I have reservations of how the industry will create a healthy benchmark for comparison.

Mark Fast is renowned for his provocative collections and use of small models particularly noted for his models used in 2011 at London A/W Fashion Week. In comparison, with his latest A/W collection at London Fashion Week, he hadn’t seemed to change the waifs he is known for. So will there be any repercussions towards those who don’t follow the Health Initiative and the Equity Committee code, besides not being featured in Vogue (which is an impact itself)?

And back home in South Africa? Due to our diversity of cultures and body types, one could say that as a whole our fashion industry is more accepting of the healthier sized models. But recently I have come to notice that the modeling industry is brutal, no matter where the models work.

In an interview (via Facebook) Jessica van Wyk (age 19) who has recently discovered the world of modeling and asked expressed how she is treated and how she feels being part of this alluring and yet fierce industry. This young model expressed that overall her experiences have been positive but clearly there are discrepancies compared to the new Equity Committee goals: her travelling costs aren’t covered and she has been subjected to low temperatures when modeling swimwear. Interestingly she points out that, “The international companies are much more hospitable”. She told me about an experience when a shoot went 5 hours over the scheduled time and all they provided her was a croissant!

The South African fashion industry serves as a good space to introduce these Codes of Conduct. Obviously we don’t have a South African Vogue to pioneer such a task, but surely other magazines could adhere to these guidelines. However the cynical view of an unchanging industry is at the back of my mind. After all the clothes make the model…..or do they?

Eastern Influence

 By Sasha Simon

The South African catwalk welcomed in WGSN’s Idiomatic Macro trend (WGSN Creative Team, 2011) in full force this year, as the SA Fashion Week S/S13 collections were unveiled at The Crown Plaza Hotel in Rosebank, Johannesburg. This Idiomatic trend represents a global celebration of, and appreciation for regional cultures (WGSN Creative Team, 2011). As a reaction to an overwhelming dominance of Western culture through Globalization, a need has risen to preserve, enjoy and experience the uniqueness of regional cultures, by sharing the splendor of these cultures with a global audience (WGSN Creative Team, 2011). Rather than the phenomenon of Globalization suppressing the spirit of non-Western cultures, the Idiomatic transforms Globalization into a tool through which the customs and eccentricities of the regional can be celebrated and shared globally, while inspiring the world to revel in diverse cultural beauty (WGSN Creative Team, 2011).

The South African nation is heterogeneous and diverse in nature. The multi-cultural reality in which South Africans live has ultimately led to a strong appreciation for, and propensity towards the cultural. As a result of this fascination for indigenous culture and heritage, South Africa would naturally respond to the Idiomatic Macro trend, and embrace the characteristics of the trend in manner that is both unconscious and instinctive. Idiomatic seeks to pay respect towards the traditional, while simultaneously progressing in the modern (WGSN Creative Team, 2011), and in doing so, cultural characteristics become contemporary tastes. In other words, the celebration and preservation of the Idiomatic seeks to enhance the cultural in a way that is no longer sentimental, but instead dynamic and progressive (WGSN Creative Team, 2011).

Thus, the South African adoption of the Idiomatic Macro trend will find contemporary expression through the celebration of a range of Eastern cultures, including the Orientalism of India, the aesthetic of Japanese tradition, and the symbols of the Middle East. The trend has found inspiration from regional Eastern heritage and created a wearable East-West fusion, ultimately delighting in the stylistic elements of these cultures while adapting them into an aesthetic that is suitable for the modern South African lifestyle and taste (WGSN Creative Team, 2011).

The East-West fusion catwalk trend was first proposed by WGSN in 2012 as a S/S13 capsule catwalk trend (WGSN Womenswear Team, 2012). The trend’s Eastern references paired with a Western interpretation, encompasses the celebration of the Idiomatic. While WGSN’s capsule trend has found shape purely in the Japanese aesthetic (WGSN Womenswear Team, 2012), the South African interpretation of the trend is in the majority formed by Japanese inspiration, although as already abovementioned, has extended across a broader range of Eastern cultures: the Oriental Indian aesthetic, Japanese culture, and Middle Eastern tradition. The trend explores and references Japanese floral prints and embroideries, traditional silhouette shapes such as the kimono and sari, ‘origami’ construction, Japanese inspired waist-belting, natural and layered or draped fabrics, volume, and clean lines, among other design elements common of the East (WGSN Womenswear Team, 2012).

On the SA Fashion Week S/S13 catwalk, the East-West fusion takes form in three categories or elements, namely: nostalgia, pattern, and technique, construction & silhouette. These elements mould together to shape the essence of the East-West fusion catwalk trend appropriated in South African fashion.

Nostalgia

Suzaan Heyns was the first to introduce a Japanese nostalgia on the runway, on day 1 of SAFW with her much anticipated bridal collection featured in the TRESemmé & Motions Sheer Glamour Collections show. The image of a model gliding down the runway with an ancient Japanese inspired parasol in hand, referenced the beauty of Japanese history, while igniting an appreciation for the tiny symbols of Japanese tradition still hidden within the now booming urban culture of the Japanese empire (see image 1).

Amanda Laird Cherry followed in Suzaan Heyns’ direction with reference for ancient and authentic Japanese architecture in the design of the headwear worn by the models presenting her collection down the runway (see image 2). The collection further referenced Eastern culture through the element of construction. Dresses with an aesthetic alluring towards Japanese origami were seen; an aesthetic achieved through Amanda Laird Cherry’s craftsmanship in clean lines and folds (as seen in image 3 & 4).

Following Amanda Laird Cherry’s collection on the first night of SAFW, Black Coffee presented a breath-taking collection that fused an image of both tribal and Japanese beauty. While the collection was in essence inspired by a tribal aesthetic, Jacques Van der Watt explains that while the mud cloths of the Congolese Kuba tribe inspired his collection entitled Imprint, a merge between the African and Japanese aesthetic occurs naturally in his work, and his designs always create a fusion look between the two cultures (Interview, Crown Plaza Rosebank, 11/04/2013). This was most clearly displayed in the opening scene of the Black Coffee show, in which two men clad in black Japanese-inspired dress, slowly made their way down the runway, leaving a trail of yellow petals along their path (see image 5), and an air of Japanese naturalism filled the space of the show (see image 6).

The nostalgia of the East-West fusion trend was introduced on the second night of SAFW by designers Paul Harris and Dominique Gatland in their Lunar collection, which was inspired by the Mahatma Gandhi salt march in the 1930s (SA Fashion Week, 2013). With nostalgia for Indian history, the collection was presented to the sound of Indian instrumentals, as flowing pieces came down the runway in natural fabrics of silks, cotton and linens. In colours of whites, neutral beige tones and eggshell blue in reference of the ocean, the loose silhouettes and drapery referenced clothing pieces of Indian tradition. Sari inspired pieces, leather sandals and delicate necklaces made of white stone referencing salt, affirmed the appreciation of the historical Indian event (see image 7 & 8).

Day 2 of SAFW marked the close of the Eastern nostalgia, with designers Laz Yani for Cutterier, Anmari Honiball and the Palse Homme installation. Japanese nostalgia was concluded with Cutterier’s presentation of exquisite drapery referencing Japanese silhouettes (see image 9), and nest-like headwear with further reference to Japanese naturalism (see image 10), along with Anmari Honiball’s use of flatform shoes with an aesthetic alluring towards traditional Japanese footwear, termed Geta (JapaneseGeta.com, n.d.). Palse Homme presented nostalgia for the Middle East in his static menswear installation, referencing traditional Middle Eastern dress (see image 11), while adorning his models with black turbans (see image 12).

Pattern

The East-West fusion trend incorporates Japanese inspired and Oriental florals as a dominating print, as well as embroidery this S/S13 season (Clarkson, 2012). The fusion ultimately creates a hybrid print design that references the naturalism and splendor of the East, while catering to Western taste (Clarkson, 2012). Eastern inspired floral prints and embroideries were seen on the SAFW catwalk in a wide range of designer collections, including Blaklisted, oriental embroideries in Terrence Bray’s Sheer Glamour collection (see image 13), Sies! Isabelle’s Japanese inspired florals (see image 14 & 15), oriental brocade prints on silks from Sober (see image 16 & 17) and brocade prints on menswear blazers in the Ephymol collection (see image 18, and dainty floral prints from Vesselina Pentcheva in her bridal wear collection (see image 19).

Technique, Construction & Silhouette

A number of collections presented over the course of SAFW found their place within the East-West fusion trend through construction and design techniques referencing the East. The reference towards Japanese origami appeared in an extensive number of collections. Such construction work is characterized my immaculate folding in craftsmanship, in conjunction with clean lines in the design of the pieces – like that already mentioned of Amanda Laird Cherry. Origami inspired pieces were seen in collections from Kottin & Twille (see image 20) and Black Coffee. Origami reference found expression in the form of statement origami necklaces in the Just collection (see image 22). Additional to the Japanese reference of origami, was a repeated reference towards the kimono dress, by designers such as Sies! Isabelle (see image 21) and Just (see image 22). In a range of collections, the use of Japanese and Indian inspired drapery, pleating common of renowned Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto, billowing sleeves, and fabric layering, all contributed towards creating the East-West aesthetic that paid homage to the Idiomatic celebration of Eastern style.

Joel Janse van Vuuren’s collection embraced an ancient Japanese dye technique termed Shibori (Janse van Vuuren, 2013). The result was a collection enhanced by beautiful fabrics, while exhibiting the magnificence of Japanese tradition (see image 23).

A fascination with the East emerged as early as the 1700s during an era termed the Exoticism period (Mackenzie, 2009). The period lasted throughout the 18^th century, during which the novelty of non-Western cultures, and Eastern cultures in particular, strongly influenced textiles and fashions, among other arts (Mackenzie, 2009). A similar fascination re-emerged in the years leading up to World War I, in which Orientalism, the Middle East and Asian aesthetics played a dominant role in determining Parisian fashions (Mackenzie, 2009). An appreciation for cultural dress made its mark on fashion once again in the late 1960s, early 1970s (Mackenzie, 2009), while a Japanese take-over occurred on the Paris runways in the 80s and throughout the 1990s, as Japanese designers such as Rei Kawakubo and Issey Miyake lead design innovation, creating a Western appeal towards a Japanese inspired aesthetic (Fukai, 2005).

Re-appropriated into the S/S13 South African fashion season, the Eastern Influence trend will be most readily adopted within contemporary and commercial womenswear. While the trend may not initially be adopted by the commercial market, fashion forward consumers will act as models for the trend off the runway, and this will thereafter trickle down into retail stores where the trend can be adopted by the commercial market in a manner that is both suitable to their taste, and to the degree at which these consumers exhibit fashion forward behavior.

SDR Photo. (2013) Image 12 [online image]. Available: http://ramp.sdr.co.za/1304SAFW/PalseHomme/13SAFWa_PalseHomme_0443.jpg.php. [18/04/2013].

SDR Photo. (2013) Image 5 [online image]. Available: http://ramp.sdr.co.za/1304SAFW/BlackCoffee/13SAFWa_BlackCoffee_0185.jpg.php. [18/04/2013].

SDR Photo. (2013) Image 9 [online image]. Available: http://ramp.sdr.co.za/1304SAFW/Lufthansa/SDR_5034.jpg.php. [18/04/2013].

Reference List

Clarkson, A. (2012) East-West Fusion: catwalk vintage print inspiration. WGSN. Website [online]. 26 October. Available: http://www.wgsn.com/content/report/Trend_Analysis/Print_and_Graphics/2012/October/ss_13_womens_catwalkvintageprintinspirationresponse.html. [02/04/2013].

Fukai, A. (2005). A New Design Aesthetic. Sydney: Powerhouse Publishing.

Janse van Vuuren, J. (2013). Spring/Summer 2013. Joel Janse van Vuuren. Website [online]. n.d. Available: http://www.joeljansevanvuuren.com/collections/springsummer-2013/. [20/04/2013].

JapaneseGeta.com. (n.d.) FAQ (Updated). Japanese Geta. Weblog [online]. n.d. Available: http://japanesegeta.com/?page_id=4. [20/04/2013].

Mackenzie, M. (2009) …Isms: understanding fashion. New York: Universe Publishing.

SA Fashion Week. (2013) Designers: Lunar. SA Fashion Week. Website [online]. n.d. Available: http://www.safashionweek.co.za/?cat=174. [11/04/2013].

WGSN Creative Team. (2011) Idiomatic. WGSN. Website [online]. 11 July. Available: http://www.wgsn.com/content/report/Creative_Direction/Spring_Summer_2013/ss13_macro_trends/idiomatic.html. [02/04/2013].

WGSN Creative Team. (2011) Spring/summer 2013 Macro Trends: index. WGSN. Website [online]. 11 July. Available: http://www.wgsn.com/content/report/Creative_Direction/Spring_Summer_2013/ss13_macro_trends.html. [02/04/2013].

WGSN Womenswear Team. (2012) East-West Fusion: S/S 13 catwalk capsule trend. WGSN. Website [online]. 26 October. Available: http://www.wgsn.com/content/report/Close_to_Season/Womenswear/Catwalk_Response/Spring_Summer_2013/Catwalk_capsule_trends/s_s_13_east_west_fusion_catwalk_capsuletrend.html. [02/04/2013].

How far can the pursuit of perfectionism take you?

The world expects so much from the artist, showing little appreciation for what they receive and yet they do not understand the gift of the arts.

I didn’t understand my friends obsession ***of note mind you, of the movie black swan until I finally watched it for myself.  This child had been nagging us to watch it the whole of last year. He had ranted and raved about how great it was but after speaking to my other friends, they even brushed it off as an over-theatrical portrayal of a ballet dancer in typical Hollywood fashion.

Well, I was desperate for some new entertainment and so I asked him to send me the movie, this was after watching the man re-enact the poses and strides in the movie with such grace. He loaded the movie on his SD card and I had no excuse but to watch it.

P.S. before the download was even done, he said to me, “For all those who don’t understand me, this movie is the best portrayal of who I am.”

I was even more intrigued. What would this movie teach me about my friend, which I didn’t know about him before this theatrical portrayal?

This movie isn’t about ballet. This movie is about artists.

I use the word artist in a very loose manner but I mean it for all individuals who see beyond the monetary gain of their vocations, and for them this is their lives and the only thing they live for.

The friend I speak off is a beautiful soul. Some would want to put him in the confinements of timid and I would place him as a misunderstood soul whose true nature will only be discovered by most when he is long gone and his memory is only part of the history pages.

You see as I analyse this movie, all I see is an indirect way of touching on the subject most of us “Students of the Arts” would call our nature yet it’s also our flaw.

We are misunderstood individuals.

Our phones have slides and slides of ‘ordinary people’ unaware of their existence being captured and yes, a fashion film is a real movie to us. We age ourselves day in and day out, sleep at God forsaken hours, eat shoddy meals and drink J&B as if it was juice while sketching frantically to perfect a sketch we had drawn five times over a few minutes ago.

What the world doesn’t seem to understand is that for some of us, this isn’t just a job. This isn’t just another career but for some of us, and a handful of us, this is the reason we have battled the worlds barricades only to find freedom in a framework which looks like it might allow us the chance to spread our wings fully.

Our need to be understood without misunderstanding ourselves is a battle ‘We’ all fight when we are alone with our true reflection (work). We toss and turn all night only to make sure when we eventually join the world of the ‘norm’, we haven’t lost the mask of normality.

We battle those evil laughs we hear inside, chuckling at our creative intelligence.  All we ever see is imperfection and error in our perfectionist artsy ways, when the world ‘tries’ to congratulate us for what they see as great and yet we see as mediocre.

We have seen students of the arts such as Alexander McQueen, Galliano, Jackson Pollock and more; take the drastic route in search of understanding, only to wind up part of the fairy tales, instead of existing as living legends of the times. With the downfall of one era, comes the rise of another, but for how long?

They love and adorn us while we are alive and forget us like the dreams they had the previous night. While we rest in our graves, we hope to find the rest we never felt in the comforts of our beds.

The battle to exist, appreciate and be appreciated continues but with institutions such as these (private colleges), there will still be a way for us ‘artists’ to exist. Fashion is not just a job for us, it’s who we are but we haven’t truly discovered the extent of the language yet.

After looking at what’s left of my fingernails, I hope I’m not the only one with NOTHING left and just when we were all thinking that there’s no light at the end of the tunnel; that our anxiety levels had peaked… EXAMS ARE OVER!!!

 Last Thursday, whilst most of us were panicking and preparing for our last day of exam sessions, something else was underway. The first day of SAFW – hope everyone knows that that stands for South African Fashion Week. This year marks the fourth consecutive year that LISOF has teamed up with SAFW to conduct trend reports for the SAFW newsletter and blog.

 Sarah Badat, previous Trend Analysis lecturer started the trend report team 4 years ago and over the past 3 years Nicola Cooper has run it. Each year, trend students are asked to submit writing to serve as evidence for their writing skill. 10 students are chosen to accompany Nicola to every single show, mingle with the public – as we all know, that’s where the real magic often happens, tweet and compile trend reports for the newsletter.  

 This year LISOF had another addition towards SAFW other than the Trend Report Program; Selected photography students set up “LISOF Paparazzi” where social photos were taken. They also took photos of the shows as well as backstage footage.

 Keep a look out for the reports on SAFW’s blog: http://safashionweekblog.wordpress.com

Whenever exams are in the air (like a virus), students wonder around between coffee stations and lecture rooms like zombies looking dazed. The library gets busier than ever before with panicked faces staring into books, beads of sweat building up on foreheads as volumes of information are being understood and memorised. Lecturers put their game faces on along with a predatorial stride that makes some of us feel like Bambi staring into Mufasa’s eyes and we can almost certainly smell our own fear in the air.

Well there’s all that and then there’s the obvious excitement for the first term break which is much needed at this stage.

Perhaps due to the shoeless individuals mentioned in the previous post, LISOF has decided to add to this excitement by joining forces with London College of Fashion to bring the students an exciting 2 Day Sandal Making Workshop on the 4^th and 5^th of April 2013 held at the Blairgowrie Campus. The workshop is split between a day of Skills Development and a day of Sandal Construction where participants will actually create their own pair of sandals.

Conducting the workshop, will be Kim van Dooren, whose wealth of experience from working in factories in Europe and Asia have equipped her with a solid technical knowledge of footwear manufacturing. This together with her travel interests has exposed her to a diverse array of cultural influences which allows her to fine tune trends and create innovative and groundbreaking footwear designs.

So for those taking part in the workshop, it seems they are in Kim’s talented hands so that she may put their feet in good sandals.

Ciao for now.

As the LISOF examinations draw closer… and.. closer, I have realized that I have started moving away from the beautifully crafted clothing that lies behind the mysterious and to some extent dangerous doors of my wardrobe to well, more comfortable clothing. Can you relate?

Yes, the demands of fashion school have just begun to set in and let me tell you one thing, it is all for good reason.

With students either studying the commercial side of fashion, the design or doing an integrated course, which includes subjects in either of these two categories almost everyone has a different set of subject choices and therefore the number of exams written by each student varies. This is extremely clever as at the end of our studies the skills obtained by each learner differ but everybody has been exposed to the basic concepts.

SPOTTED – LISOF STUDENTS PREPARING FOR A CHALLENGE! Some students have been seen to arrive at college barefoot (no doubt that they still looked fabulous)! That’s just the way it’s done at LISOF but do that at any other institution and you would be shown to the nearest exit within the first 30 seconds of your arrival.

The stereotypic idea of the fashion industry as being super glamorous and an easy field of work are so off point. The effort put in when working in the fashion industry more often than not has a glamorous output but the industry itself is cut throat and just like any other industry, one needs to be the best to get to the top.

Of course a means of motivation is looking for style inspiration just before the start of exams… Nevertheless, this does not take away from the stress, the late nights of studying and the hours and days of preparation needed before we students sit down to write our papers.

So dear LISOF students, wishing you happy studying and a venture into your own inspirational fashion styles or trends over these next few weeks.

 By: Nadia Czuba

Manther, courtesy of afashionfriend

Globalisation has seen the influx of Western brands and ideals infiltrating South African culture and mannerisms. A stern contrast exists between life as we knew it 5 years ago and the lifestyle we lead today. Some argue that the youth of today have lost track of their African footprint in favour of the ‘music video living’ which is seen on all media platforms, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at the press of a button of course.

Yes it is true, we heart it. A trip to our local malls cannot end without a quick ‘walk-through’ our favourite retailers which more often than not may include an international retailer. Our daily outfits may be plagued by an international garment made somewhere in the East and if we are part of the lucky few, somewhere in Europe.

However if there is something we do well as South African youth is wear the international brands with that good old South African flavour passed down from generation to generation, heightened by Jurgen Schadeburg’s portraits of the eclectic vibes of Sophiatown. Yes we do look up to international brands and designers but it is important to note that in the hands of South Africa’s leading designers such as Suzaan Heyns, Avant, Thula Sindi,  Kluk and add the cool kids who roam the fashion neighbourhoods of South Africa, we are indeed in good hands.    

Iseeadifferentyou

Suzaan Heyns  MBFW Joburg AW13: Courtesy of ramp.sdr.co.z

What Christmas means to a child, winter invokes in me… excitement! Now for those of you clinging on to your summer dresses, barely jean shorts and crop tops time to once again leave a little to the imagination… But if you must show those legs do it in a subtle less is more kind of way.

 We all know winter is about layering half of our closets into one outfit and repeating style ideas may be way to insulting to ourselves. But to keep you motivated on dressing on trend through those cold winter days, I have compiled a few tips for the winter blues:

Any cocktail looks better with a colourful umbrella:

Now some of you might end up looking a bit morbid when the winter blues have finally kicked in, resulting in a stagnant style. When those days do appear, and you feel you want to dress in all black or 50 shades of grey, pop a little bit of colour into your outfit. Layering can also help with this problem by re-using those bright summer mullet dresses, knitted scarf’s, printed jackets or just investing in some bright lips.

Differentiate don’t imitate:

Okay, I know we all have a secret addiction to Pintrest and weheartit.com but this madness has to stop. Where have the days gone when individuals had individuality, differentiating from the crowd (yes we can spot the look a mile away) rather than imitating something else. By all means look at these sites, but keep in mind that their goal is to inspire not to make you a cut out copy of a picture.

Hand-me-downs… YES PLEASE!!

The best items you can find are the ones stuck in your friends’ closet. Now this could become a social gathering once a month or just a trade between two people with the same style ideas. We all have those items we’ve been keeping in the closet for months, maybe years waiting for the perfect moment to wear them. Well here it is, trade it with a friend for something they don’t ever wear. The best way to mix up your style is to see how your friends will wear something you liked but never had the courage to wear or experiment with.

”I wear your granddad’s clothes, I look incredible…”

We all run to Zara, Top Shop and Mr. Price when we are in search of a new style instead of looking right under our noses. I’m sure daddy has a few old jeans (aka boyfriend jeans), mommy has some interesting jackets (80’s padded shoulders) and granny has been keeping that vintage handbag for years (character that no store-bought bag can compete with).

When you go through that psychotic breakdown after looking in your closet for something that doesn’t fit your usual style, use that as motivation to mix things up a little. Play around with different ideas, trade clothes with your friends and start looking in other places, rather than what retailers offer, for your style ideas.

Look at: Winter street style in The Satorialist, Vogue, Elle, Small Earth Vintage, Elle, etc for winter street style ideas.

Clara Kruger