Gypsy Gems and Rockstar Dreams...Let's Dive Into Nadia's Style, Shall We?

Hello vintagers

A question was recently posed to me about what exactly my style is - that is, what do I go for when I search for items to add to my wardrobe (and, more importantly, to your vintage wardrobe)? What influences me in how I dress, act, and behave? What is my "gateway drug", so to speak, when it comes to fashion?

It seemed a silly question, at the time. I've always thought of myself as something of an eclectic, when it comes to my personal style. Well, I thought, I'll wear just about anything, as long as it's pretty! Of course, vintagers, upon further thought, this is hardly true. We all have our own personal style, even if we don't know it yet, and it manifests itself in every aspect of our creative lives. Be it through the obvious outlets like the clothes I wear or the fashion idols I, well, idolize, or through less obvious avenues like the music I favor or even the food I eat, the answer to this silly question was all around me. 

I took it upon myself to delve into what really defines "Nadia," at least in basic terms of fashion. It was a really interesting exercise, and I recommend it to all of you - especially if you're an artist currently experiencing a bit of a block. One of the main things I learned about myself is that I tend to try and find beauty in unexpected places. I'm the kind of person who will see the potential in an ugly piece of brick on the beach when everyone else is tossing seashells into their bucket. It's for this reason that my favorite fashion icons include Marilyn Monroe and Sophia Loren - it's undeniable that by today's unfair standards and by strict beauty "rules", these women are not beautiful.  A current model who exemplifies this imperfect perfection is Daria Werbowy, who I've featured here in her recent W spread. If we look at these beautiful women's individual facial features and, at least in the case of Loren, body types, they really are not formulaically "pretty". What makes these women special is their so-called "flaws"; "quirks", as we say aboard La Caravane.

I scoured the nooks and crannies of Etsy to find individual pieces that really exemplify this ideal I try to live by. I started with obvious choices - something I wear quite often are blousy, floral shirts, like this one on the left made by Etsy artist Desira Pesta. This gorgeous piece has a blend of everything I love in what some of my FIT friends call a "classic Nadia blouse": it's girly, bold, and made by an up-and-coming fashion designer like myself.

Where, you may ask, is the unexpected, here? This is a floral blouse. By definition, it is pretty. However, my personal touch would be to pair such a feminine piece with one a little more grungy and tough, like an aged pair of black skinny jeans. I have to admit, there are a few pieces in my wardrobe that bring out the inner biker in me, and many are not unlike these jeans by Swarovskijeans. As well as the literal duality of pairing such a blousy, floaty top with such tight, almost constricting pants, I like to play with the figurative perspective of feminine meets masculine in my wardrobe.

I'm a big fan of dichotomy, both in fashion and in my other creative outlets. For instance - I think comedians make the best dramatic actors (think: Robin Williams in One Hour Photo, or Adam Sandler in Spanglish), and one of my favorite bands is the Red Hot Chili Peppers purely because of the song "If" (yes, that is actually Anthony Kiedis singing. Can you believe it?)


So, playing on that same theme, imagine Multikulti's funky, screen printed T-shirt fit for a rockstar with these adorable "country-fried" leggings (I just love that name!) by Bayousalvage. Or a floral shirt dress with aviator sunglasses and my signature brown boots? Anyone who knows me, by the way, knows that I travel nowhere without at least one pair of brown leather boots!

Again, lovelies, this is a great exercise to help you delve into what really defines you, and I recommend it to anybody. After arduous, but fun, soul-searching, I would call my style a collection of Gypsy Gems and Rockstar Dreams. So, I pose the question to you, dear vintagers, what is your personal style? It's not as easy to figure out as you think!

See the full collection here: Gypsy Gems and Rockstar Dreams.