Muse Closet Profile: Jen V.

Jen V: A Very Stylish Girl

A Very Stylish Girl
Muse Closet: Profile

Voted 3rd worst dressed city by GQ and MSN Travel, Vancouver needs to salvage its image. Magazines such as Vancouver View have been doing their best to revoke this vote by capturing stylish images from social events. One Vancouverite shattering our unstylish image is blog favourite Jen V. Her image has been used in fashion blogs all over North America because of her unique personality and individual style. Street fashion is all about attitude because as fashion becomes more commercial and mass-produced, deciphering your own style becomes difficult without access or skills in sewing. The seamstress, tailor, and atelier development custom-made items for individuals. However, not everyone has access or deep pockets to indulge personalized luxury. Therefore, street style has become fashion’s new frontier in style independence.

A Very Stylish Girl
Muse Closet Profile: Jen V.

Jen has crafted her look from a lifetime of pieces discovered throughout her personal development; vintage, discount, and high-end clothes are included in her repeater of style. Jen is very thoughtful about each outfit she creates, thereby telling a story with every item she chooses. Her artistic background builds simple basics into statements. With a creative eye for embellishment, Jen utilizes accessories like battle armor, while on the side knitting beautiful handmade scarves to create a signature look. Jen describes her style philosophy as, “not necessarily being about expensive designer items or what’s trendy; it’s about self-expression through whatever means you have. This could mean pairing that old sweater you forgot about with that thrift store find to make a new outfit! Like any other form of art, fashion is a medium in which we can communicate who we are as individuals, and how we feel and absorb the world around us. Every day is a chance to express oneself in a different way.”

A Very Stylish Girl
Muse Closet Profile

Style enthusiast can to take note from Jen’s philosophy because clothes are an extension of what you represent to the world. Income level does not hinder your experimentation with fashion; take two items you’ve never worn together and make them into something new; pair an evening piece with something extremely casual. These small steps create confidence and personal growth. I can see why bloggers capture her image for others to imitate.

A Very Stylish Girl
Muse Closet Profile
Jen V.
Muse Closet Profile

Muse Profile: Pint-Size Style

Pint-Size Style

Style Child
Style Child

Recently in Los Angles, I was browsing through the Beverly Centre; like all my trips, my first priority is to gather treats for my two favorite people, my three-year-old god-daughter and four-year-old Godson. I love buying them clothes because children are so expressive with their style authentically at that age. Now is the time to nurture their creativity before years in school and massive media overload when children lose style freedom to conformity. Therefore, I buy them items that are personal and expressive to their personality.

What shocked me as I walked through this maze of commercial driftwood was the amount of children stores blended between haze of fashion yuck. I waked into each children store excited to find my two little fashion soldiers clothes to express their inner beings. Yet to my dismay, I was met with over-priced clothes aimed towards baby girl strippers, and baby boy douchebags. Barley-there dresses for little girls stood next to overworked jeans for little boys. How was I to find a suitable outfit for my two fashion individuals? Needless to say I ended up with nothing. Disillusioned by my outing in L.A. I returned to Vancouver to discuss my fashion disappointment with friends, and to ask where I could find great children clothes, my friends returned a resounding, “I don’t know?”

Fashionable Kid 2
Pint-Size Style Accessories

Walking through Holt Renfrew, Canada’s version of Barney’s New York, I grew empty by my gift-less entry back to Canada. I pride myself on discovering new styles for my god kids; they love being able to express themselves through clothes because with so little words in their vocabulary clothes are their connection to self-expression. Nearly defeated by lack of gift success, I found inspiration from a pint-size fashion queen. Her look was adorable and she modeled for me brilliantly: her coat, yellow scarf, boots, and tweed tights hit all the fashion trends of the season. Her stylish demeanor impressed me, as she stood proud by her father and modeled her signature look, which was described to me by her father. Her cap felt most authentic to her mood and personality.  Fashion is like great music—seamless—and this little girl hit all the right notes.

Pint-Size Style
Pint-Size Style

Muse Profile: Style Convict–Vancouver

Oh, Canada…Well Vancouver…

Fall 2011--Complexgeometries (1)

On a recent trip to Hong Kong, I wondered Causeway Bay’s Times Squareshopping mall. Walking amongst label whores that scurry from store to store, an Avant-garde boutique popped into focus. Sitting in the corner of this overdone mall was a treasure trove. Flipping through racks of clothes, a sales girl made conversation, on my response to being from Vancouver, Canada, she rushed to show me her best-selling collection, Complexgeometries, a Canadian label. Flabbergasted that Complexgeometriesa Canadian conceptual collection was making waves in Asia, I felt perplexed that after seeing this fabulous collection at New York’s Fall 2011 fashion week, these clothes were nowhere to be found in my hometown Vancouver.

HK- Times Square

Voted 3rd worst dressed city in the world, Vancouver needs to step its style game up a notch. Canada’s talent industry is cranking out world-class designers, yet none available to us. I understand that designers make more money overseas, but Canadian designers want to sell to Canadians. However, we as Canadians need to give them a reason to sell to us. The Muse Closet is about helping you explore fashion in a way that is practical and new. Understanding how small changes can send shock waves through fashion and yourself.

Fall 2011--Complexgeometries

Vancouver is a beautiful city with beautiful people; our problem is that too many of us rely on sweatpants as dress pants. Lulu Lemon created our uniform, but kiddies we need to spruce up our closets. Challenge: Next time you have dinner plans think about dressing up. I know everyone will look at you strangely on Robson street, but fuck’em your doing Canada proud. Take a moment to develop a look around a feeling you would like to emote. Please use my examples from Complexgeometries for style ideas.

Fall 2011--Complexgeometries
Little Red Riding hood
Little Red Riding hood
Boys on Film
Boys on Film
Shoe Time
Shoe Time