i want to, i need to be under your skin, i'm dying please

My name is Alyssa. I grew up in Toronto, Ontario, Canada until I was eight years old. My family then moved to Oshawa, Ontario. I’m nineteen years old now and have been living in London, Ontario for the past two years attending Fanshawe College for Fashion Design. I have three really close friends and would describe myself as a pretty outspoken person. I enjoy music ranging from ‘90’s alternative rock’ to ‘old school punk rock’ to ‘indie folk’ as well as some ‘old school hip hop/rap’. I have an unhealthy obsession with the Beastie Boys, and I’m a big Andy Warhol fan. I like cats more than the average person should, (we have five living at my house) and I really like to organize things.

I began to really love fashion when I was seventeen. I always liked looking good, shopping, and sewing, but I only recently became immersed in the world of high fashion, magazines, blogs and runway. The decision to attend college for Fashion Design was kind of sudden; there’s a chance I didn’t think it through as well as I could have. I’ve learned a lot over the past two years and am still learning more and more about the world of fashion and what I want to do with it, every day. I love high fashion, but prefer it mixed with vintage/edgy/rebellious tastes; thus the title ‘red carpet & rebellion’ (also, it's a great song by the Distillers). The problem is, I grew up in a family with no taste for fashion, and a low income. People I know think that $80 for a skirt is ludicrous, when in reality I can flip through Vogue and pick out ten skirts by my favourite designers that cost from $500 and up. I have to say I don’t spoil myself with clothes that often at all. I don’t think a lot of people see me as a fashionable person or someone that even knows high fashion, because I don’t put a lot of effort into my appearance. I prefer a very simple style; my preferred outfit these days would be a loose tank top, lace bra, black blazer, plain tights, and either plain black flip flops or Doc Martens. As far as jewellery goes, I like big bold necklaces, and a few silver rings. I don’t wear bracelets or earrings, and I also don’t usually wear make-up. When I do, my make-up consists of mascara, and some concealer; lately I've been wearing a lot of lipstick though. I only ever wear my hair in a tight ballerina bun or down and straightened. I can’t afford high fashion; I can’t even afford brands like Aritzia or Urban Outfitters on a regular basis. I get a lot of things from thrift stores and hand-me-downs from my sister or friends.

So what is it that I love about fashion and why? I love it because I see it for what it is; purely the most accessible and beautiful art form. I love the trends and how everything changes but still stays cyclical. It's like a challenge every season to create a newer and better look, and for each individual to put their own spin on it. If I could afford it all, I would. I love seeing the amazing outfits people can put together and the insane ideas and trends that come forth every season that are thought up by some brilliant individual. The feeling I get when looking through new runway slideshows is indescribable, and it makes me want to get out and do something or say something about it. Don’t get me wrong, one day I do plan to be my own fashion muse, but until I get my dream job (or at least a steady paycheque) my personal style is at a standstill. Regardless, it’s all in my head and that’s what’s important to me (for now, at least).

I get inspiration from a variety of sources; the common ones being street style, runway shows, celebrities (some) and of course, blogs. I have a long list of female style influences ranging from musicians to actresses to writers, whom I will possibly pay homage to in a later post. I get inspiration directly from my friends, of course- one of my best friends who is an art student is probably the most fashionable person I know, even more so than myself and she influences my tastes a lot. I have a friend who recently travelled across the world on a cruise ship and bought some incredibly beautiful pieces along the way from places like Argentina and Greece, thus I see her style as more of a culturally diverse mix which I absolutely love. It seems that all of my close friends, some across Canada and some right here in Ontario, all inspire me because their personal tastes for clothing are so fabulous and they look good, somewhat effortlessly. Someone like myself who pours so much time into fashion websites and magazines can get quite flustered when my friends look so good without trying, whilst I feel like sometimes I try too hard to acquire my signature look. I'm still working on what fits me the best. Basically, I am stubborn for shopping and, again, the whole being poor thing doesn't help.

There’s still so much more I want and need to learn about fashion, writing, entrepreneurship and networking. Starting a blog is always something I’ve wanted to do, and I really need something to keep me up to date in the fashion world, and some motivation for me to open a magazine and get more immersed into this crazy world of style.