Four years ago, I was dressed in black tights, a plaid kilt and prim, monogrammed button-up shirt, listlessly sitting in a classroom in my preppy, all-girls private school. I was yearning for much more beyond those four walls. I wanted to write. I wanted to work in fashion. I knew I needed to do both in order to satiate my desires and dreams.
I was experiencing a bit of incongruity with my wardrobe. I despised that uniform and constantly sought out ways to spice it up. Whether it was by wearing a brightly-colored, fitted tee underneath the pale yellow fabrication I loathed, tying a contrasting satin ribbon around my neck or rubbing purple Urban Decay eyeshadow on my lids, I was a bit of a dissident. I didn't want to look like everyone else, and I made sure I didn't.
Rolling Stone was one of my favorite magazines during those insolent years, and I was constantly inspired by the sexy artists' garb, onstage and off. The April 7, 2005 issue was the most influential I had ever read. The Children of Rock article is part of the reason why I decided to study journalism, and the cover has influenced my own sense of style time and time again.
Alexandra Richards is a beautiful example of the iconic enmeshing of fashion and music. Her rumpled "bedhead" look, smoky eyes, vintage blazer, denim and distinctive accessories offer a glimpse into her personality. (Never mind the UGG boots; this was 2005!)
Like Richards, and perhaps the stylists at Rolling Stone, I have always felt that style is very personal and correlates with character. Whether consciously or subconsciously, the way a person presents themselves to the world reverberates and tells a tale.
Photo: Rolling Stone
