Hello Fashionistas and Fashionistos! My name is Ruqayyah Mohammed. I am second year student at York University studying the exciting world of communication studies.
Fashion has always been an art that I have been passionate about. As a young girl, I remember shopping was the most exciting adventure to me—I remember walking into stores with my mother who always chose the most unique garments to wear. I admired the way she chose a wool coat, paying close attention to the fibres of the garment, or the way she would purchase a brightly coloured dress, knowing exactly how she would style it from the moment she laid eyes on it. Seeing all of this at a young age taught me the difference between style and a nicely put together ensemble.
I developed my own style through reading articles and novels on the amazing Coco Chanel, always admiring how determined she had been to create the type of fashion that was not only classic and timeless, but comfortable for women. In addition to reading, my style developed through watching my favourite characters from films and television series. The way Audrey Hepburn maintained a certain level of elegance through each role she played (Sabrina, being my favourite), and the way the character Blair Waldorf was endlessly styled in bright colours with bold silhouettes gave me a sense of not only how I wanted to look, but how I wanted to feel. To me, these characters were so much more than style icons; they were, to me, like my mother, women with confidence in themselves and who knew exactly what their style was.
After many efforts to always maintain a certain Blair Waldorf look, wearing nothing but quirky skirts and blouses (of course, with many headbands) I realized my style has to be my style. Being inspired by these icons gave me a sense of my aesthetic goals; however, as I continue to grow, my style evolves. I know now that although I love my pretty skirts, I love the look of an edgy black leather skirt paired with a simple white button-up blouse.
I look forward to not only being inspired by the style I see on Fashionistas/os on campus, but sharing my own style evolution with each new face I meet!
