Hi all! My name is Natalie Rose, and I just completed my sophomore year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I am a double major of Communication Arts and Graphic Design, and I’m just loving it! This will be my first semester joining the CollegeFashionista family, and I could not be more pumped. I am looking forward to this semester, summer 2015 and all of the patterns and colors the season will be sure to bring.
My love for fashion started very early on. As a kindergartener I loved to express myself in my favorite purple sparkly dress paired with red Dorothy-esque shoes as many times a week as my mother would allow. As I got older, fashion shows became a staple in my life. I would spend hours and hours by myself or with friends trying on dresses, scarves and high heels. We would take these from my beautiful chest of dress-up clothes and would then strut our stuff for anyone who would watch.
However, my real passion for the fashion industry came from my cousin Kate Ciepluch. Kate is my idol in many ways. She worked extremely hard through the fashion industry, starting at the very bottom by simply working at a store called Bop in UW-Madison. She then worked her way up to being the designer and founder of her own label called Laveer. Her focus with Laveer is on the jacket, and her styles accommodate winter, spring, summer and fall. I highly encourage everyone to check out her website because in the words of Kate Ciepluch, “The outer layer is truly the piece that defines your look. It’s the finishing touch, it’s the finale that communicates your personal style to the world.”
My current obsessions are statement pieces. Whether that statement piece is a bold necklace like I am wearing above, or simply a trendy jacket thrown over a tailored look, I can’t get enough of the contrast the pieces create! I am really drawn to people who concentrate their look around one specific item which brings the entire expression together. I plan on capturing as many summer statement pieces as I can while showcasing a variety of styles that will hopefully inspire all of you to take some risks with your own style. Additionally, the summer season will allow me to further explore my love for maxi skirts and chunky wedges, which are two staples in my summer wardrobe.
Let summer begin!
