Greetings, fellow fashion fanatics, trend seekers and street style stars!
My name is Alexandra Papaioannou (Pah-pah-ee-oh-ah-noo, which literally translates to “Papa John’s” in Greek) and I am majoring in fashion design with a minor in marketing at the school of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP) at the University of Cincinnati. Being surrounded by students who adore art and fashion as much as I do will provide an endless buffet of eye candy for me to snap and post. I am so excited to get a chance to share my love of fashion with you all this coming semester!
Though the first love of my life was drawing and painting, I never envisioned I would ever or could ever pursue a career in such a field. Being raised in a family of doctors, aspiring lawyers and businessmen, I always believed that my artistic talent could only be a hobby, nothing more than that. The phrase “starving artist” was one I heard all too often when I expressed my passion for art and design. I finally came to the conclusion that the surest way was to follow in the footsteps of my family members and that was the end of it.
That is, until I started receiving my first Seventeen magazine issues.
I began reading them merely as a pastime, but soon I found that one magazine did not quench my growing thirst to see fiercer fashion, more extravagant style and breathtaking editorials. I needed more magazines, so I subscribed to Seventeen for three years, but that still was not enough.
And so, my obsession began. I began ordering Glamour, Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, snipping and tearing my favorite pages from their midst and taping them to my wall. I checked out whatever fashion books I could get my hands on at the library and started making my own clothes from scratch. That was the moment I realized that this was what I was born to do.
My hope is that other young girls and boys will read my story and be inspired to follow their dreams despite the odds or what the world tells them they should do. I want to prove that fashion is not an excessive and extravagant domain tailored to the wealthy and vain. Fashion is an art form just like music, painting and dancing are. It is vessel that can be used to celebrate individuality, the human body and the great minds behind the designs.
I would describe my day to day style as Audrey-Hepburn-meets-rock ’n’ roll.” I focus my looks around classy silhouettes, but I always like to add edgy details for more interest—be it a leather jacket, an ear cuff, pointy boots or ripped jeans. I also mainly dress in dark, neutral colors with black and white being the base.
On that note, cheers to a new year and a new crop of daring Fashionistas/os!
