Greetings, earthlings. Christina Marie Valenzuela the First here, more commonly known as Xtina. I am currently a junior at Indiana University Bloomington studying marketing at the Kelley School of Business with minors in studio art and apparel merchandising. I am originally from Phoenix, Arizona: a land of dust, tumbleweeds, cacti and golden light.
I have a big family that entails a mother, a father, two sisters and a brother. As a little kid, my sisters and I had a uniform enforced by my father. We were known as the girls with the polo shirts, tennis skirts and big bows in our hair. I attended Catholic school from kindergarten throughout high school, so I have essentially had a dress code my entire life. This has shaped the way I clothe myself to this day as I incorporate elements of traditional, proper dress into my style. However, because I was bound by dress guidelines for the majority of my life, my fashion sense was liberated when I came to college. Though I largely stick to my roots, I have found freedom through fashion in the collegiate environment. I step out of the house, departing for class and show the world who I am through the clothes I wear. The individuals walking around campus each day inspire me in their diversity of dress, and my perspective on clothes and style has widened.
I owe my love for fashion to my father, who I regard as the best-dressed man I have ever known. He taught me the importance of style over trend. He would take me into the high-end stores, such as Gucci and Prada, and passionately describe how and why each piece was so important. He made me fall in love with pretty things. I am a ’90s kid who grew up in the 2000s, and I have synthesized the cultural influence of my generation with that of my father’s and added my own spin on it all. I am so grateful to be a Style Guru for CollegeFashionista and have the opportunity to share my fashion sense with you all.
