My name is Christina Valenzuela, and I am a junior at Indiana University Bloomington. I am a marketing major at the Kelley School of Business and am minoring in studio art and apparel merchandising. I will be spending this upcoming semester in Milan, Italy.
As I return to College Fashionista for my second semester as a Style Guru, I have to say that my participation in CF has really opened my eyes. By focusing on the fashion culture at Indiana University Bloomington, I came to the stark realization that there is fashion everywhere on campus—one just has to pay attention. By having a wandering eye and by observing those around—by simply looking—I educated myself, learning about culture and style. From this, I was able to further develop my personal style. Articulating my beliefs about fashion and aesthetics made me feel like my voice was heard, and I came into my own shoes stylistically. That’s why I am here again, because I have grown. I have learned to be unapologetically myself through the clothes I wear this past semester more than ever.
My course load during fall 2016 was specifically focused on business, art, and fashion. By exploring these aspects more in depth, I was able to apply each area’s principles to a fashion context. By honing in on these passions of mine, I was able to incorporate them into my personal style, giving my traditional sense of style pizzazz by extracting information from my studies of fashion and art. Studying in the hub of fashion (and art) this upcoming semester, I will be able to further the development of me, Christina Valenzuela. And you all get to watch!
For this look, I decided to ditch the winter palette, and sport some bright, funky colors. The result is something similar to Cher from Clueless. My plaid skirt is paired with a bright yellow sweater, contrasting socks, saddle shoes, my go-to red Gucci purse, statement earrings, a pearl choker, and (my favorite) a bumblebee pin. I hope this look gives you a buzz of life during the dreary winter grays!
I am writing this on my flight to Milan. I hope you guys will follow me in my attempt to document my experiences abroad and the fashions I see in the different places I go. Stay tuned by getting updates on my posts and following me on social media!
