Hi All! My name is Dana Avolanti, and I’m more than excited to be a Style Guru this semester. I’m just your typical suburban girl who loves Starbucks and didn’t know how to cross a street until she moved to the city. You can find me listening to Taylor Swift, Drake or Beyonce depending on the day. I love music and have a Spotify playlist for every mood—angry to happy. I’d rather be out than stay in and love hiking, walking and adventuring. Yoga and meditation keeps me zen, and fashion feeds my soul.
I’m a senior at the Fashion Institute of Technology studying fashion merchandising management. Though I am studying business, it is the creative side of fashion that really gets me excited. Experimenting with new looks has been a hobby of mine ever since I was a little girl. Instead of playing sports, I would stay in my room for hours creating looks even if I had nowhere to wear them. Once I started college, I began interning as a stylist assistant and fell in love with the business. Putting together different outfits for all different occasions never felt like work to me, and I hope to do it for the rest of my life.
Something I love to do with my style is mix fancy and casual pieces together to create one look. If I had to choose one of my favorite staple pieces, it would be my Adidas Superstars. You can pair this classic sneaker with almost any outfit. As you can see in this look, I paired them with a wine-colored leather skirt and simple black crop top. When it comes to accessories, I usually keep it simple. My black velvet embellished choker and Soho Disco textured leather Gucci bag were the perfect additions to the look.
If I had to offer one piece of style advice, it would be to wear whatever makes you feel beautiful, whether it is trending or not. Personal style is all about you—there are no rules!
