I’m not a style-stalking type of person but if someone really catches my eye then I’m going to hunt him/her down and hassle them like a mad woman. Or in this particular case, it involved a bit of Facebook stalking (guff… by the by, no point in stalking my Facebook as it’s so inactive and mouldy, I might as well delete it…) and a bit of smart detective work. Previously Sara Arnold was just the really cool girl who I had seen working at Dover Street Market and out and about in and around Old Street. Of course, coming up to her in person would have been all too embarrassing for me so naturally I hid behind the protective internet screens and asked her to compile a seven day style diary for Style Bubble.
Shockingly, she very kindly said yes and also agreed to answer some questions…
Her style is exactly how she describes it ‘eclectic and chaotic’ and I know for a fact some of you will shriek and say ‘Ick…that’s not my style at all…’. Precisely. It’s HER style and not something that people can OWN easily. It’s the sort of resourceful, playful yet strangely articulate style that I find completely awesome. I see customised Converse attached to wooden heels, granny influences, measuring tape braces, experimental headgear…the list goes on…and that’s just seven days of her wardrobe, with a lot of outfit changing going on throughout the day. Sara did say it was a very honest reflection of her outfits whilst lounging around the house, going out and hanging out, and if you read her thoughts regarding dealing with outsider perception, it’s most definitely sound advice to carry around…
Name/Age?
Sara K Arnold, 21
What do you do?
Fashion student at Central st Martins and part-time sales assistant at Dover street market.
How would you describe your style?
Eclectic, chaotic and constantly morphing.
What are your favourite designers to wear/admire?
Rei Kawakubo, Junya Watanabe, Victor and Rolf, Hussien Chalayan, Manish Arora, Gareth Pugh, Boudicca.
Day 1 РOutfit 1 РComme des Garcons skirt, Junya Watanabe jacket and boots, my Grandfather’s glasses that he got free on the NHS.
Day 1 РOutfit 2 РHair and earrings from Dalston, customised jacket from Mango (I cut of the sleeves, added shoulder pads and attached wigs), I’ve cut out the crotch of a pair of nude tights to be worn as a top, plugs as nipple tassels, from a plumping shop, American Apparel high waisted hot pants, tights were a gift. // Outfit 3 РHot pants and tights as above, Vivienne Westwood bondage tracksuit bottoms, jumper from Jakarta, blanket from India.
Day 2 – Outfit 1 – Ganryu (Comme des Garcons) hat, shirt from a market in Uganda, Karen Millen jacket from Oxfam Dalston, Junya Watanabe leather jacket, American Apparel leggings, vintage shoes from Beakon’s Closet, New York. // Outfit 2 – One piece from Beacon’s Closet, New York, Alexander McQueen ankle boots, silk scarf, Indian necklace worn as head piece.
Day 3 – Outfit 1 – Ganryu (Comme des Garcons) hat, Junya Watanabe leather jacket, Vintage dress, Junya Watanabe/Converse shoes.
How do you go about putting an outfit together (thought processes, etc)? What are your usual inspirations?
My mood… the weather…exposing and hiding strength and
vulnerability… nostalgia… futurism…surreal humour…the fashion don’ts
rather than the do’s … my many alter egos… exploring, revealing and
concealing the layers of who I am…but ultimately the need to protest
against the dictation of what is beauty and taste.
Day 3 – Outfit 2 – Junya Watanabe leather jacket, Silver Vivienne Westwood jacket, Vivienne Westwood penis T-shirt, American Apparel skirt, leggingS from a market in Uganda, Junya Watanabe/Converse shoes.
Day 4 – Outfit 1 – Karen Millen jacket from Oxfam Dalston, black top from Mango, Miss Sixty jeans. // Outfit 2 – T-shirt from Bali, leggings from Uganda.
How do you handle the attention your dress sense gets (like stares on the streets etc)?
I block it out. It has to be an extreme reaction for me to notice or
respond. I do this because I don’t want other people’s perceptions to
affect the way I construct my image. I don’t want to feel social
pressure to conform. If people approach me politely and want to talk to
me about what I’m wearing, I’m usually happy to explain, however I do
not dress to provoke attention.
Day 4 – Outfit 3 – Hat from a charity shop, vintage one piece, customised jacket, shoes from Office.
Day 5 – Outfit 1 – Shirt from a market in Uganda, American Apparel leggings, Vintage shoes from Beakens Closet, New York. // Outfit 2 – American Apparel skirt and leggings, Junya Watanabe/Converse shoes, vintage T-shirt and jacket.
Why do you think personal style is important?
To encourage people to see more possibilities. Fashion is not
just the adornment of the body, but a way of gauging a social mindset.
Boundaries and codes of beauty are a powerful illusion but one that we
as individuals can uphold or shatter simply by what we wear. Throughout
history clothing has been used to divide people by hierarchical system.
Today’s world is ruled by commerce and capitalism – a hierarchy
identifiable by branding. In a capitalist democracy such as ours we are
increasingly empowered only through our purchasing power. We should use
our money wisely as a tool for social change in all arenas, including
fashion, thereby consciously conceiving our own personal style to
express our own selfhood and political agendas.
Day 6 – Outfit 1 – American Apparel leggings, Junya Watanabe skirt, vintage T-shirt, jacket and shoes.
Day 7 РOutfit 1 РHat from charity shop, my mum’s cardigan, skirt from a market in Jakarta, Junya Watanabe/Converse shoes.
**EDIT** Sara has sent me the clothes credits for her pics so you can see where she got her outfits from…and the mystery of those Converse are solved….they’re a Junya Watanabe collaboration…doh!
She looks like the coolest person I will never know…
Amazing. Those wooden-platforms converse have got to be the coolest shoes ever.
She can also rock that super dark red shade of lipstick super well.
ha, susie, this was really cool.
wow, she’s more than fabulous, so incredible! i’m speechless. thanks for sharing, it’s great inspiration.
It’s so fun and inspiring to see someone dress in a different/innovative/odd way.
Would love to see more like her!
i have seen her at dover street market before too and totally admire her for being so amazingly different and not being afraid of it. she has great style and total personality! susie, great idea, so inspirational!
kx
http://www.fashionistadiary.co.uk
Amazing outfits and answers! She’s so articulate about her decisions, and about the context (political, economic, social, etc.) in which she is able to make them.
She’s wild! Reminds me of some people I knew in the ’80s. She must have to put up with a lot of comments/stares, but good for her for doing her own thing.
Wow clever lady!
Nothing but interesting clothes would do 🙂
wow, i have only one word to describe her, C.O.O.L.!
sorry but it just seems like in most pictures she stepped out of the 80’s. it’s like she looked at music videos and movies from the 80’s and just copied them. She looks great though but not new or different at all. I guess the NYTimes is right and the 80’s are back.
However, that blazer she has on in one picture is really nice.
I love your blog! Keep it up! It keeps getting better and better.
–serg
It’ s so interesting to read her answers and see how much thought has gone into her style. I’m sure many people see her and think she’s crazy, but she really believes in what she’s doing. Gutsy! This was a really cool post Susie.
http://www.shinylittlethings.com
wow, some…most of her outfits are so un-conventional ! i wouldn’t be brave enough to wear them ! but she does work it.
first off i was thinking the style choices were ugly… but you get round to see her way and they make sense…. yeah, thankyou for stalking her out for us Susie !
This is really cool. It’s always interesting to read about people’s various philosphies on getting dressed.
Aand her hair is awesome.
love Day 7 – Outfit 1
She does have a lot of wonderful insights about style and especially with resisting that need to conform…
Definitely an original girl for sure..esp like the last outfit where she mixes florals and green to great effect!
Her personal style is very gutsy, and I love how articulate her responses to your questions were.
I wanna know how these customised Converse shoes work! Can anybody explain it to me?
wow they were really chotic outfits but some where really nice i liked outfit 2,3 and 5, really good answers to your questions aswell!
MADNESS!!!!!!!!! but she looks awesome in all the outfits! on the streets i would surely stare, but for all the good reasons.
OH yes and i need to start attaching wooden soles to my converses!
her answers are unbelievable, pushing boundaries and hierarchy, amazing. what an inspiration!
wow, she has a lot of personality… really interesting use of her clothes, in the first one, is that a coat made into a skirt? it’s crazy!
I love her style, she reminds me of Welcome to the Dollhouse and Leslie Hall.
xxx Mademoiselle Robot
ps: it is so good you linked the Lazy Ones, they deserve all the attention. Are you friends with them as well? If yes, maybe you and I crossed paths at some point. You do look familiar!
I love her!
I like her style and the way she articulates it, but personally i don’t feel its original. Iv always lights the roots of the punk movement straight edge that’s by in fact rebelling we are all conforming.
However this being said while the base of a lot of these outfits seem rooted in the 80’s i like the textures shes mixing in the fabric. That seems a lot Fresher.
I do admire people who understand fashion like clearly Sara does.
Jen
Btw i meant Liked not Light in the second sentence above (opps)
Punk meets granny meets hooker meets geek.
Not my cup of tea but she certainly has some strong and interesting views for a 21 year old.
Possible the best pair of customised converse I will ever see. But I’ve got a feeling that’s what I thought about the last pair I saw. Hey ho! Even if her style isn’t entirely compatible with my current tastes, I admire her for her attitudes, firstly towards dressing daringly for something that matters, rather than just for a few turned heads, and secondly because she really seems to know what she’s talking about, but without sounding like a stroppy teenager trying to tell has that capitalism is like, bad, man. In fact, if her style did suit my tastes, her point would be somewhat lost. I wouldn’t stop and ponder, I’d simply think “Oh, she’s cool” and continue on my merry way.
I’m in love with the shirt in outfit 1 day 5. This girl is amazing and so unique, she’s absolutely inspirational.
WOW! While I don’t wish to emulate her style, she really makes me want to take chances with own!
Chutzpah! (Love that word.) Great interview Susie!
her style is not for me at all.
far too try hard.
but anything goes i sapose
I love how she talks about a hierachy identified by branding. Her style is very full on but it’s her and she is being true to herself.
absolutely fantasitic style!!
does she blog at all?
day 4, outfit 1 is my favorite… putting the sleeveless leather jacket over the brown one is a great idea! such amazing stuff, it must not hurt to have an employee discount at dover st. though!
her dark dark lipstick is also looks amazingly great…
oh, and also the vinyl/patent-leather jacket in the first picture! love it.
Day 5 Outfitt 1! Love. Her hair is fantastic too and the old-school glasses kick 🙂
Agh this is so impossibly fantastic/inspiring! I love people who go all out and wear the crazy things that they love, I’m so freaking sick of “minimal” and “chic.” Thank you Susie!
LOVE her Chucks and I’m quite drawn to day 6 outfit 1. Super fun post!
That was great. I love her thought process, and her strong sense of self to really step outside the box.
It is really nice to see.
….
lush !lush !inpirational plusssh…combos…
striking colours…fabulous layers..
crazi maze of a lady!.
pure electricity and wihked sence of self!
i love her philosophy of fashion…and bringing the truth to the ground.
non satorial – pure creative expressionate soul!
stus’ rock !
I love her eclectic style! Especially the skirt in the first pic…where can I get one???
xx
OK she DEFINITELY deserves the best human ever award!! I am an instant fan!!! Does she have a blog or website other than facebook?
The last picture really sealed the deal for me because shes versatile. I like that she thinks about how she feels and how she wants to reflect that, which is really an art people brush on but don’t tap into as completely as she seems to. Thanks Susie!!
Wow i think she is amazing, so much thought and effort has been poured into an outfit which may be worn just to do some cleaning
imhaute.blogspot.com
Hmm, I don’t know. She’s taking herself verrry seriously (judging from her answers). I’m more drawn to people who dress for fun, not those that dress to make a statement (be it either “I wear brands, I have money” or “I rebel against society’s boundaries/express my political view”).
But I may be a bit biased because I simply hate the way she’s looking into the lens of the camera :/.
As a student of St. Martins, it will be interesting to see whether she sticks to her views and how she will express them in her work. That would be a great follow-up for this post too.
Im a little bit scared. Is that a normal reaction?
Hehe… I do one post on her and some of you go into internet-voyeur mode! No, alas, she doesn’t have a blog or website or anything like that…. though perhaps as she progresses through St Martins, she might set one up for her designs….
I think the important thing about Sara’s style is that her main goal isn’t to strive for originality… (does that even exist? who knows….)… but that she is sticking to her tastes through and through….
Mademoiselle Robot: Haven’t met them yet but I would like to!
I have asked whether she can supply clothing credits of her pics and she might even given an explanation of how she made those awesome Converse shoes….
I’m so impressed with the way she clearly puts so much effort into her entire look, her hair and makeup so perfectly compliment the clothes, she is like a work of art! Not that I don’t also love the juxtaposition of no makeup and mad clothes…I’m not meaning to slyly insult you here!
so wrong that its totally FAB! i especially HEART day 5 outfits and her grandads NHS rims!
Well sorry but i do not like her style, I agree with someone that said she looks like she stepped from the 80s, there is nothing original about that.I actually “lived” in the 80s not born in them and the last thing I want is a reminder of it. It’s done and dusted.
What’s wrong with now? Why not Created a now style?
That’s exactly what i admire in your style Susie as opposed to this.
shit. that’s a lot to take in on one look.
i gotta hand it to her, her customising skills are wicked. even in a granny ensemble (last pic) she still manages to look club kid cool. yeh, i’ll bet she’s not everyone’s cup of tea but look at the attitude on her face.
I like everything about her except for the glasses. They are totally covering her face and I don’t think they suit her at all. Just add to the mad-woman look. That bit less and she can look better. To me at least.
Some of these I love, and others arn’t to my taste, but I think the fact your outfits make me stop and take notice and think about the boundaries of my own style is commendable and interesting. I wish you’d looked like you were having more fun in the photos though!
Oh my God , Sara does deserve all this attention . Her style def not everyone cup of tea but she’s a true special persona indeed, I admire her for what she stands for and her courage being in the 55 bus, with all eyes on her and she can keep her cool with her. She’s one of the nicest person I know and definitley an inspiration
Oh thanks! I saw her last Friday around DSM and a few time before that because I was doing a short course at CSM. She had on that wonderful Junya Watanabe and Vivienne Westwood combo of jackets and the green vintage platforms and I was completely awed.
My Golly! What an extravagent fashion dress sense! Would LOVE to see more of her…! Does she have a blog?
it’s beacon’s closet!
Interesting post. Very 80’s, Boy George/Culture Club, New York City club kids, etc. I was quite young, but saw this the first go ’round. It’s new to a whole new generation though. I applaud her for wanting to be different. But is anything ever really new in the true sense?
She reminds me so much of Isabella Blow!
susie, inspiring post. please do more! i felt a twinge of nostalgia. she’s young and experimenting with dress, which is common, although she’s obviously got some balls.
it would be interesting to see her style evolve over the next few years. i feel like as you get older, you become more practical – for instance, i used to wear wire armatures in my turtle necks and cumberbunds strapped across my bosom – something i’d never do now. dressing was playful and fun, and rules were meant to be broken. i’d highly recommend it!
This was a really great post, i’d love to see more like this! You should do a 7 day diary of your outfits!
x
http://www.flatbrokefabulous.blogspot.com
oh i love her. took her picture before and it made the cover of a street fashion mag i work for. i think i could build a whole religion around outfit 2 from day 1. go sara!
I’ve thought about her a couple of days. Parking my knee jerk reaction of ‘WTF’ I think her style is interesting and gutsy but there’s something missing. To my eye she looks a little text book St Martins indie cool. Hopefully she lightens up and finds the humor in fashion.
LOVE this post, as with all your other personal style posts on others such as the one on bizzy some time back.
The images will def. be going into my inspiration folder and deconstructed as I sloth in front of my comp this weekend!
i agree with terry `(2 posts above) it really puts me off. the expression on her face is just very conventional and trying far to hard too look cool.
she may have some interesting views but it doesn’t strike me as a collection of outfits expressing these views. yes fashion has it’s roles and it’s responsibilities other than wearing a katharine hamnett t shirt but this one doesn’t inspire or provoke any thought.
chaotic? -yes. She seems to me like one of those movies that are random and makes so many analogies that everyone think its some deep emotional movie, but it’s just a bunch of crap. I just don’t get it.
I knew that there would be a love/hate relationship going on with Sara’s style but please remember, that Sara very kindly offered to do this seven day diary for me and whilst you can trash ME all you want with my outfits, please don’t be too nasty to Sara. Her personal style is exactly what it says on the tin; personal.
Sorry I know it’s great to be an individual and all, but i seriously think that it is only the fact that Susie Bubbs thinks this girl has wonderful dress sense that people are cooing in excitment and awe. I think her style is truely awful, she seriously looks like someone who is TRYING so hard to be different but fails miserably. If that is something to be of an inspiration than i fear for the future of fashion. She might as well of tried to wear everything she owned, like when Joey from Friends wore all of Chandler’s clothes in one go. the only thing i admire is her courage because you gotta be prety thick skinned to walk streets looking like something who just threw up the 80’s.
Oh, and I sooo agree Hilary (2 comments up).
Leekooo: That is absolute poppycock…Are you thus accusing all the ppl commenting here to be lemmings…I’d give them more credit than that…I don’t flatter myself to think that my opinion holds that much sway with ppl…because that would be really really absurd….
I’m simply presenting an interesting style aesthetic that I admire, not because it’s my style nor am I saying she is completely original because to be frank, who on earth is truly original…. just because it’s interesting and clearly IT IS intriging ppl, seeing as it’s garnered more comments than most of my normal posts…. and I doubt that’s because I’M posting it otherwise there’d be a similar amount of comments on other things too….
I do come awfully close to just deleting this whole frickin’ thing…
i get that its not my style & i appreciate that she has her own.. but this girl seems like she is trying way to hard to get attention/a second glance.
Hello…I never said you said it was your style..I said I didn’t like her style and also, yes, I do agree with the statement that some people here are lemmings. And you do not need to flatter yourself because I made that comment and theory not you. She seriously looks like she raided the bins of TK Maxx and just because she decided to wake up and wear it all at the same time and then pop her grandad’s glasses on. She seriously looks like crazed mad woman. I never mentioned she was original either, I think she’s possessed with the “I want to be kooky” spell but didn’t work. Sorry to go all Simon Cowell on you.
OH MY LAKHJFDIFOIRNVBEO! This girl is my new idol/inspiration/muse/etc!
OH MY LAKHJFDIFOIRNVBEO! This girl is my new idol/inspiration/muse/etc!
OH MY LAKHJFDIFOIRNVBEO! This girl is my new idol/inspiration/muse/etc!
OH MY LAKHJFDIFOIRNVBEO! This girl is my new idol/inspiration/muse/etc!
OH MY LAKHJFDIFOIRNVBEO! This girl is my new idol/inspiration/muse/etc!
Big Glasses are cool, but that doesn’t mean
everyone can pull it off ~ definitely not her! Oh + Just becuase the pieces are “vintage” that doesn’t mean they are great! But I have to say I admired her courage and the way she tried to break the “ordinary fashion boundaries” , stand tall and take off that glasses gal,I think you can sell those old clothes to me ~
cool interview, you should interview people at dazed and confused like this http://londonparismilannewyork.blogspot.com/2008/07/exclusive-interview-with-former-fashion.html it would so fab!
keep up the good work, love your blog its inspiring me to write my own 🙂
her fashion philosophies are very interesting, this is obviously a very intelligent and brave young woman – i would say that people shouldn’t be slagging her off so excessively, but to be honest it seems like she can handle it – she seems above that kind of thing. i wouldn’t wear most of these outfits myself, but i’ve really enjoyed looking at them and i feel like it’s invigorated my belief in the worth of personal style. also, i’ve seen her a couple of times round hoxton too, and she’s always eye catching! ahaha i sound like a stalker now…
she is so obviously on drugs. you can tell from the facial expressions. she’s on something. and her answers are such bullshit/nonsensical. she talks about trying to break free from social hierarchies and class constraints through branding yet almost all of her clothes are extremely expensive labels like junya watanabe and comme des garcons. she’s a walking hypocrite. and no one dresses like that unless they want attention, no matter what she says.
amazing? cool? great? oh my god, she is like my grandma’s wardrobe vomiting in a hangover morning. I think her outfits are too much forced and absolutely not originals, so 80’s, so boring… She (or her parents) has money enough to spend in expensive brands and pay an important design school, but she has a very bad taste, being styling is noy being a clown.
OK she looks like a fool. There is nothing unique or cool abouther outfits. I am just stating my opinion but nothing goes with anything. Its like she is trying to hard and it looks like chaos and not in a good way. All these commments saying how amazing she looks..REALLY people stop hopping on the bandwagon she looks like a clown a hbo clown at that. I dont see the fashion or the sense of it. Any designer would look at her and immediately be turned off!
intelligent? brave? haha how about screaming for attention?
what a joke!
Hey Susie!!
This one is probably the most resourceful and unique post you’ve ever done (pardon me, of course all of you posts are extraordinary, but you know what I mean)!
Thank you for your courage, sensibility, flair and for going up to this woman and knowing that this would be fun! I absolutely love this post, I adore it!
It is sometimes how I feel and it is great to know that there are other out there going through the same.
the one with the wedding hat. HAHAHAAHHAAHAHAHAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAH
if a designer saw that, they wouldn’t be all “omg she is my inspiration” they be like “Omg what a foolio”
This style is much too forced and screaming “look at me”. I am sorry but it is quite clownish and not fashion forward but a fashion mess. I also notice some of th negative comments were deleted. I think people should be able to xpress their views negative or positive. Everyone doesnt agree on style and just because Susie likes it doesnt make it right at all
Fashion should be fun. She looks miserable. HEr face and her outfits 🙁 . Sorry not a fan
I haven’t deleted any comments at all… by the way… just repeat ones by the same IP address as Typepad sometimes does repeat comment posting…
Of course everybody is entitled to their own opinion… as for miserable expressions…Sara does smile but like me, some ppl are not a natural smiler in front of the camera…
her style might be a bit wacky.. but the designers and the price she pays for it sure makes up for it
hahaha. i googled my sis’s name looking for something else and came across this crazy blog. i never knew my sis was drawing so much attention. i know she wouldn’t give a shit about what most people have said here but thought it might be worth defending her on some accounts. i was also staying with her at the time this was first posted and she made no mention of it at all. i’m very much a t-shirt-jeans kind of guy but can respect my sis for the style she chooses and know it’s not an attempt to draw attention. she enjoys clothes… and she buys them all herself (one of the perks of working at dover street is you get massive discounts). the glasses are my gramps who passed away not too long ago. i’ve got a pair i wear in respect to him. she might look miserable in the photos cos she wouldn’t forcefully smile for the camera and look fake… otherwise she’s mellow and smiles a lot. plus she’s not on drugs and hardly ever drinks. anyway she’s still young in the fashion world and i personally think there’s a lot more to come from her. cheers susie and glad to see the attraction this blog drew.
Had the pleasure of meeting this lovely lady at Vancouver Fashion Week this season. She’s up on the best dressed list at Style by Fire for her rad afterparty outfit. Vote here!
http://stylebyfire.com/2009/04/04/vfw-closing-gala-mr-millers-top-10-best-dressed/
HI Susie
Goodness me, what ‘style’ you already are exhibiting here on your Facebook!
Am a friend of your Mom’s, just loved looking at all the cool pics of yourself, am new to Facebook, it’s rather exposing though?
I am a contributor to the Bali newspaper (where I write a few columns every other week) so thought I would run with one of your pics for my next issue (3 June)
Good luck to you and more ‘dressing up’ it’s fabbo and surely inspirational to the younger folk around the globe!
Cheers, Marilyn
hi susie, i am marilyns’ friend, i work with a fashion editor called kukuh, i love your creativity, your looks are individual and fabulous, and would love to keep in contact with you. so if you don’t mind, i will keep your name and will send you another note soon. i live here in bali but originally from central java and am quite a fashionarta myself! best martin
This lady is amazing!!!!!!!!
rafwillyolivier.blogspot.com