Style Icons

I believe it was Ming Xi that said, “My Personal Style is kind of random; it’s always changing – I’m a Pisces! Sometimes I like one particular style for a season, and the next season, I will dress totally different.”

In 2013, I decided that I wanted a new look and it was during this process that I found a new elegance. I had ditched the tracksuit bottoms and skinny jeans for dress pants, chic shirts and shift blouses. I stopped shopping for instant gratification and started treating my shopping experiences as investment ventures.

Fast-forward a couple years; I have a strong closet filled with pieces inspired by an amalgamation of my favourite artists, designers, actresses, paintings etc.

My closet is so strong, I make casual look dressy and I have the following women to thank for that. They taught me to stand behind my choices and own it.

AUDREY HEPBURN/HOLLY GOLIGHTLY (1929-1993)

This silver screen Icon was the definition of Hollywood Glamour and if you’re not familiar with whom Audrey Hepburn is, you’ll definitely know her character, Holly Golightly from the movie, BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S. Her elfin beauty and timeless style introduced her to the designer to whom she would become muse – Hubert de Givenchy.

Givenchy went on to design a majority of Hepburn’s personal and movie ensembles of which she commented on by saying, “His are the only clothes in which I am myself. He is more than couturier, he is a creator of personality.’

Hepburn was a dancer and dressed to accentuate that 20in waist some are killing themselves over. Givenchy understood this about her and their collaboration was a match made in fashion.

VICTORIA BECKHAM

Queen Victoria is perfection personified. If ever (and that’s a really big IF) a hair is found out of place, it must have been styled that way intentionally. Someone needs to figure out how to bottle this up and sell it; I will certainly buy it.

Victoria Beckham happens to be a singer turned Model turned Designer with the latter gaining her the high level of recognition the rest of the world have come to respect her for.

The Vogue cover girl has worked hard over the years to establish herself in the fashion industry and the growing accolades that come in the form of several awards show that it is finally paying off. Queen Victoria has a very distinct chic and elegant aura about her. She is the definition of ‘less is more’. She usually goes for statement outfits that accessorise themselves. In fact, if I may, I will have to say that the best accessory I have ever seen on the Queen is her husband and children (They’re tres parfait).

MIROSLAVA DUMA

Miroslava is an international fashion Icon based in Moscow. She was a social events editor for Harper’s Bazaar (Russia) and now works as a freelance writer for many Russian publications such as L’Officiel Russia, Glamour Russia, OK Magazine Russia and Tatler Russia.

Out of all my style icons, I am slightly biased in my love for Miroslava. She is a Piscean and she’s also petite like me with her height estimated at approximately 5 Feet. Whilst some may criticize her style palette for being too dressy/expensive, I can’t get mad at the girl. With a background like hers (her dad is a senator) and a social calendar that I am personally jealous of (she is a permanent fixture in anything fashion related), just what do people expect? THE WOMAN IS SIMPLY FLAWLESS!

Not only is she an international fashion icon but she also has the smarts to back up her good looks and amazing sense of style- as she is the founder of Buro 24|7, a killer style website that is gaining increasing momentum with every published post (something I hope to do with this blog).

CARRIE BRADSHAW

Yes, she’s fictional but it doesn’t make her any less important. Carrie Bradshaw is the woman who taught me the A-Z of fashion and protested “a woman’s right to (expensive) shoes”.

I remember being 15, running around London pretending I was in New York wearing designers I couldn’t pronounce or afford and I only have Ms Bradshaw to blame for that. She made it okay to wear what I wanted without judgement (I see the way people stare at me sometimes when I dress a certain way and I can only smile whilst thinking, Carrie would understand). Her style was simply fearless and for that, I raise a cosmopolitan to the woman who taught me how to drink ‘em, walk and run in heels and inserted the word ‘fabulous’ into my vocabulary because she is and forever will be.

Who is your style Icon? Let me know below. I am Destini Monet and you have been reading ‘The Black Mannequin’.