Hi stylelikeu, please feature eco friendly fashionastas for once… so sick of this fur-obsessed theme throughout. fur is worthy of worship? ugh.

she is so refreshingly unique

Wonderful – this one could have been longer for me; I really enjoyed Erika’s eclecticism. As to the fur debate – of course you can do vintage or collect vintage without it; in the same way you can reject/embrace ivory, feathers or alligator should you wish. The whole point of StyleLikeU is to explore personal style (not fashion particularly) and as such, there will always be choices that will resonate/repulse. On the whole, even if I don’t ‘get’ someones take on style here – I can appreciate their thoughts – or use the scroll button.

Beyond Fabulous a true style maverick…Thankyou

I love her. I´m also into vintage stuff and was wondering, what do you have to do/study to become a vintage clothing and accessories buyer and dealer like her?

Laura x

Hello Laura,

I got my education working at vintage stores; you really get a feel for quality construction/textiles when you can touch it/see it in person. That said, it is also extremely helpful to educate yourself (books, museums, online) on history. An object out of context may be inherently beautiful, yes, but put in a historical context, it may even become -important-. And while being able to recognize a designer name is great, when working with another collector, being able to date the design by an earlier or later fabric label (aside from obvious indicators such as cut) will set you apart as a learned dealer- luckily we can use the internet as the mighty mighty resource. Check out: http://www.vintagefashionguild.org/ and start googling designers, eras, trends that interest you.

Trust & own your own eye, take some chances and go to vintage shows/expos. The booth dealers are a wealth of information & usually willing to spend time talking about their featured pieces. Buy a bunch of stuff & call yourself a collector! Sell a bunch of it & you are now a dealer. A business license helps, too. Also- find a niche in the vast subject of “vintage” and try to become an expert in that specific area. People collect EVERYTHING down to buttons. They are passionate about their collection & you should be too! : )

Thank you very much.

I’m so happy that you got to interview Erika! Obviously she was and is such an inspiration to me, and I only wish everyone could get encounter her mystical presence and the strength in which she presents herself – as well as her passion for clothing! Everything about her is f.a.b.u.l.o.u.s. This is only a small taste of her archives… her hat collection could merit a whole post of its own!!!

erika! so beautiful. your exquisite taste completely shows through. love, love, love the photo gallery.

xo, your #1 fan (or is that too Stephen King Misery?)

exquisite taste. drooling over the fabrics and textures and those knit dresses.

Oh Domonique! I <3 you! & thanks for a sweet & encouraging comments from everyone!