occupation: blogger, accessories designer, and works in retail

“If I don’t leave the house feeling a bit ridiculous, then there’s something wrong.” Zana Bayne

Zana says that when she shops, she waits for something to blow her mind, but at the same time, she would rather make it her own than wait for something to happen. People like Zana, with their innovative and free-thinking internet presence, represent the future of fashion where interpreting it for yourself is so much more inspiring and empowering than following trends blindly. No more designer head to toe and here’s this month’s bag to have and who cares what season it was from! Zana’s wears her beloved boots into the ground, her Margiela doctor’s bag is all the more chic from being a staple for years and she makes a version of Ann Demeulemeester’s corset belt that works for her. Blogging since the age of 13, she is a tastemaker, both in her avant garde purchases and designs. In mostly black and neutrals, she’s into the sophistication of being monochromatic, a long way from the many colors she used to look “pretty” in growing up (while her mom was in “yuck” black, as she used to think). Zana favors designers like Haider Ackermann for “the way he combines materials to look heavy and soft.” And her experimental eye makes public how expressive and fun a Margiela trompe l’oeil top (that makes her look as if she is only wearing a bra) can be as opposed to another button-down blouse. When it all gets too generic and predictable, Zana finds a way to push the boundary and does it in a way that is accessible. Instead of just another belt, she is making futuristic/medieval-inspired harnesses that can turn the simplest trench from 20th century to 21st. And rather than just have another pair of pumps or boots, why not add a winged boot strap (catch the video of them on her blog) or tons of studs and spikes. What’s so special is that while dramatic, she’s never overdone. Her leather and metal accents can give her classic-turned-state-of-the-art Marni sack dress or Jil Sander pumps the accent they need, but either way, she is a head-turner.

Check out Zana’s blog, Garbage Dress

If you like Zana, you might also enjoy Antino Crowley, Edmundo Desnoes and Felicia Rosshandler, Marika Wilson, or James Gillespie.