“Some artists that have really influenced my style are Yinka Shonibare, Egon Schiele, Henri Matisse, Kay Hassan, Cindy Sherman, and Nick Cave (an artist who focuses on, “the sound and the effects that a costume elucidates when it’s being worn”). When in need of inspiration, I usually turn to an art book before a fashion magazine, because there are so many ways to interpret art via clothing, and I am able to combine the two things that I love!” Ariel Adkins

occupation: student, blogger and artist

Anyone that has cried over a pair of Marni shoes that were found on the last day of the Barney’s warehouse sale, for 90 percent off, in your size, that were jammed under the shelf, is a member of my tribe. We see completely eye to eye on the fact that it is more about the hunt and visual stimulation, than it is about purely consuming. Ariel says that things in life are intense for her, “I like intense color, intense fashion and I am very emotional… people say that I am Pisces to the max” (I am also a water sign, Scorpio, and intense is an understatement.) I love Ariel’s passion for detail in the way she describes her Bill Blass vintage two-peice, pastel set, how it reminds her of the contemporary designer, Isabel Marant, and how the neon fuschia pump she wears with it has nothing to do with it stylistically, but works perfectly color-wise. Ariel approaches clothing like the art historian that she is. She wrote her thesis on “Clothing as a Cultural Medium in Contemporary Art,” where she enlightens us about artists that reflect on the cultural phenomenon of clothing and are completely divorced from the marketing of it. Among a few she is particularly inspired by is virtuoso Yonika Shonibare, who turn garments of dutch wax printed textiles into opulent theater. She was the first girl to wear a tie to school in her hometown of Virginia Beach, a town with a vibe that she carries into her current urban life in her floor length Diane Von Furstenburg printed dress and pink floppy hat. However, the “greatest thing” that she owns is her red Valentino gown that she got for fifty dollars at a sample sale, and of course, she cried when she got it.

Check out Ariel’s Blog.

If you like Ariel, you may also enjoy Haley Wollens and Sarah Hamilton.

“I just want to use the universal language of photography, to show the reality of places. I mean how amazing it is for people living in LA…to see cool kids in Moscow… it breaks so many cliches. And that is for me, my drive.. the most surprising element.” Yvan Rodic

occupation: blogger, photographer, world traveler

What happens when a kid is from Switzerland, where the only fashion that exists is “modest and low key” and it’s unacceptable to be cool, whose passions are archeology, traveling and photography? A state of the art blog is born (one of my favorites) called Face Hunter, which holds me like glue, in much the same way that National Geographic does, especially the portraits, or even a Vermeer painting. Yvan’s subjects are found in every nook and cranny of the world and his pictures are slices of life of the most originally-dressed, the ones who express everything through their fashion no matter how subtle or overt. He finds captivating and I do to, a girl reading in a doorway, on a quiet street, dressed simply, except for her very noticible red suede wedges. He is very “Swiss” in how humble he is about his own wardrobe. “I dress how I feel and it’s not incredibly avante garde or experimental, because my work is about shooting cool people that should look cooler than I am. But I guess at the end of the day, I appreciate the people who are just themselves. I don’t need to costume myself.” However, I think he is incredibly chic in his own form of hip geek in his shrunken blazers, cropped pants, pastel colors, buttoned up shirts, slim trenches and the most sophisticated variations of the desert boot in charcoal gray suede and navy leather. But it is the person that makes the clothes and much of Yvan’s charm brings life to everything he touches with his very profound committment to the adrenaline rush that he gets from the uncovering of new, and preferably less traveled places and their cultural taste-makers. He travels the world with a fervor on twitter speed, in the last three years he hasn’t spent more than ten days in one city, including his home in London. Authenticity, anticipation, these are all words of the past, according to Yvan, it’s like a “1960′s science fiction movie.” The world is moving too fast and everyone is connected, I am “doing and thinking” at the same time… it’s the most beautiful thing.”

Yvan Rodic, is his personal photographic blog

You might also enjoy Milton Puzey, James Ott and Kristopher Daddona

“During Fashion Week, I walked in eight shows. They have a lot of flash – bam, bam, bam! When I walk on the runway, they all take pictures of me and I pose. I hear the sound, and it makes me so happy.” Noma Han

occupation: model

South Korea, where he grew up and “things are quiet,” was definitely not going to be a good fit for someone like Noma, who can barely contain his enthusiasm for everything. To call him passionate is an understatement, but he is, in the lightest and no less meaningful sense of the word. Noma came to New York on his own, barely speaking the language, and among many successes, is presently in the Benetton Ad Campaigns. He inhales the “bright lights” of the big cities, of which he has a lot of exposure of due to his modeling career, but humor with it all is never far behind. Noma loves what he refers to as “British style,” in his foulard suspenders, rolled jeans, Doc Martens, and bowler, but he equally jumps for joy in his skateboard-inspired, glow-in-the-dark Inventory sweatshirt. In addition to skateboarding in his spare time, he watches folkloric action cartoons like Wampus, whose skin stretches like rubber and draws his own Lampoon-like renderings for tattoos on his body. So refreshingly unencumbered by what other people think of him, Noma makes fashion fun and happy, as it should be. He can’t help but pull his Prince Peter t-shirt of the performance artist Lindsay Kemp over his face, and by doing so, he says something very profound without even trying: in the words of William Shakespeare, “all the world’s a stage.”

If you like Noma, you might also enjoy Nick Cohen or Shayne Oliver.

“What inspired me about Amy Arbus’s No Place Like Home was the fact that, like StyleLikeU, there are so many different people in the world who express themselves in completely different ways, in the way that they dress and the kinds of homes that they have.” Piera Gelardi

occupation: creative director for Refinery29

Piera is attracted to talismen, or powerful objects that embody good energy, like her early twentieth-century vintage purse that she says is her metal kidney, and her Giles tassel necklace. But to me, they are emblems of the powerhouse that Piera is. I now know what it takes to launch one’s own business, and I am in awe of Piera’s entrepreneurial spirit and foresight in starting Refinery29 at a time “when very little else on the internet occupied that type of space.” She “dared to jump,” and says that “thinking back to when we started, it gives me that sense of possibility that is addictive” (words we can all stand to hear right now). Her fetish for amulets and their magic has not only helped her in business, but she says that clothes almost divinely find her, like her stunning red floor-length Anne Klein pleated skirt that popped up on eBay in her size when she searched for anything by the designer. In the same vein, I love how uncontrived Piera is with her style: the way she puts a pair of Southwestern-style vintage Keds with a Gucci nautical cardigan, and how she has turned her birthday (for ten years now) into a “wear pink” party, because no one would dare leave to go anywhere else in NYC in pink. With the success of Refinery29, Piera’s living space is now her own – gone are the days when she let her coworkers into her apartment with a towel on her head, though she appreciates them as much as the heirlooms she has inhertied from her grandmother’ world travels.

If you like Piera, you might also enjoy Darcy Miro, Kim Johnson, or Marka Kiley.

“I’m inspired by the musical Oliver!, The Prince and the Pauper, the movie Amadeus, Steven Tyler, David Bowie, Michael and Janet Jackson, Prince, Mick Jagger, Jesus, pimps, peasants, and stoners.” Marcus Holmlund

occupation: blogger

There was a turning point for Marcus in high school when he was cast in Oliver! – “it became more about the costume” than musical theater. “I remember stealing some knickers and some monk shoes from the prop closet and wearing them to school the next day…that is what shaped my view about fashion.” Today, Marcus continues to express himself as he chooses and enjoys “blowing the preconcieved notions of things out of the water.” Thus, you might see Marcus giving his rock and roll and urban touch to a respendent kimono or a lavender feathered women’s bolero. He was once wearing a long t-shirt over short shorts that prompted a man to come up to him and say, “Excuse me sir, where are your pants?” Alittle reminiscent of “please sir, can I have some more?” Appropriately named Smoke & Mirrors, his blog is a reference to “what you see isn’t necessarily what you get.” He writes about his passion for hip-hop, despite the fact that he is a half-Jewish, half-Swedish white kid from Buffalo who is infatuated with eighteenth-century dress (as in Amadeus Mozart, who “wore wigs, tights, and heels on a daily basis”). Marcus doesn’t wear a wig – he possesses a dazzling head of long hair, that contributes to people’s quick judgement about his androgynous appearance. I couldn’t agree with him more that men’s fashion since the early 19th century has succumbed to social tunnel visions, who really wouldn’t feel dazzling in a Commes des Garcon coat with a bustle to a Northface? I can’t help but wonder if Marcus’ almost maternal love for Janet Jackson, whom he saw as the “underdog” next to her brother, came from the boundaries he has been forced to have to push through. Thanks to Marcus’ integrity and tenacity, the magic of the Prince and the Pauper and a time when men were more liberated, ironically, lives on.

If you like Marcus, you might also enjoy Olof Erlandsson or Bradley Smith.

“I have been inspired by the Pope, nuns, and priests. The way they dress is uniform, but also abstract.” Torr Love

occupation: blogger, artist, and student

I love when my art history juices can kick in when I am writing these posts. Despite the fact that Torr says that his room is his favorite place to travel, because it is a reflection of him and he “can stare at the wall and become inspired,” he is not short on imagination, and his references are educated. Torr says that he feels like Jesus with the thorned crown when he wears his turban (the scarf that it is made from has a portrait of Frieda Kahlo on it). But my mind goes right to The Fortune Teller by Caravaggio, while Torr also imagines Saint Matthew by the same artist. Either way, he possesses an elegance and regality that befits his love of religious imagry. The hugely oversized Southwestern sweater looks more like a robe than a cardigan, his cream tunic (“very Vatican” in its marriage of the iconic and abstract), and the net poncho that changes jean cut-offs and a flannel into something playful and ethereal. Torr says that he “dresses for the feeling and soulfulness of things” – he fell to the ground when he found the gigantic knit sweater, as did I when he showed up in it for this shoot.

If you like Torr, you might also enjoy Michael Liu or Donna Harrison.

Check out Torr’s blog, Leopard Milkshake, here.

“I feel like I’ve always had one foot in the East and one foot in the West as well. Being biracial, being always between worlds, it’s a part of me, and so the core of my work is this concept of being a bridge, or the core to my art is idea of art as a social bridge.” Drue Kataoka

occupation: artist, musician, and blogger

I love how Drue approaches life with the feeling that “we have a limited time to create” and as a result, there is an imperative to act on our impulses and intuitions, instead of just theorizing them. At the end of her video, she graces us with one of her many talents, and plays her handmade gold flute. The moment and the music leave you filled to the brim with emotion and wanting more. The flute, like Drue, is a “beautiful instrument” with which to communicate your thoughts and feelings and with her, self-expression is always aligned with a deep appreciation for quality and craftsmanship. In addition to being an accomplished musician, she is also a consummate painter. True to her Japanese and American roots, her art reflects her attraction to contradictions and to her position as a social and cultural bridge between the Eastern and Western influences that have shaped her. The style mixes the ancient art of Japanese brush painting with a typically American subject matter of jazz musicians, some of whom she has worked with, like Wynton Marsalis. Similarly, Drue’s fashion aesthetic is from deep-down in her core – she has a Zen-like, uncluttered, and globally, sophisticated sensibility. I imagine that Drue’s attention to detail and polish (which she attributes to her Asian heritage) turns heads everywhere, especially in Palo Alto where she lives – her indomitable Louise Brooks hair cut, bold red lips, and powerful thick brows (not to mention her screaming vixen YSL ankle booties, daring silver Burberry trench, and elegant, whimsical minature Selima top hat and veil). In Drue’s usual keeping of breaking and remolding of traditions, she is the last descendent of the Kataoka Samurai family line – she was ceremoniously handed the family sword by her father, when it is only supposed to go to a male heir. And if this isn’t enough, one of her blogs addresses the merging of Buddhism with technology. Something tells me she can fit the bill as a carrier of her family name with the honor it deserves, boxes of Prada shoes and all.

If you like Drue, you might also enjoy Sielian Lie, Leo Cerezo, Kate Roling, or Sarah Hamilton.

“I think whatever you are putting out there whether it’s negative or positive, the universe will match it. If there is something you want to do, the universe waits for you to make those first couple of steps and then it comes to you and starts to match what you want, as oppossed to sitting around with your arms crossed, doing nothing.” Karen Blanchard

occupation: blogger and sales administrator

When we asked Karen whether she had any final thoughts to include in her post, she wanted to thank her “mum” for always bargain hunting while growing up. “It has become the blood of my life. Nothing beats turning one man’s trash into another man’s treasure. Making something out of (apparently) nothing is brilliant, and vintage is like my version of crack.” Karen is making her “crack” into a career, with her unique insight and creativity of how she dresses on her blog, Where Did U Get That?. The idea came from her curiosity about what other people were wearing and having no inhibitions to ask. It’s somewhat serendipitous that I am writing this post after just returning from a trip to London, shooting for SLU. She possesses that certain unpretentious, not taking herself too seriously, fun with clothes that I was loving while there. I remember leaving Karen’s shoot inspired to wear LONG dresses for summer, whether sequins, prints – “old lady” or “old hippie.” Like Karen, I tend to obsess. When she told me the story of running to a DSW in Manhattan, when she heard they had a certain Balenciaga shoe. And then jumping on a train, right then and there (when she found out they didn’t have her size) to a Long Island DSW, I knew we were comrades. She said “the clouds parted like a movie” when she found them. Karen has found fulfillment in her committment to addressing “the hole”, in her on line diary, that we all might feel when we get trapped into “buying for buying sake.” Today, she says it is about “feeling what you are wearing,” and her message is making an impact.

If you like Karen, you might also enjoy Byrdie Bell and Maggie Godwin.

“We share everything, we have the same taste, but the likelihood of the two of us putting the same thing together is slim to none.”

Karen’s occupation: conceptual designer for Ralph Lauren Home. Sara’s occupation: interior designer for Ralph Lauren showrooms

Karen and Sara do “schlumpy chic” with perfection: Karen in her baggy high-waisted khakis, suede shirt, and western bolo for evening, and Sara in her white Victorian dress, worn only with the chunkiest of men’s bucks (never a heel) and sometimes a fisherman knit cable. I am fascinated by their respective interpretations of the same heavenly tattered, exemplary, Americana wardrobe that they share completely – “we are each other’s other half.” I was laughing to myself as they recounted one of their more mortifying childhood memories, when their mom picked them up from school in preppy, Connecticut in her floor-length Pendelton coat, dripping in state-of-the-art silver and turquoise jewelry, because I did the exact same thing to my kids when they were young, only in my Ralph blanket floor length skirt. Childhood insecurities aside, it seems as though moms without diamonds tend to rub off on their offspring eventually. Karen and Sara have a collection of hand and arm candy worthy of noting, a plethora of Navajo hand-me-downs. They also have a uniquely sophisticated vision into the beauty of hand-sewn stitching, patchwork, quality fabric that has stood the test of time, and what they call “investment” pieces, like Sara’s 1930s Florentine workwear dress and Karen’s pure Tom Sawyer-esque Osh Kosh overalls. They are both admirably effortless in their ability to juxtapose textures, genres, and unexpected color combos, like Karen’s cut-offs with a plaid boy’s trench, Breton shirt, red tights, and her mom’s Doc Martens, and Sara in her red suede Wallabees, polka dot jeans, and pale pink button-down. “What’s mine is hers and everything old becomes new again.” Wise words from the Yankee grunge duo.

Check into Karen and Sara’s blog here.  If you Karen and Sara, you might also enjoy Erika von Petrin and Malin Landaeus.