The Olympian flirts with fashion: Qaisarah Kamal-Fariz, Charlotte Chu
Name: Qaisarah Kamal Fariz (sophomore), Publicist of Fashion Club
Instagram: @q4isarah_
Where do you get your fashion inspiration from?
“I get inspo from a variety of people that pop up on my Pinterest and TikTok feed, but I especially love Kate Brock and Enya Umanzor’s style!”
When and how did you get into fashion?
“I got into fashion in 2020, a few months after quarantine hit and I was stuck at home scrolling through Pinterest a lot. I feel like there was a big wave of fashion in 2020 that caused a lot of people to start paying attention to fashion as well. This new wave was a lot easier for me to follow as a hijabi since baggy clothes were more popularized, and these new trends also introduced me to thrifting which was much more affordable. These two factors were the main reasons why I fell in love with fashion and why I continue to have a passion for it today.”
How would you characterize your style?
“To be honest I literally dress like an old man but I love it! When I go out I see elderly people who are twinning with me and I think old people clothes are so cute.”
What is your favorite piece of fashion? What about your favorite piece in your own closet?
“I love sweaters, especially vintage grandpa ones. My favorite piece [in my own closet] is probably my platform Docs (Doctor Martens). I’ve had them for almost a year now and although they’re not the most comfortable shoes, they look so good and I find myself reaching for them a lot more than my other shoes. Docs are timeless and go with every outfit!”
What trends and styles have you been liking recently?
“I think ribbons are really cute, you can incorporate them into your outfit in a lot of different ways and I think they really add something to your outfit. I also have been liking the editorial style and colorful eye makeup.”
What trends have you not liked or don’t see yourself wearing?
“I don’t think I see myself wearing flats or heels with a slit in it that separates your toes. I’ve been seeing them a lot on Pinterest, but I think only certain really cool people can pull them off.”
Where do you source most of your clothes from?
“For the past couple years, I have thrifted all of my clothes with the exception of some basics and shoes. I think once you start thrifting, you never go back to shopping at regular stores.”
Lastly, do you have any style tips?
“My biggest tip that I stand by is to never follow trends that you can’t thrift. If you can’t find it secondhand, it’s probably because it’s a new, very specific design that you can only find at one brand. I’ve seen a handful of trends like this in the past, such as the pegasus baby tee from Realisation Par, the Omighty tank top, and several different pieces from Unif. Because these brands are extremely expensive, these trends are mostly only followed by fashion influencers who make money from posting fit pics. And since this is their job, you won’t see them repeat an outfit, which results in a shorter time span of the trend being displayed online. People who bought a trendy $65 baby tee will realize the trend is no longer cool after a mere six weeks. In contrast, if the trend is thrift-able, it is an already existing design that can be found from a variety of different brands, making it more accessible and widespread. An example of this is argyle print, which has been considered trendy for years. Plus, even if you get sick of the trend, it would’ve only cost you a few dollars anyways.”
Name: Charlotte Chu (senior), Co-President of Fashion Club
Instagram: @ch_rl_tt_ch_
Where do you get your fashion inspiration from?
“I feel like I get it from everywhere pretty much, like if I see someone walking on the street and I like their outfit, I just feel like, ‘oh cool,’ and make a mental note I guess. Or also, some of my favorite creators are like Emma Chamberlain and Devon Lee Carlson.”
When and how did you get into fashion?
“I don’t know. I joined the Fashion Club during COVID; I’ve always been kind of interested in it [fashion]. But, I feel like since I’ve joined Fashion Club, I’ve been a lot more aware.”
How would you characterize your style?
“I honestly have no idea. I like a bunch of different things. Like one day I can have a more baggy outfit with baggy pants or like a big sweatshirt that I stole from my dad.”
What is your favorite piece of fashion or favorite piece in your own closet?
“I just got these boots that are like calf-high boots with silver detailing and buckles up them, they are so cute.”
What trends and styles have you been liking recently?
“Recently, I feel like knitwear has been really popular or scarves or balaclavas and stuff.”
What trends have you not liked or don’t see yourself wearing?
“Crocs! I don’t know, I just don’t really like Crocs that much.”
Where do you source most of your clothes from?
“I go to vintage markets sometimes and thrift and also my favorite brand is Free People.”
Lastly, do you have any style tips?
“I don’t know, it’s kind of [cliché], but be yourself and just wear what you want!”