We recently spoke to Katie Fair, a fashion designer and pioneer, to explain more how she expresses herself with what she wears. Read on to get her views on fashion and travel and get inspired!
Originating from Slovakia, Katie shares her passion for fashion. She’s a fashion and travel addict at heart and on top of that, she designs clothing and launched her own brand!
Where are you from?
Originally I come from Slovakia, which is actually a small country with kind of a monoculture society. This made me even more curious to explore new cultures and travel to different countries. I started traveling when I was about 18 years old. Five years ago I moved to Germany where I currently live.
What are your thoughts on boutique stores?
Before I leave for a trip, I usually take a quick look online at boutique stores that would match my style. I like to explore by foot when I travel, in this way I discover a lot of particular boutiques as well. Very often, I find the most beautiful boutiques and places by accident.
What are your top 3 boutiques/ emerging designers?
There are three boutiques in particular that are still stuck in my mind. First of all there is Janset Bilgin, a jewellery brand in the heart of Istanbul. Thereafter, there is Boutique Belgique, a cozy concept store in Cologne, founded by fashion influencer Lena Terlutter. Lastly, I always go to Bohempia whenever I am in Prague. Bohempia is a boutique store that mainly sells streetwear for both men and women.
I admit that I prefer shopping in local boutiques and pop-up stores instead of large retail chains.
What is the impact that you hope to leave behind?
My vision is very simple, I want people to live a happy life. Happiness for me is having the possibility and inspiration to create and do what you love to do.
I started blogging because I decided to share that creativity and inspiration with the rest of the world. Blogging encouraged me to push my creative limits even further than I had ever expected. I consider this as a win win situation; I create an impact on my followers and my followers inspire me in their own way.
What are some of your favorite cities to visit in Europe?
My number one city is Istanbul. Istanbul is so beautiful, so colorful, Oriental but European at the same time. This mixture is what makes Istanbul unique and not only in terms of food and architecture, but in terms of fashion as well. What I love most is the diversity in styles.
When you think of who you are today, what has attributed the most to it?
I believe that every crucial moment in my life has contributed to who I have become. I spend the most of my time with my husband and my mum. They have been my greatest influence and motivation. During my career as a model, I had the opportunity to work with many designers. They taught me to really breathe fashion.
What influences your mood the most?
Mornings, because that’s actually the most productive time of the day.
What does travel mean to you? How does it influence your style?
Traveling is a real passion of mine. It gives me these amazing vibes and it reassures me to live in the moment. Travel makes me observe surroundings and people which leads to new inspirations.
Tell us about a time that you failed and how you used that to learn and inspire yourself and others around you?
I would say, who didn’t fail, didn’t win. I find it necessary to learn, understand and experience. I am a designer myself, and one thing I learned from sewing and designing is the fact that making mistakes can be beneficial from time to time. Unwanted mistakes lead to something new, like a new cut, style or color combination.
In today’s world, we are consistently living through the lives of others, what is your message to young readers on how to make their own memories?
Nowadays, people are easily influenced. My advice is to be inventive in whatever you do, because only then people are able to find and get to know themselves and their skills.
– Interviewed and edited by Emma Van Severen
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