An Educated Approach To Styling
You might not readily believe that 19-year-old Kristia Franklin is a style influencer unless, like us, you’ve watched her in runway mode at the University of Technology (UTech), where she’s studying entrepreneurship. Her sense of style, she tells AW, commenced at the age of 12 at St Andrew High School. “I really came into my own and started to develop a unique look,” She says. We reckon you’ll agree that the lady has style.
All Woman (AW): Describe your sense of style.
Kristia Franklin (KF): I would say my sense of style is unique, which entails dressing differently from most persons around me, yet still staying abreast with what’s trending and finding an innovative way to make it my own.
AW: Fashion ought to be an expression of?
KF: Your personality, which should come alive through your dress. An onlooker should be able to get a sense of your personality the moment you step into a room.
AW: Festive trends to pay attention to are?
KF: Black and white is definitely in. It can be full black, full white or a mixture, but it is definitely trending. If you’re not a fan of black and white, just do a monochromatic outfit with the same colour from head to toe and you will be turning heads this season. Additionally, long skirts — could be a plain, long, tight skirt, one with a split, pleated skirts that flair off, whichever one, just make sure a long skirt is in the mix for the season. Furthermore, leather has been out from the summer, but this trend does not seem to be dying anytime soon.
AW: Wardrobe essentials are?
KF: A gold link necklace. Lipstick is not an article of clothing, but it does add to any outfit you put on.
The weather is getting cooler but a lace shirt is a must in a lady’s closet. Even though it might gather dust for the Christmas holidays, by the end of January shake it off and hit the road. High-waisted jeans/pants and a plain button-up are also must-haves.
AW: Best places to shop are?
KF: Come and buy from me, tia_clothesgirl of course, Gavotey, whitefur, YC, miSim and sher-aesthetic.
AW: Places to be seen this season are?
KF: Big Cups, Cabana City Reserve, A-List, Major Laser Show, Soiree, Frenchmen party and Daydreams
AW: We’re on a budget this season, so…
KF: Repeating clothes may be a must, but you will definitely add a twist to them and change them up to make them something completely new. This is where you will get creative and innovative.
AW: And the season’s single must-have is?
KF: A calf-length skirt.
How Kristia Sees It:
Stylist and it-girl Kristia Franklin walks us through her exuberant personal style and teaches us a thing or two.
Photo 1
This is a simple and easy yet fun outfit for me: I paired my royal blue American Apparel easy jeans (I own four of these, by the way!) with a minimalist white camisole. Then added a red cross body bag and statement gold jewellery which matched the gold tassel on my white moccasins.
Photo 2
I tried the monochromatic trend, this is where you wear one single
colour from head to toe, preferable in the same shade. Here we see my
white crop top again, paired with a white pencil skirt which was quite
easy to make for you DIY girls — one seam stitch and two hem stitches,
top and bottom. I capped the look with my white pumps. Jewellery wise, I
bent the rules and added a gold bracelet. Let’s be real, who really
owns white jewellery, anyway?
Photo 3
This outfit comprises of five different colours yet it doesn’t look
too crowded, — that’s because the shades of the colours aren’t too
jarring together. This day I wore my green shorts to show off my legs,
with a ‘cold shoulder’ denim shirt with my wrap-around bangle which this
time I’ve put inside my short at the cut out so that it would be
peaking through, a little cool and creative idea of you when you want to
wear a ‘cold shoulder’ top. I then finished up with an orange and gold
belt along with my purple ballet flats. Colour me happy!
Photo 4
Believe it or not, this look is one of my cheapest! The ruffled halter crop top and baggy high-waisted jeans were bought at a flea market. I remember the jeans were US$5 and with minor alterations, it and I were ready for the road. Just to do something fun and out of the box, I tied a piece of polka dot fabric which I had left over from a high school project, in my hair and pulled a belt from a dress I’ve had for some years now. To complete the ensemble I threw on a pair of stacked heel shoe-boots and my cat eye shades. Go green — who knew a killer outfit could cost so little?!
Photo 5
This is definitely a club outfit that will turn heads. When my mom first bought this drapey skirt, with centre split, for me, I said to myself, ‘What in the world is she thinking?’ In the hand, it just looks like a ball of excess fabric, but as I tried it on I had to swallow my words completely. Skirts like these add shape, so all the ladies out there like me — blessed in the hip department. I kept the colour palette very simple by just adding a white crop top, with an unusual cut, just to be different.The attached statement piece — the serpent — a belt I got from a friend of mine. After putting on my skirt and my top, I felt something was missing to finish the look and I didn’t want a chain to obscure the neckline, so the idea popped into my head to use the belt. With a spool of thread and a needle, my belt became statement jewellery in seconds!
Photo 6
Who doesn’t love white? Here’s an all white outfit for school — I’m wearing my adored white easy jeans coupled with my white button up which I’ve had since high school; lot of mending stitches all over it due to wear and tear, but I’m not quite ready to give up the ghost just yet. As per usual, my gold jewelry tagged along for the ride with my ‘Versace’ style nails done my gal pal, Laurie Chin, which fit right in with the outfit.
Photo 7
I feel most confident wearing black and white — find the colour which you think suits you and gives you confidence, once you’ve found it, own it! I have worn these black and white leggings so many times I can’t even count; exercising, clubbing, to run errands, at school, lounging around at home — just about anywhere I feel like. These multi-occasion leggings can either be dressed up or down. This day, i felt to be all fancy for school so added a black tank top with the leggings, which is the same combination I could easily wear to the gym. But here’s where the ‘fancy’ comes in: It’s all about the accessorises and outerwear. The white blazer with black leather lapels is from Forever 21 and thrown over my shoulders as a cape. Wearing blazers or jackets in this elegant manner can really make an outfit look way more expensive than it actually is. As it relates to jewellery, Vince Camuto and myself are a match made in heaven — it’s the same set of pieces I wear all the time. Take my advice: Save up a little cash, buy some practical pieces of jeweller, from an actual designer. The quality is much better and therefore will last way longer than when you keep buying those cheapies, you have to constantly replace because the metallic colour degrades in no time. They end up costing you more in the long run than if you had just gotten a designer piece in the first place. On the other hand, as it relates to sunnies, a designer label isn’t necessary at all. Any make will do and you’re good to go. And before I forget, my mom lent me her gorgeous Chanel bag for the oh-so-necessary finishing touch.
Photo 8
As we all know, leather is in and for girls like me who can’t afford the real thing, will stick to our ‘Vegan Leather’ — it sounds fancier, anyway. I paired this white sleeveless leather top with dark denim to make the white pop. I went extravagant with the jewellery, I wore a small gold chain inside the shirt, oversized earrings, a cuff and rings. I was feeling quite Versace this day!
I came to realize after my purchase that my top is actually quite easy to make. Just trace and cut out an outline of the front and back into the silohuette of a bib, then stitch the sides together. It’s quick, easy, and the cost was ZERO dollars.
Photo 9
On this night out, I was feeling sexy black-on-black. Here I wore a black mesh material long sleeve peplum with a gold zip. Under which, I wore a black strapless bra rather than a camisole, which would have taken away from the style of the top. The mess leggings on the bottom matched the top so perfectly, in colour, fabric and gold detailing, that you could have sworn they were part of a complete set.
