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Wearing: Asos faux fur coat, gifted t-shirt, Emma Mulholland shorts, Karen Walker Iris sunglasses, American Apparel socks and Lipstik jelly sandals.
I know it's been a few weeks since the Natalia Kills fiasco but I thought I'd use it to discuss some thoughts I've been having about originality and authenticity. What she said was nothing short of narrow-minded and delivered in a very vicious way and without being featured on StylelikeU I would never have heard of her. Her music didn't really inspire me to dig deeper than that and I had no idea her husband was also a musician. I also find it amusing that someone who models herself on Cleopatra and identifies as the Egyptian Queen reincarnated has the gall to complain about someone else's lack of creativity. In the days that followed she became just another Internet meme. I was obviously influenced by the photo of Kills wearing her Karen Walker sunglasses compared with Willy Wonka from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
So here's the thing, the notion that you should "just be yourself" or "stay true to your artistic vision" is not helpful if you aren't sure what that is. Or if you're still trying to figure that out. Collaboration is often seen as a dirty word and citing something as an influence usually draws negative connotations. Being able to reinterpret something artistically and re-examining why our interests are special should be seen as adding value to our feelings, rather than detracting from them. In biology it's widely accepted that as a consequence of living in the same environment, different animals converge on the same morphology in what's known as convergent evolution. But a similar philosophy cannot be applied to art or culture and suddenly there is this pressure to create something totally unique, individual and not having to credit anyone.
Wearing: Meadham Kirchhoff X Topshop sweater, Emma Mulholland denim shorts, Atilin saddle shoes and cat amulet by ginette lapalme (etsy).
I normally don't wear all pink, nor am I the first in my age group to do it (see Pink Zoe Experiment) but I thought it would be fun. Plus it gave me an excuse to wear my cat amulet from Toronto artist Ginette Lapalme which I should wear more often to be honest. People certainly treat you differently when you wear all pink- it's like you're some crazed lunatic or something. It's certainly a different reaction than say, if you were to wear all black in which case you are effortlessly chic and epitomize style, elegance and grace. Or people are more likely to comment and say something snarky compared to wearing all black though. It kind of sucks that people think their opinion carries greater weight than say your own self-esteem or creativity but I've learned not to let it bother me. This frame of thinking has largely been helped by badass bloggers such as Susie Bubble and Tavi Gevinson who learn not to take things to heart (unless what they did was genuinely offensive or showed some kind of prejudice).
I didn't think it was possible, but a brand has built their reputation on being polished and yet eccentric all at once. At the core of it, the clothes are to the highest standard but the styling is both weird and wonderful. From bowl cuts with purposeful cowlicks and buzz cuts, traditionally masculine haircuts have been softened and the notion of gender blurred. The result is wonderfully eccentric, and pants shrouded by long coats looking not too dissimilar to skirts with deep splits. Also for those concerned with ~trend reports~ (though I despise such superficial, clickbait garbage) pointed shoes are back in vogue. I loved the thick elasticised ankle straps and frayed edges characterising the Acne Resort collection. Like normal people, I do not enjoy sliding around in shoes which do not fit properly, or imagining my shoes slipping off my feet and into a nearby gutter. Unlike thin straps they also don't cut into the skin, although they do result in some interesting tan lines. Tattoo chokers have also enjoyed a recent revival and Acne have done just that- translating something tacky into high fashion. 
