In a sea of bland fashion strait off the racks of Nike and Brandy Melville, Junior Ciera Ross is turning heads with her unique fashion sense and undeniable style. Ciera draws her inspiration from unusual sources and lets her artistic sensibilities steer her outfit choices. I sat down with my good friend and fellow artists to discuss the secrets of her “lewks”.

IB: You are widely considered a fashion icon around the school. When did you begin noticed people were interested in what you were wearing?

CR: Oh wow! So I guess I would say that I am actually always surprised when people are interested in what I’m wearing. I just have always worn what I wanted and I am so lucky to have an amazing group of friends and acquaintances that support me in my fashion endeavors. I think, however, that it really hit me that people were noticing when upperclassmen that I looked up to started saying things or when random people came up to me to tell me they liked what I was doing.

Where do you like to buy your clothes?

I pretty much exclusively thrift or buy vintage clothing. It is sustainable (so yay earth!), cheaper, and you get more unique things! It’s really an adventure and an addiction..

How do you cultivate a “look” and when do you know if something is going to fit your style?

Thats a good question.. When I’m cultivating a “look”, I usually get inspired by something or just wear my favorite items. I try not to think “oh would this fit my style”, because I find that it puts me in a box. I just try to wear what I like and always have my Docs or Levis. When you feel good you know it’s right.

Which designers inspire your clothing choices?

Well, I’m in love with Alexander Mcqueen but I could go on forever about him. I also love the imagination of Gucci by Alessandro Michele and the weirdness by Balenciaga the designers that inspire me are endless. I love anything that shocks me and make me think “why didn’t I think of that!”

Where do you look for style inspiration online?

I look at pintrest way too much! But I also look at some youtubers like @wearilive and @jennymustard.

You are multi-talented at both 3d and 2d art, does your art inspire your fashion? Does your fashion inspire your art?

I would say so. I think that all aspects of art in my life affect all aspects of my life at the same time. For instance, right now I’ve been into all things goth and also graphic novels. So that is the direction my art is going, as well as my style and the music I listen to.

What are your weirdest fashion inspirations?

I think the weirdest fashion inspirations for me is Katya Zamolodchikova, graphic novels, movies, and old male icons like David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, Prince.

What colors have you been gravitating towards recently?

Black and black. You can never go wrong with a good green though. Just never blue.

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