a-muse-ing

“To make fashion fun, wild at heart, and full of divine freedom” – we couldn’t agree more Michelle :)

If you haven’t heard of Michelle Harper, I think you would probably recognise her from various street style shots from Fashion Week’s all over the globe. I thought I’d share with WD readers a little about Michelle. Her aesthetic and over all philosophy in life and in fashion is truly inspirational. I love how she is so carefree but also very determined and particular she is with her fashion choices. I love how her style shows off her personality and how that is truly what fashion is all about; wearing art, showing off your personality and taste; and basically enjoying fashion and not taking it too seriously! A great inspiration!

“I’ve always looked a little crazy. I’ve never been conventional because I don’t think I look conventional…I think that in life, you just work with what you have.”

“My grandmother is my fashion icon – she was fortunate enough as a young lady to be able to shop in the couture houses in Paris, shop in the best boutiques in New York, and have couture items and jewelry made to her specifications. She was classically but boldly elegant and growing up in her closet with all her gowns, jewelry, wigs, hats, bags, and her crystal perfume flacons and her Paloma Picasso lipstick!!! That was what set the stage for me.” - Don’t we all wish we could of grown up in a household like that!

Having a wardrobe many of us would dream of having - taking up the entire exterior wall of her living room!! Most of her clothes are vintage and organized per category: coats, day dresses, evening dresses, contemporary, shoes, jewelry, all dry-cleaned, stored in boxes, wrapped in tissue paper and/or polished.

Michelle’s all time favorite fashion quote is by Rudi Gernreich. He said that “Fashion will go out of Fashion”. Her degree in Art History from NYU’s Fine Arts program, comes in handy as she systematically breaks down his observation: “In essence the present fashion becomes the past and that past becomes vintage. The fashion of the moment (which is aspirational) is continually passing becoming passe (which is the contradiction). But for me the wisdom and realization in this quote is that there is no real moment, only a sea of moments, a sea of vintage fashion that we love. And its value, for me never dies. So let fashion go out of fashion… And love vintage.”

Michelle has her own tumblr account – check her out! a-muse-ing!!