When the pandemic shuttered the world into their homes, I turned to TikTok for entertainment. The first time Sara Camposarcone came across my “for you” page, I was shocked at her unique fashion sense: somehow, she made the clashing patterns, conflicting colors and contrasting accessories work to become not only amazing outfits, but also works of art. Sara is turning the fashion world upside down, and I’m so excited to share her insight into content creation and the fashion industry.
Her Campus (HC): Tell me a little bit about what you do offline and online.
Sara Camposarcone (SC): I am a content creator and I mainly use TikTok and Instagram. Lots of fashion content, obviously, and a little bit of beauty and makeup too. I’ve been doing that full-time since this past summer and I love it, this is my dream job! I feel like I’m never offline, I’m constantly making content. Otherwise, I’ve had a side business since 2020, I make resin jewelry. I’ve been selling them online, local stores (Toronto, Canada) and in pop-ups. My side business is my hobby, I love creating new things. It’s what I do in my spare time, other than watching Netflix and hanging out with friends.
HC: How did you get into Maximalism? Was it a gradual shift from your style before, or were you always into it?
SC: I would say it was more of a gradual shift. I have always been into fashion and when I found my personal style in the last few years, I got really into maximalism and mixing patterns, prints and colors. I used to wear a lot more black and muted colors, probably because I wasn’t comfortable dressing the way that I dress now. My style has also evolved as I’ve built confidence in accepting and loving myself and not worrying about what other people are saying. I feel like that’s a big part of building your personal style, especially when it’s as eclectic as how I dress, because people will stare, but I’ve gotten to a point where I just like to have fun with it! I wear whatever makes me happy and don’t get bothered by it anymore.
HC: When you pick out outfits and makeup, what inspires you the most?
SC: I get inspiration from my own closet. I’ll go in, pick out one thing, and think “I haven’t worn this in a while, let’s go with this today,” and I’ll build my outfit around that! I am also inspired heavily by runway shows. I love watching Betsy Johnson shows from the 90s. That’s one of my favorite eras, so I look a lot at old designers from that time. I also follow a lot of style inspiration accounts; I think my favorites are ones that show the Harajuku Japanese style. I even take inspiration from people that I see out and about downtown. I also look to skateboarders. I love their fashion. A little bit from everywhere and everything! There’s art in everything so when I’m trying to put colors together, I reference some of my favorite artists.
HC: I know that you care a lot about sustainability, do you have any tips on how to find ethically sourced clothes?
SC: I built my sustainable wardrobe over the last few years. I started thrift shopping in high school, and people used to say, “oh my god, that’s so gross,” but now it’s not only amazing for the environment but it’s a great way to find your personal style. When you walk into a second-hand store you have a variety of different pieces just thrown together and you get to pick through and see what grabs your eye and brings that spark of joy to you. Another way that I practice sustainability in fashion is through clothing swaps: I’ll swap clothes with my friends rather than throwing them out. A lot of the time, people think “If I bring my clothes to the Salvation Army or Value Village, someone else will get them,” but a lot of the time those clothes go to landfills in developing countries. I also use resell platforms like Depop. I don’t know if it’s popular in the United States, but we have stores where you can rent clothes. There are people who want to buy something new for every occasion that they have, and renting is a great way to save money. I’m always mindful and I remind others that overconsumption, even with thrifted clothes, is a problem. I promote upcycling, but there are a lot of cool small businesses that do upcycling, and I love that because it’s vintage fabrics but it’s something that you can wear that has history and meaning!
HC: What’s your favorite item in your closet right now?
SC: As we get into Fall and Winter, my favorite staple piece is my giant Marc Jacobs Moon Boots. I got them last year on eBay at such a great price, and Marc Jacobs is my favorite designer of all time, so I love them! I got them at the end of winter last year, so I didn’t get to wear them that much, but I’m so excited to wear them this year. I hate snow but I’m kind of waiting for the snow so I can wear my boots!
HC: How do you deal with online negativity?
SC: I ignore it. It doesn’t bother me because I’ve been doing content creation for so long and I’m used to it. It comes from confidence and believing in myself. Whether there are negative comments or not, I always find that there are people that make it all worth it. I see that I’m helping people with their personal style, or helping people feel confident in what they wear, and I focus on that more than any of the negativity. If I choose to respond, I’ll do a “kill them with kindness” approach. Sometimes people who leave negative comments will reply after I say something nice and apologize! At the end of the day, no matter how you dress there’s always going to be rude people. I like what I’m doing and I like the way that I dress, and that’s that!
HC: What are your hopes for the future of the fashion industry?
SC: After watching fashion shows from the last season, I imagine there’s going to be fewer fashion rules and parameters on what you can and can’t wear. I also think that the digital fashion universe is going to continue to rise. There are a lot of apps out there where you can virtually try on clothing, and that’s great because it helps the environment, and it allows people to experiment with their style. Before you commit to buying anything, you can try things virtually and be surer of them. In general, a lot of fashion shows use sustainable alternatives, so I think more brands are trying to get into being more sustainable and inclusive. I loved seeing all the different shapes on the runways, and if you want real people wearing your clothes, you must put real people on the runway. I’m hopeful for the future of fashion, I think it’s going to be a lot more fun than it’s ever been.
Find Sara on Instagram to follow her journey in fashion.
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