I am super excited to have gotten to interview not one, but two campus creatives and fashion icons that are well-known in the Atlanta University Center. The first, Rebekah Haynes is a junior education studies major from Gwinnett County, Georgia.
How would you describe your style?
I would describe it as sporty chic and also street style. I don’t like being girly and I don’t follow the trends. I also like bright colors because I love for my clothes to match my personality. I’m very intentional with what I wear.
Has anyone influenced your style?
So, I actually made a separate Instagram where I only follow fashion pages and black people in the fashion industry. Some of my top influencers would have to be Alelai May, Aerin Cerer, Kahlana Barfield, and Eva Apio, Rihanna, Anisa-Dash.
Do you consider your style unique? If so when did you realize this?
Yes, it’s definitely unique. I didn’t realize until I got to Spelman because until high school, I had to wear uniforms to school so weekends were my only time to really express myself.
What do you feel makes an outfit (yours in particular) unique?
My main thing when I wear clothes is, I have to be comfortable, at all times. For example, I’m not a heel person so it’s definitely my sneakers. I love buying sneakers, I will literally go broke buying them.
Have you ever considered styling anyone else?
Yes, I have a lot of people that want me to, but I’m still working on it. I just don’t really know how to style people because when people ask me what they should wear, I think of it in the eyes of what I would wear. Basically, I don’t know other people’s styles as well as I know my own, so it’s kind of hard for me to do that.
What is the process you go through of picking out an outfit?
Oh my gosh it’s so hard to explain. You know how Cher from Clueless had her computer, that’s almost how I go about picking my outfits in my mind. It’s sort of like that and then I just go from there putting things together. Sometimes I’ll come up with an outfit at night and I’ll make a list in my phone. If I can’t figure out what to wear, then I go there.
Do you believe there is a correlation between individuality and fashion?
Yes. Your fashion connects with your personality. I know for me especially; I have always loved fashion since I was a child. High school was really the time for me to express myself for the first time, since I wore uniforms in middle school. Like I went to an entirely different and new high school so the only way for people to know me was through my fashion and that’s kind of the same at Spelman. People don’t really know me; they know my fashion its really weird.
What’s your favorite thing in your closet right now?
Sacai Nike LD Waffle shoes. Here’s my shameless plug about my shoes: I use the Nike sneakers app and that’s where the releases of the new sneakers come out.
How has fashion helped you?
Fashion has been an outlet to express myself, truly and wholeheartedly. To show people who I am without speaking, because my fashion sense says a lot for itself and I don’t have to speak much about it. It also exemplifies me as a person as well.
What are your career aspirations?
At this moment I’m really trying to figure out how to intersect education and fashion, while also bringing in diversity and inclusion. Due to the low number of black and brown people in the fashion industry.
Although Rebekah is still working on something of her own, she fully supports other fashion stylists and creators in the AUC. Follow @LOOKSTHEMAG, @garmentsbyme, and @shopjamb for some of her favorite creators!!