Lara Witt is petite in stature, but she more than makes up for it in swagger. The way she struts around campus is comparable to a supermodel, as if the streets of Philly were her own personal catwalk. Poised and elegant, she looks almost misplaced in the gritty city. But her European demeanor is no pretense: the trendy beauty was born and raised in Geneva, Switzerland.
“Geneva is incredibly fashionable,” says 24-year-old Witt. “Everyone dresses well.” So it comes as no surprise that the Swiss sweetheart is always on her best fashion behavior. In her mind, there is no such thing as dressing down.
And how could she ever look anything less than immaculate? Upon leaving Geneva, Witt managed to end up in one of the trendiest parts of Philly: Olde City, which is filled to the brim with vintage boutiques, art galleries and chic cafés. She now lives in Fishtown with her adorable dog Louis, but the Temple senior still maintains her Euro-cool sense of style wherever she goes.
With a Caucasian father who works for the United Nations and a mother who is half Kenyan and Indian, places like these are perfect for a cultured, exotic traveler like Witt, whose impressive closet is nothing to scoff at. In fact, it’s admirable knowing that her daily looks are so effortless. Her clothes collection makes it easy to see why she doesn’t take more than 15 minutes each morning to pull her looks together: there’s nothing but good things to choose from!
Ultimately, the magazine journalism major aspires to use her training to make her mark in the field of fashion journalism. And why wait? She already runs an ambitious style blog, LMW Style Files, where she dishes on everything a fashion junkie would need to know about the world of fashion, including the latest collections and pieces from her favorite designers including Alexander McQueen, Chanel, Jason Wu, Alexander Wang and Proenza Schouler, just to name a few.
While Witt can appreciate name brands and couture, which she considers to be “literally moving art,” having true style is much more than that. “Stay true to yourself,” she humbly advises. “Style should reflect who you are and not what a magazine tells you is in right now.”
Though I’m sure she’d also advise you to take that with a grain of salt and avoid mishaps such as Uggs, Crocs, sweatpants (as much as possible) and flip-flops (unless you’re at the beach). Because as she puts it: the way you dress directly reflects the way you feel about yourself.
With her perfectly-coiffed pixie cut and her chameleon-like ability to conquer different avenues of fashion, Lara Michѐle Witt, like Anna Wintour, is sure to be a name in the future synonymous with style.
*Image photo credit: Julie Ha*