Aetherlily :: Melanie

Aetherlily is one of our trendsetters at Mode Republic! Let’s learn more about her.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Hello! =) My name is Melanie and I recently just turned 20 years old. I reside in New Jersey and have lived here all my life. I am a college student going into her 3rd year and love sweets, chocolate, the beach, shopping, dancing, and blogging.



How did you become interested in fashion?
I become interested in fashion from the very beginning. My mom always used to pick my clothes when I was little and I always received compliments from people, but then I wanted to start putting my own looks together. And so every night, I would choose out pieces to put together to wear to school the following day. I would spend hours putting together a look, which is why I could not pick out clothes in the morning otherwise I would be late to school!



What inspired you to start your own blog?
I discovered sites like ModeRepublic and found out that the people who use the websites also had their own fashion and personal style blogs. They all had such beautiful blogs that it made me want to start my own. I want to be able to inspire others with my style, thus I created Aetherlily



What are your dreams and aspirations?
My dream is to become an Audiologist! It is basically a hearing doctor. I love helping people out and it is a different field that not many people know about but I really want to do it! I'm hoping I will get into the grad school I want. Other than that, I would love to be part of a fashion industry because I love styling but that is a crazy dream of mine.



How would you describe your style? What’s your favorite look at this moment?
I would describe my look as usually, chic and feminine. Other times I would go for vintage, bohemian, or eclectic! Below is my favorite look of the moment.



Where do you get your fashion inspirations?
My fashion inspiration come from the amazing personal style bloggers all over the world. It is so awesome being able to see the unique and creative style of others and also get to know what current trends are popular in their country. I think personal style bloggers deserve so much more credit for the effort they put into their looks!



Where do you shop? What are your favorite brands?

I usually shop in mainstream stores like Forever 21, H&M, Urban Outfitters, Zara and also the outlets as they are the type of stores I can afford but I try my best to create looks that are style unique! Some online stores I shop at are ASOS, Shopbop, and Solestruck. My favorite brands are Jeffrey Campbell, Anthropologie, Free People, Madewell, Topshop, Dolce Vita, and Marc by Marc Jacobs.



Congratulations again to Aetherlily for becoming the Mode Republic trendsetter! the contest. Stay tuned for more fashion inspirations from Aetherlily!

Fashionista from Macau :: Carla Violet

Carla Violet is one of our trendsetters at Mode Republic! Let’s learn more about her.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
My real name is Carla Florendo. Violet is just something I made up because I love the color purple. I'm from Macau but of Filipino ancestry. I'm currently a student, taking up Events Management. But my mom has a boutique that sells clothes and accessories, and I usually help her out in running the business.



How did you become interested in fashion?
Ever since I was a little girl, I've always wanted to do something related to fashion. I always thought of being a model, then later I changed my mind and wanted to become a designer. Now I'm taking up events management because I'd like to work in events such as fashion shows in the future. Also, my mom is a fashion loving person. Growing up, I always had to dress up nicely according to her. I guess it I just grew with it.



What inspired you to start your own blog?
I have always loved dressing up and I have always thought of sharing this love with other people, although then I didn't really know how to; I wasn't aware that the fashion blogsphere existed. When I saw lookbook.nu, I was inspired by the people that I saw there. I thought of creating my own lookbook by blogging instead of joining the community. That's when when I found out that there actually was a bigger community that does that (outfit posting and stuff).



What are your dreams and aspirations?
I think that my biggest dream so far is to have my own fashion line. Then I'd have fashion shows in Paris and New York, and something like that. The idea of becoming a designer just stuck, so I guess that's my biggest aspiration.



How would you describe your style? What’s your favorite look at this moment?
My style is always changing. I find inspiration in many things everyday and they constantly influence how I dress up. Also, I'm a very moody person so I base what I'm wearing on my current mood. One day I can wear something so feminine, the next day it can be inspired by masculine pieces, something like that. As of the moment though, my favorite look is something like the photo below. Because of the heat, I like wearing oversized tops and short bottoms like denim shorts and mini skirts. Leopard is my favorite print too, so I like anything in leopard print.



Where do you get your fashion inspirations?
My fashion inspiration are fashion bloggers and people I see on the streets everyday. From bloggers, I am always inspired. From people on the streets, I get inspired whenever I see someone wearing something that I don't know how to pull off. It makes me think that if they can wear it, I can too.



Where do you shop? What are your favorite brands?

I usually shop at my mom's store, simply because it's free for me or I get a very big discount. Outside, I love shopping at Cotton On and H&M cause they have affordable but trendy pieces. I like Stradivarius, Zara, and Bershka too. But I have to say my favorite local stores are Black Moss and Friendly cause I find a lot of unique pieces there.



Congratulations again to Carla Violet for becoming the Mode Republic trendsetter! Stay tuned for more fashion inspirations from Carla Violet!