Fashion Abroad: A Look into International Students’ Styles
In your time at UCLA, you’re bound to meet people from all over the world. International students have come from around the globe to study here and contribute greatly to UCLA student life. One thing I’ve noticed during my time here is that international students have differing styles, most likely due to the different fashion trends they’ve seen living abroad. This mix of styles makes UCLA that much more diverse. There is no one style that would describe a UCLA student because we have such a wide range of trendsetters!
Here’s a look into how a few international students’ styles have been influenced by their lives abroad:
Name: BoyaInstagram: @boririma
Boya is an international student from China who is actually heavily inspired by Korean fashion. Every summer when she goes back home, she also takes a trip to Korea and shops at her favorite stores. Even though Boya has been living in America since high school, she has kept her style inspiration from China and Korea. Boya actively keeps track of fashion shows, such as the most recent Seoul Fashion Week. She also reads Korean magazines; her favorites include Nylon and W magazine. Boya recommends checking out Odd Gallery and Rare Market Official on Instagram for unique Korean styles. Lastly, online websites are her way to get clothes from abroad while at UCLA. Wconcept is her favorite website, and it has international shipping!
Name: Blanka NakovaInstagram: @blankanakova
Blanka is no stranger to fashion from around the world — her mother is a fashion designer who has taken Blanka to fashion shows since she was born. Originally from Macedonia, her style has been mostly influenced by traveling, exposure to different cultures, experiences, and environments. Back at home, Blanka used to dress a bit more formally and in a sense more European. However, since she moved to LA, her style shifted to more of an on-the-go, street fashion direction. Fun fact: Blanka is FAST’s very own president!
Name: Jason ZhangInstagram: @jasonz0307
Jason is a student from China who incorporates classic street wear into every outfit. His simple, often monochromatic fits are a mix of inspiration from Chinese street fashion and LA street vibes.
Name: Jenn LimInstagram: @jenn_limm
Jenn calls the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina home. Living there has influenced her style in many ways. The antique and baroque aura of the streets creates a vintage yet classy style. Argentines love to express themselves through the fusion of formal and casual attire.
Name: Joy WuInstagram: @joywu_
Joy gets most of her fashion inspiration from bloggers and popular Instagram accounts. However, she is more about finding a style that suits her, rather than going after new trends all the time! Being from China, Joy is unsure of whether Chinese or American trends influence her more, as she still spends a lot of time in China and has friends still living back home. She thinks different social media platforms and the Internet in general made it possible for her to see trends from all regions, whether it is here or back in China. Joy would not say that she’s influenced by one country’s trends more than another. She incorporates characteristics from both countries’ fashion to create her own style.
No matter where you’re from, you look best when you express your own unique style!
Sonam BeckhamFast Blogger