In this series, we’ve been interviewing some of our favorite fashion bloggers around the world, today our featured blogger is Hope Adela of Pink Champagne.
Tell us a little bit about yourself (who you are/what you do/where you’re from, etc.).
My name is Hope Adela Pasztor. I am 18 years old and hail from Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Thanks to Advanced Placement highschool courses and summer college classes, I’m actually in my junior year of college and will prospectively graduate with a BA in English from Thomas Edison Sate College Online within the next 1-2 years. I currently work full time at this amazing vintage store in Harrisburg called Atomic Warehouse , the perfect environment for a retro nut like me!
How would you define your style?
My style is an eclectic mash-up of different decades from the 20th century and different historical time periods. My favorite thing about fashion (and one of the foundational elements of my own personal style) is being able to combine unexpected elements from contrasting fashion genres into one outfit. For example (as you can see in one of these pictures) I’ll pair a bold 1970′s Pucci-esque gown with flapper-style strands of pearls, pointy stilettos adorned with bows that harken to last year’s Louis Vuitton collection, and an exotic turban reminiscent of the Arabian Nights.
What inspired you to start a style blog? What motivates you to keep blogging?
I had just turned sixteen; my fashion preferences, like so many other aspects of my personality at that age, needed space to grow and mature. Starting a fashion blog was a fun and independent way to express my personal style.
How did you choose the name of your blog?
I had recently watched the 1957 film An Affair to Remember, and was smitten with the concept of pink champagne. Seeing as pink has always been my favorite color and champagne is traditionally a beverage symbolizing vitality and youth, I thought PINK CHAMPAGNE would be an ideal name for my blog.
What are your favourite pieces in your wardrobe?
I always have the hardest time answering this question! With the exception of shoes, 95% of my wardrobe is vintage or used. It’s constantly evolving and changing. I’ll go thriftstore shopping and buy a ton of cool vintage items for very little money and wear the items for a couple of months. Pretty soon, I will have sold or traded most of the clothes to local vintage clothing stores (subsequently accumulating a new stock of higher-end vintage clothes), while simultaneously keeping up with the thriftstore shopping. It’s a wonderful endless cycle of shopping and vintage accumulation AND I usually end up making a profit on my purchases. Only the most treasured items (about 10%) make my closet their permanent home.
Despite the fun in purchasing many lower-end items for cheap, I’ve recently discovered the benefits of splurging on the occasional expensive higher-quality vintage item. My latest obsession is bakelite jewelry. Bangles are my favorites; I currently have 21 of these colorful wrist baubles in my possession. I also love my two Japanese silk kimonos (one is a bright canary yellow embroidered with a scarlet and gold dragon, the other is a dusky blue with a rosy coral and gold diadem pattern) and my full-length black and gold brocade jacket. It’s really quite an incredible item. Think Lady Gaga meets Marie Antoinette. I can’t wait to reveal it on my blog!
What is your top fashion tip?
Accessorize! It’s by far the easiest and most efficient way to look fabulous. A standard LBD can become stellar when worn with an arm-full of colorful bangles, shoulder dusting earrings, a glamorous fur stole, and pumped up kicks.
Your first thought in the morning?
“I hate everything.” I’m not a morning person. Depending on whether or not I previously planned that day’s outfit, my mind will either revel in the calm serenity of being able to slip on predestined clothes or madly scramble to piece together an amazing ensemble.
What is your favourite thing to do when not blogging?
Aside from shopping for vintage clothes, modeling, and other fashion or blog related activities, I enjoy spending my time in the most nerdy of ways. You are, after all, conducting an interview with the girl who dressed up like Bellatrix Lestrange for the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2. I love reading fantasy novels and watching all sorts of different films. Renaissance fairs, historical reenactments, abandoned buildings, desolate landscapes, lonely fields, untouched woods, and old graveyards are my favorite haunts.
For you, what is the world’s most fashionable city?
Without a doubt, New York City. It’s where the best of the best culminate their talent. Anyone who is anything eventually ends up in the city that never sleeps. You’ll see me there soon!
What message do you hope to send to your readers?
Fashion should be fun! Harness your inner creativity and set your own trends. The way you dress should be a reflection of your own personality and aesthetic preferences, not a season-by-season rat race to see who wears the hottest new number. Your style should be to your personality as the Statue of Liberty is to New York City: a bold and distinctive flag standing for all in which you believe.
Do you find Hope Adela’s style inspiring? Let us know in the comments!
Christmas is coming, here are some Hope Adela’s tips for shopping on Giglio.com:
SERGIO ROSSI SHOES
EMILIO PUCCI BAG
ROBERTO CAVALLI FOULARD
JOHN GALLIANO DRESS
ROBERTO CAVALLI BIJOUX
