Meet the rising street style stars, whose fashion choices will inevitably be influencing our new year wardrobes.
By Susan Devaney
Nausheen Shah
Stylist and fashion contributor
Nausheen Shah has many creative talents to her credit. From contributing to multiple high-profile fashion publications (whether writing or styling) to travelling the globe for Bergdorf Goodman, she knows trends – but, more importantly, she knows her own style. With Pakistani and Persian parents and growing up in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, her personal style is a fusion of cultures and contemporary mixed with classic. From pops of clashing colour to statement-making floral prints and tailored pieces, she’s now a regular face on the fashion circuit. Snapped by many a notable street style photographer during fashion week season, her ensembles are anything but dull. Turning against expectations placed upon her to study law or medicine, Nausheen wanted to pursue a passion, rather than a ‘stable’ profession. Garnering her love for fashion design from her self-taught mother – she regularly created bespoke pieces for her – she knew it was a creative process she had to be a part of, too. Moving to Italy to study at Polimoda University, she mastered the art of tailoring and then completed her studies at The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. From there, she secured jobs with Catherine Malandrino and Zac Posen. Dominating an array of fields, Nausheen is as fascinating as she is talented.
Gilda Ambrosio
Designer and fashion consultant
‘Everything that exists is born for no reason, carries on living through weakness, and dies by accident’, a quote by Jean-Paul Sartre is the welcoming message to fashion’s It-girl Gilda Ambrosio’s website. One thing is clear: She is a complex woman. You can see it in her style. From her epic jet-black poker straight hair and her signature fluffy, shaggy coat to her larger-than-life shades, she doesn’t do ‘less is more’. Playing with elements of rock ‘n’ roll and urban bohemia, it isn’t hard to understand why the photographers scramble to snap her after every fashion show. But, who is she? She’s an all-round cool girl with nearly 80,000 followers on Instagram. The 22-year-old Naples-born, Milan-based designer is a brand consultant, trend hunter and Italian Grazia It-girl, who is quickly becoming a master of experimentation. Posting pictures of her style endeavours mixed with cityscapes, art and architecture, her day-to-day life looks like one big exploration. With a penchant for gold (über gold) accessories and a bold lip shade and dressing in emerging labels, she’s not like the rest of them. Frequently pairing pieces
from her grandmother’s wardrobe with the latest must-have, she lusts after a fusion of old with new. It’s official: We have a major style crush.
Anka Tsitsishvili
Owner of Index flat
Russian street style stars have been gracing our screens for many moons now, but a new guard has arrived in town. Rivalling the likes of Miroslava Duma and Lena Perminova, Anka Tsitsishvili is one to watch. She’s less about oligarch-status heels and fur-lined attire, and more focused on avant-garde-meets-sportswear. It’s refreshing. With her thick, black messy locks and always-there lip ring, her laidback aesthetic could easily allow her to be mistaken for a bona fide Parisian. As the owner of Index flat, a fashion-focused accessories store based in Moscow, she is often papped wearing the labels she stocks. This may explain why the young businesswoman is geared toward marketing young, up-and-coming designers. From armour-inspired knitwear from LALO and mismatched footwear from Tatuna Nikolaishvili to Russia-inspired pieces from Asiya Bareeva, she’s a walking advertisement for emerging labels. With nearly 22,000 followers on Instagram, her arty snaps are delightfully inspiring. Taking us deeper into Russian culture or travelling with her across seas, Anka teaches us about adopting a less-is-more attitude. Having been photographed outside countless shows during fashion week season, she’s caught the attention of many a fashion editor, critic and style-lover across the industry.
Jenny Walton
Fashion illustrator
Sharing an uncanny likeness to Hollywood icon Audrey Hepburn, Jenny Walton embodies an understated elegance from another time. One only has to flick through her Instagram (with more than 72,000 followers and counting) to see her unfaltering sartorial choices – always simple, sophisticated and timeless. From Fifties style billowing skirts and chic silk blouses to classic headscarves, her styling talent is envious. Drawing to pass the time during her daily commute in New York City, Jenny developed and discovered her skills as an illustrator. Now, it’s her full-time job. Sharing her work via social media, she sketches everything from Marni-inspired line-ups to minimal figure drawings. Having been photographed by renowned street style photographers Tommy Ton and Scott Schulman of The Sartorialist several times, she’s rising through the ranks. As a graduate of Parsons School of Design, it’s easy to see why she’s adopted a sketching style that’s all her own. Taking the latest designs from Prada or Gucci, she reinterprets them with originality and showcases them on her website, MarkersandMicrons.com. With photos captured on her Instagram containing backgrounds like something pulled from a Fellini film or Roman Holiday, a day in her life seems very appealing.
