Besides being gorgeous and having a great sense of humor, our featured fashionista Seyi Amosu (pronounced “Shay”) also has a wardrobe that is on. point. people.
We were intrigued by her unique sense of what makes an interesting yet perfectly balanced ensemble; A little feminine, a little smart, and always paired with killer details. Plus, she happens to be great company- which makes our job extra wonderful.
This week, we talk with Seyi about her penchant for DIY style, the psychological side of fashion, and bonus: she maps out the perfect day in Athens, Georgia. Don’t forget to scroll down to hear the awesome playlist curated by Seyi especially for you lovely people!
1) How would you describe your personal style, and how do you approach dress?
Whenever I get dressed, my aim is to feel really great in whatever I put together. There are likely plenty of times that I feel great about an outfit that in reality doesn’t look good on me. I love that. I like leaving the house going, “I don’t know if these colors really go together, but I’m going for it anyway” and seeing where my day takes me. If good things happen, who cares if I layered too many sweaters? I love feminine silhouettes, t-shirts that make me laugh, and wearing pants that are so high-waisted I look like my second grade teacher. I have a hard time pinpointing a specific style that I subscribe to, because I feel like my closet is made up a little bit of everything. I work at Community, a boutique downtown [in Athens], and being constantly surrounded by vintage clothing is both a blessing for my wardrobe and a curse on my (non-existent) paycheck. I think being surrounded by so many stylish people who are also creating stylish clothes has made me more conscious about fashion as a choice.
2) So, the ‘Faces’ dress you have on – we understand it’s a one(ish)-of-a kind; Can you tell us the story behind this piece?
This piece was inspired by a dress of the same fabric that a friend of mine made and wore into work one day, and I loved it so much that had to make my own. The fabric was designed by Maddie Zerkel, a fabric design student at UGA. I was interested in learning how to screen print (and getting some of her amazing artwork on my body), and she agreed to teach me how the process works. We got together a couple weeks ago, and she walked me through the entire process, and I walked away with several yards of some killer fabric. I took it to Community, and Shawna Maranville, our seamstress and my sewing guru, held my hand while I made this dress. This dress was the first garment I’ve ever constructed, so it was a huge accomplishment for me. If it were sanitary and socially appropriate, I would never take it off.
3) We loved your flowing kimono jacket and noticed you wore some really great jewelry – can you tell us a little about the pieces in the ensembles you put together ?
My favorite items are one that I serendipitously find. I snagged the hat at a yard sale at the beginning of summer (also from the closet of Maddie Zerkel) and have been wearing it non-stop, even though it’s made of wool, and the temperature outside hovers around 1,000 degrees. All of my jewelry is from the insanely talented artists we carry at Community. The earrings are by Laurel Hill, and when in doubt, I just throw them on. The necklace is also by Laurel Hill. I had been coveting it for years and finally a few weeks ago, I decided that it was time to welcome it into my wardrobe with open arms. I haven’t looked back since. Rhys May designed more than half of my rings. Rings are my accessory of choice, and I usually try to cram as many as I can onto my fingers while still being able to use them. The brass chevron ring is hands-down my favorite. Once, I lost it, and I was so distraught that by the end of the day, I bought myself a new one.
4) Ok, academic question just for the hell of it (And being that you’re a psychology major): Do you think that there’s a certain psychology behind the act of dress or a psychological element to the way one dresses? (Hope were not making you think too hard, it is summer after all!)
I think that a person’s psyche absolutely influences the way that they dress. Each outfit an individual picks out is a like a curated experience of their personality, and I am fascinated by that. Our clothing choices are the first option we have to communicate something about ourselves to the people we encounter. What someone is wearing can tell you about the type of day they are having, or even what type of day they want to have. I really don’t pay much attention to high fashion, but I go crazy over what the people around me are wearing. I love when I see someone wearing something that I adore but would never actually wear myself. Half of the fun is just appreciating what is out there. The word ‘fashion’ sounds girly and trivial, but the ways people use dress to shape their environment lends an importance to the subject that can be easy to overlook.
5) You have such a beautiful and unique name- can you tell us where it’s from? Where you named after someone or does your name mean something?
My name is Nigerian, as am I. My full first name is Oluwaseyi, which means ‘God has made this.’ It’s a mouthful and even the shortened version gets tilted heads. Any time a new person has to say my name aloud, I watch them experience a moment of panic before they finally go for it. In Yoruba, the language my name is from, the ‘S’ makes the ‘Sh’ sound, so my name is phonetically correct, just not in English. My name is pronounced incorrectly more often than not, and growing up it was a pain. Now, I’m perfectly content with the name I was given and I couldn’t imagine trading it for another. I like having a name with a story because it connects me to my heritage, especially my parents who put a lot of thought its meaning before they gave it to me.
6) What are currently your top five weirdest hobbies. You know…or normal ones.
1. I’m currently in the process of moving. Since I don’t believe in buying new furniture, I am ransacking every thrift store for building supplies and other knick knacks that I can thrust upon my roommates when they get back to town. The back of my car is crammed with planks of wood, a tool box, and a gallon of paint that I really should not leave sitting in the sun. It’s like a Home Depot in there. My obsession has fixated on finding wooden crates, so if anyone knows where to find some, help a girl out!
2. This is embarrassing to even include as a hobby, because it makes me sound incredibly maladjusted, but I just got a new planner, and I spend a little time each day color coding birthdays, concerts, and holidays. I really have a passion for office supplies, making list, and anything where I can carry a clipboard. Basically organization in general, so writing in my planner gives me a thrill.
3. This summer I have been making a lot of silly tank tops. It all started when I happened upon a Rocket Summer t-shirt with Betty White on it at Habitat for Humanity. I had to have it, but wasn’t quite ready to embrace my love for the Rocket Summer by wearing a t-shirt around, although I stand by the fact that “Brat Pack” is one the greatest songs of our generation. I cut Betty off the t-shirt and stitched her on to a new one, and my summer project was born. I looked up different ways of transferring images to fabric and just finished making a shirt covered in pictures of Kim Kardashian’s crying face. Steve Harvey is next.
4. This hobby is seasonal, but last the winter I picked up crocheting, because I ‘needed a hobby.’ I got so competitive with myself that I would try and break arbitrary records for how quickly I could finish the project I was working on. Once, I cranked out four scarves in a week and nearly broke all my fingers in the process.
5. Only cooking Mexican food.
7) Tell us the story of your perfect day [in Athens].
My perfect day would definitely involve a questionable amount of pulled pork from Pulaski Heights BBQ as well as a cupcake from Viva. Okay, several cupcakes from Viva. At some point, I would go for a drive and sing/cry to Christina Aguilera in the car. My drive would take me to the Botanical Gardens to sit by the river and read a book that I would be too embarrassed to read in a place where other people could see the cover. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to include a movie-esque montage where me and my friends are getting ready and trying on a variety of hats and a million pairs of sunglasses. Once the Clueless soundtrack fades away into the background, I would want to end up at a dance party at Little Kings, and I would boogie to the point of shin splints. Then, me and my roommates would sit in our living room, eat Pub Subs, and laugh absurdly hard about nothing in particular.
Don’t miss Seyi’s awesome playlist below!
