Meet Zhenru Zhou, third year PhD student in the Art History department. She enjoys swimming, painting and traveling in her free time.

What are you wearing for this shoot?

A folk-style dress from Chinese Turkestan, a long jacket from Zara, a long coat from the London Frog, a nylon scarf and two hair-wraps from Northwest China, heatech pants from Uniqlo.

How would you describe your personal style?

I don’t know if I have a style. Typically I wear a mixture of old and new, ethnic and generic, similar or complementary colors, but mostly cheap.

Where do you find style inspiration?

Weather forecasts, seasonal colors, people I meet, and mural paintings that I study.

Where do you like to shop?

Folk costume markets when traveling, Uniqlo when in Chicago, Taobao when in China. Sometimes I get old clothes from my mom and friends.

Do you have any fashion regrets?

I used to buy too many new clothes before I knew I could wear second-hand things. [I also regret] not being able to give away an old piece of clothing whenever I would get a new one.

What is your relationship to fashion? Has it changed over time?

When I was in my teens and early-twenties, I wanted to look good. When I was in my mid-twenties, I wanted to look unconventional. Now that I am in my late-twenties, I neither want to look good nor be unconventional, but I don’t know how to shed those identities!

Why is fashion important to you?

Fashion and style are not important to me, but realizing the artistic potential of my clothes and actualizing a personal response to their cosmic vital energy are meaningful [to me].

All images courtesy of Amelia Frank.