Quad Style: Laura Sandino
I'm Laura—an undecided first year from Miami with bleached hair you can see from across campus. I enjoy experimenting with different fashion styles, and when I get bored I love playing with new hair colors.
How would you describe your personal style?
My LA friends like to say I’m a “hesh,” “big shirt, big pants” girl. The hesh aesthetic comes from skate culture; its an edgy, yet laid back style of dressing. I think I provide a good mix between dressing hesh and edgy at the same time, as I switch between my Vans and Doc Martens fairly often. I also tend to go for the androgynous look, and my outfits usually reflect a more masculine vibe, as I am always wearing baggy pants and loose fitting clothes.
Where do you find style inspiration?
I find inspiration through the art and the environment around me. My style is greatly influenced by my friends and idols; they provide some of the biggest inspirations when I get in style rut. My high school experience revolved around a clothing brand that I created with my friends, which helped me dig deeper into clothing design and discover different styles and inspirations. There are many artist and celebrities that I look up when it comes to fashion, some include: Matty Healy, Harry Styles and Enya Umanzor (@enjajaja).
Where do you like to shop?
I have to say I have been an Urban Outfitters girl for while. I am trying, however, to reduce my fast fashion intake and have started buying more vintage items from Depop or thrift stores.
Do you have any fashion regrets?
I have been through many different styles in my life that haven’t really worked for me (going out in full Justice outfits in middle school), so even though I am still trying to secure a personal style, I know every fashion mishap i have had has helped me grow!
What is your relationship to fashion? Has it changed over time?
My relationship with fashion has pretty much remained consistent in the sense that I have always had a deep appreciation for it and have always found it very inspiring. This mostly started out at the beginning of high school, when I began experimenting with different styles and fashion perspectives. My high school career was great for my formation of my own style as I was very influenced by the environment around me. I love fashion and would not be the same person I am today without my appreciation for it.
Why is fashion important to you?
Fashion is one of the only ways (other than my hair) that i get to experiment with my appearance. I enjoy putting together outfits that make me feel confident and happy and that draw in people’s attention. Moreover, I like to play around with the ways I am perceived by people. I view fashion as a means of communicating without words and can be something I can simply have fun with.
All photos are courtesy of Yvonne Yu.