The Look: 2-gold button single-breasted black sports coat (H&M), collared grey dress shirt (H&M), red subtle dotted pattern silk tie (Rumors Boutique), spruce slim-fit dress pants (H&M), black leather tassel loafers with fringe (Z. Vaughn), black leather belt with silver tone buckle (Kenneth Cole), silver tone dress watch set in black (Rumors Boutique), non-prescription vintage black rim half frames (Rumors Boutique)
Senior Ri’Shawn Bassette makes a statement on Brock Commons with spruce-colored slim fit pants from H&M
The Model: Ri’Shawn Bassette is a senior communication studies major with a concentration in digital media from Hampton, Va. He is the president of the NAACP chapter at Longwood University and currently holds the internship position of marketing supervisor for campus recreation here at Longwood.
Bassette is known for the research he has done with assistant professor and neurobiologist Dr. Catherine Franssen on the presence of stress-related hormones in saliva samples. He is also involved in WMLU, the Black Student Association, the communication honor society: Lambda Pi Eta and a volunteer with MSNBC for the upcoming VP Debate.
The Inspiration: Bassette’s style is often inspired by the latest red carpet trends and the stars that walk them- most recently the MTV Video Music Awards where Bassette took note of rapper Future’s red carpet look. Typically when seeking for outfit ideas, he enjoys watching the various fashion breakdowns on E!, especially after an awards show, as well as frequently using everyone’s favorite app for fashion inspiration: Pinterest.
“There’s nothing specific that I look for in fashion… I try to dress not too fancy, but not too plain at the same time. I look on Pinterest a lot and look at different ensembles. It gives me ideas of how to put together things that I own and I kind of go from there to see what fits nicely…
I like to search for things that are unique, in terms of fashion, so that way I can figure out something that fits my own style while being different from what you might normally see on campus.”
Senior, Ri'Shawn Bassette wears non-prescription glasses from Rumors Boutique on Brock Commons.
Apart from Future, other celebrities that have left a fashionable imprint on Bassette include Kanye West, Tyson Beckford and Pharrell; all of which have individually made a mark in the fashion industry. Uniqueness and Individuality are essential traits in each of these celebrities’ style which can also be noted in Bassette’s ensemble, bringing the big city trends to little ‘ol Farmville.
Bassette accessorizes his sophisticated look with a silver-tone dress watch set in black from Rumors Boutique.
Bassette makes a statement, showing his entire ensemble with Z. Vaughn black leather loafers.
Bassette poses in H&M apparel with tie & glasses from a Rumors, a Richmond-based thrift botique.
