The Look: Bronze and black, bold, floral dress used as top (Unique Thrift Store), pale velvet floral shawl (Wildflowers Consignment Boutique), Frida Kahlo-inspired warm floral patterned skirt (Luxor Vintage Clothing), woven faux leather heeled sandals (Luxor Vintage Clothing), Hamsa Hand stainless steel bracelet (gifted), multicolored glass and gold-tone short-neck beaded necklace (costume store), wooden carved earrings with teardrop design (The Fine Arts Shop), Ozzy hippy rose-tinted sunglasses (Etsy).
The Model: Roxanne Cook is a senior vocal performance and music education major from Falls Church, Va. She is currently involved in the professional music service fraternity for women, Sigma Alpha Iota. She has also been singing with Longwood’s Jazz Ensemble for over a year with an upcoming performance on Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m. Cook describes herself primarily as an artist- whether it be as a musician, painter or poet, she often finds herself immersed in the arts.
As a musician, Cook sings as a soprano voice part along with an instrumental background in piano, guitar and ukulele and can often be found performing at the Uptown Café open mic scene. She has spent the entirety of her semester preparing for her senior voice recital to be performed on Nov. 20 at 4 p.m. in Molnar Recital Hall in the Wygal music building.
The Inspiration: Cook’s bohemian/ hippy flare comes from an embodied sense of artistic expression. The colorful patterns present in her wardrobe show a vibrant nature that reflect personality and a unique aesthetic. Inspirations of hers include various artists such as Frida Kahlo, Jimi Hendrix, fashion icon Iris Apfel and writer and blogger for Emma Mercury.
The very core of Cook’s style is centered around self-expression, avoiding current trends and solely focusing on what she wants to wear.
“I try to make my inside match my outside. What you wear is a reflection, in my opinion, of who you are as a person. Everyone kind of dresses the same, but you know, no one’s the same. I enjoy dressing up. I wear these colors because I like warm tones, and I think, I try to be a warm person. I try to wear what speaks to me, (there’s) definitely more of a 60s, 70s vibe to my aesthetic.”
Given a label, Cook would call her style a “psychedelic-flowery version of John Lennon,” another of her great inspirations. Perhaps one of the most admirable qualities in her fashion is the idea of simply wearing what she likes, even if it at first glance it wouldn’t go together. The entirety of her ensemble portrayed her artistic personality, and her distinctive trait is to simply put on whatever makes her happy- a praiseworthy nature that many could emulate.
Cook uses a bronze and black floral dress from Unique Thrift Store in Falls Church, Va. as a top along with a multicolored beaded necklace.
Ozzy hippy rose-tinted sunglasses show the 60s/70s vibe with artistic wooden-carved earrings and rosy lips.
The pale gray, velvet-textured floral shawl from Wildflowers Consignment Boutique in Harpers Ferry, Va. juxtaposes the warm colors seen in the ensemble.
The entire ensemble can be seen here with a combination of warm tones and bold patterns that display the artistic side of Cook.
