PROJECT REAL: Katherine

Meet Katherine.

Katherine is probably one of the most photogenic people I know–it would be a feat for the paparazzi to find an unflattering shot of her. Her put-together style is always going with the flow of the current trends, but Katherine always makes sure to put her own personal twist on them.

Katherine loves to play up her favorite features: her hair, eyes, and skin. As for her personality: “I really like my sense of humor, maturity, and independent spirit.” All the makings of a New York lady, if you ask me.

Katherine values quiet confidence and pulls inspiration from both current trends and classic styles. “Rachel Zoe has always been a style icon for me–I love her effortless glam. In life, my role model is my mom. She has a selfless attitude and is always encouraging and supporting me in whatever I take on.”

So what does Katherine have to say to the girls of today? “My advice isn’t just for my certain body type, but rather for every girl. Dress the way YOU want to dress. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t wear something or have certain makeup looks or hairstyles because “it doesn’t suit you.” At the end of the day, your opinion and happiness is all that matters. Take risks and explore different sides of yourself.”

Katherine’s point is one that I struggled with a lot in the past. Regardless of your body type, face shape, or skin color, you should be able to wear whatever you choose. Whether or not it looks good on you is YOUR decision and YOUR DECISION ALONE. People reluctantly conforming to fashion trends often sprouts from the fear of what others will think or say. And as someone who makes it a habit of wearing platform shoes to class at least once every couple of weeks, I can tell you that succumbing to that pressure is something that takes a conscious effort to resist. But the reward of wearing what YOU want because YOU like it is so incredible and empowering, and pulling back from expressing your true self is tiring in its own way. So go–wear those crazy neon pants to school if you want. Rock those fake glasses you bought but were too embarrassed to wear in public. You deserve to be able to wear what you want, how you want, with no shame.

Thanks Katherine for rocking this shoot! Check out her YouTube channel if you want to see more.

Photography: Ruel and Erin Oquindo

Downtown Base Manager: Robin Oquindo

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Thanks for reading! See you next week,

Much love,

Erin