WHO’S THAT GIRL?
Tue 7 Mar
Words Mahoro Seward
FROM THE ABRA IT-GIRL TO 13 09 SR’S OFF-KILTER INFLUENCER, GET TO KNOW THE GIRLS WHO EMBODY SOME OF OUR FAVOURITE ACCESSORIES BRANDS RIGHT NOW.
It is, of course, no secret to you that accessories are essential. The linchpins of any successful outfit, a considered choice can elevate a humdrum pair of jeans and a nice top to street-style-star status. An awkwardly proportioned bag, or shoe in the wrong hue, however, can throw even a hot-off-the-runway Coperni look out of whack. All this said, deciphering the booming accessories market – where a new coterie of hot new names crops up what feels like every season – is no mean feat. Luckily, we know a couple of people who have figured out the right way to pull off some of today's most exciting accessories brands. Below, get to know the ABRA it-girl and the VeeCollective pilates pro, the Steven Ma avant-gardist and the 13 09 SR muse who marches to the beat of her own drum.
THE ABRA IT-GIRL
Don’t let her high gloss veneer fool you – there’s a good bit of grit to our Abra it-girl. When she first laid eyes on the Spanish brand’s it-bag, the Spike – a while before the rest of us caught on, mind you! – it was almost as if she’d seen her own reflection in an object. Cute, hot pink, and jagged, it spoke to the deepest recesses of her soul. Besides, it was also the perfect size for all of this party girl’s nightimes musts – a pack of Vogues, a mirror-finish lipgloss and a set of portable GHD straighteners. If ever you catch her in her native environment – in a crop top, micro mini and pair of calf boots, pouting by the bar at your city’s hippest reggaeton night – just tell her she looks like fellow Abra poster girls Charli XCX or rising Catalan popstar Bad Gyal and you’ll see those spikes soften.
THE STEVEN MA SCI-FI HEROINE
A staunch avant-garde fashion devotee, the girl who wears Steven Ma is not the sort to pay much mind to ‘fashion trends’. No, she’s the type who knows exactly what she’s after and won’t stop searching until she’s found just that. Brooding and insouciant – but with a steely, futuristic edge – her temperament is a perfect match for the young brand’s footwear, which reimagines familiar traditional silhouettes through subtly radical tweaks. Given that she sees her own life as a sci-fi movie, you’re most likely to spot her at any four-to-the-floor techno party that feels like a scene lifted straight from Blade Runner.
THE VEECOLLECTIVE PILATES PRO
Finding a bag that will see her from her morning reformer pilates class to her daily post-work stop at the neighbourhood Whole Foods had always proved a challenge, but that all changed the moment she discovered VeeCollective. 100% vegan – a perfect complement for the raw diet she’s currently on – and 100% recycled, the label’s striking of a balance between environmental responsibility, rugged practicality and discreet style had her fall head over heels, faster than you can say ‘sprouted almond butter’! When the fact that the quilted totes came in exactly the same hues as her prized collection of yoga leggings was taken into account, it was a done deal at first sight.
THE 13 09 SR INDIE INFLUENCER
A renowned TikTok eccentric, our 13 09 SR girl hasn’t exactly been pleased to see her uniquely off-kilter sense of style catch. After all, she was wearing NHS-prescription eyewear and frumpy office outfits back when all Bella Hadid was known for was her reluctant cameos on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills! Anyway, since sporting a black pair in a recent post, the Twinkle sunglasses she’s been pining after in red are now sold out, and you now have to sign up for a waiting list for the pink Tootsy sandals she’d had her eye on for weeks. Dejected as she may be, she’s able to take solace in knowing that the copycats won’t pull them off quite like she does – after all, it’ll take a hell of a lot more than the tips she gives away in her ‘Get Ready With Me’ tutorials to cultivate her idiosyncratic style. Since the only time you’ll ever see her out of the house is when she’s shooting content for her fans, the best place to catch her is, indeed, online.