Steven Onoja is a style influencer and visual storyteller that uses his keen style eye and aesthetic to tell visual stories. Starting out as a mission to elevate the IG menswear fashion to another level with timeless looks and classic styles… Of course in today’s world of big brand social media influencers, Steven is telling a lot of brand stories through his personal style expression.
Born in Nigeria and moving to NYC, Steven says “It was difficult to leave the place where I grew up and considered my home, but I felt ready for a new challenge. New York in America was the right place and I moved to Brooklyn. Here I learned a lot because I understood that I needed to adapt to be competitive in a new country. Switching mentality was fundamental to keep expressing myself and New York helped me to do exactly that.”
If you follow Steven you’ll see a very restrained but beautifully minimal style palate that emphasizes timeless colors like black, white, and grey tones.
Style can involve a deep and more intimate perspective – like outwardly presenting your own vision of who you are.
– Steven Onoja
“I’m Grateful to God and feeling very blessed to have made it this far and grateful for all the people I’ve met in the process, both blessing and lessons.”
For as long as she could remember, Atsuna Matsui has always had an interest in fashion. Fashion is Atsuna’s outlet to self-expression and since her childhood she was always very expressive through fashion, even if she wasn’t able to express herself in other forms. “I was always very much interested in fashion for as long as I could remember. It was always a form of self-expression to me and a representation of what I was feeling that day. Growing up as a kid, I had a very shy personality, but I always took bold risks with fashion because it was essentially a creative outlet for me to be whoever I wanted to be,” Atsuna says.
As far as her career in the fashion industry, Atsuna started off as a photographer. “Photography was my greatest passion since I was twelve and through photography, I learned a lot about composition, color, and lighting. When I ended up becoming a blogger, I used a lot of my photography knowledge and incorporated that background into blogging,” Atsuna recalls. With the love of photography and growing audience, Astuna tried to branch out and try something new. it only took one post to help her expand her goals and give her the confidence to pursue more. “I initially started out as a photography account on Instagram. Then, I posted my first outfit photo and noticed so much more engagement on that photo so I started incorporating more photos with me in them. Eventually, I converted my Instagram photography account to a beauty, lifestyle, and fashion account. One thing that I love about blogging and social media is the community you build with your followers and other fellow bloggers so engaging with other users was what made it so fun and motivated me to always self-improve,” Atsuna explains.
Personal style
Since Atsuna has been interested in fashion for so long, she has her personal style down pact. Her style is interesting, combining simplistic pieces with trendy counterparts. She is not afraid to make a bold statement. “As a born-and-bred Los Angeles girl that is accustomed to nearly year-round warm weather, my sense of style is minimal, breezy casual luxe with a touch of nonchalance. I balance between trendy pieces and classic, timeless basic threads to create fashionable ensemble,” Atsuna describes.
“I think, to a large extent people are defined by the things they say no to. I think this can also be applied to style and aesthetics. I try not to do excessive things and I generally stick to what I’m into the most.” -Atsuna Matsui
Accomplished
Atsuna has accomplished great things in her career. One of the biggest accomplishments was her ability to convert a hobby into a full blown career. Trust me, it’s certainly something that not everyone can do. However, with her perseverance and optimistic outlook on life, she was able to find the key to success. “I think the constant novelty and challenges are at times difficult, but they also make it new and rewarding. Being self employed, you need to be a self-starter and always striving and pushing yourself which is something that I know will never go away on this path I’ve put myself on,” Atsuna explains.
Stay True
I find reaching people on social media to be so fascinating. There is so much potential there and yet there is a dark side to it as well and I want to address that here. I am by nature a very private person, but I also want to deeply connect with my followers. Navigating through the pitfalls of adult life we learn so much and can go through many hardships, but I hope that whoever reads this doesn’t ever lose hope in themselves and in the importance of maintaining values and virtue while doing it. Nobody talks about integrity and virtue anymore and I think that’s something that’s lost in our culture today and I don’t think it needs to be that way.
“I want everyone who reads this to know that I believe firmly in the fact that you can always improve and that nobody out there is better than you, no one.” -Atsuna Matsui
Who do you consider the icons in the fashion & design industry?
Youji Yamamoto, Rick Owens, Ellen von Unwerth, Ryan Mcginley. I know the latter two are photographers, but they have had an impact on me.
What’s the next frontier in building your tribe?
First off, I love that you used the word tribe, I think it speaks to the true essence of the need of belonging for people. I want to continue to just fine tune my social media outlets. Curate better and take things in a more interesting direction.
What’s next? & why?
In general, I am always looking toward the future, but there are so many possibilities right now, I just haven’t completely decided on one yet, so we will have to see.
What are you reading these days?
I think we all don’t read enough these days, so I can’t say that I have been reading that much at the moment. Alain De Botton is a writer and philosopher that I always enjoy reading and there’s another book, Triggers, by Malcolm Goldsmith.
Here at LUX we admire creative vision. Running a fashion blog takes A LOT of creativity. Putting together looks, capturing the attention of an audience, and creating promotions all take a large amount of inventiveness. The more imaginative you are, the better the outcome.
Using herself as a muse, fashion blogger, Zia Domic, expresses her creative side through her personal style. Above all else, she inspires others to unleash their originality too! “I followed other blogs and felt I had something to contribute by starting my own, I have been collecting clothes since high school and believe if you buy quality you will own certain pieces for a lifetime. I love to incorporate my older pieces with new ones, ultimately hoping to inspire others along the way,” Zia says.
Zia’s Style
Zia style has a lot if class and even more sassiness. She often pairs more simplistic pieces with bold prints and vibrant accessories. She is really great at using a pop of color to bring her fun outfits to life. “My parents are European and have great appreciation for clothes raising me to believe you should always look your best, polished and stylish. I’ve been a fashion lover since early childhood; I’ve always had a strong sense of personal style and recall arguing with my mom in first grade over what to wear to school. With the option of wearing, whatever I feel like now, I love classic styles with a little femininity or rocker chic edge,” Zia explains.
Milestones
Zia’s blog has become extremely popular among the crowd. She has over 48,000 followers on Instagram which has helped her translate into a highly successful blog. “The day my blog was launched I was extremely emotional. I felt I had accomplished such a huge feat,” Zia recalls. Looking back now, Zia realizes that her blog is only the beginning. Since she has been featured in Redbook magazine and has thought about expanding her brand even further. “Expanding to YouTube, as an actor I have a hard time posting anything that’s not perfect on all levels although I know YouTube is not about professional perfection. I also hope to expand into travel because I love it and it inspires my style,” Zia exclaims!
While having all of these opportunities is beyond Zia’s wildest dreams, it’s the personal reward that provides Zia with great satisfaction. “Refining my own style has been the most rewarding aspect of my blogging career. as the stakes are higher being in the public eye. Also meeting so many wonderful like-minded people, although there are some people out there that I have met and weren’t so wonderful. The fashion world is very competitive on all levels and it motivates me to be the best,” Zia says.
Think about the 80/20 rule; if you get 80% of your impact from 20% of what you do, what is that 20% for you as it pertains to developing and expressing your personal style?
IM A BIT OF A PERFECTIONIST AND IF I DONT THINK IT’S WORTHY I DONT PUBLISH IT AND I THINK THAT RESONATES WITH MY READERS
What about discovering new styles to incorporate into your look and style?
I FOLLOW OTHER BLOGGERS, SCAN INSTAGRAM AND PINTEREST FOR INSPO AND OF COURSE PEOPLE WATCHING
Who do you consider the icons in the fashion & design industry?
I REALLY THINK BLOGGERS HAVE TAKEN OVER CELEBRITIES AS THE NEW ICONS
What style/fashion accessory is your favorite?
SHOES MAKE ME HAPPY AND THEY MAKE OR BREAK THE OUTFIT
If you can/could consider yourself an expert in one area of style/fashion, what would it be?
Fashion industry expert & model Thania Peck is the creator of the popular blog, ‘Catcher in the Style’ as well as a fashion director.
Fashion industry expert & model Thania Peck is the creator of the popular blog, ‘Catcher in the Style’ as well as a fashion director.
Giving Back
Fashion isn’t Thania’s only passion. She also has a heavy interest in working with charities. Often time she uses photos on her blog to create a message for the charities. She uses her blog to promote many different charities. A couple of those charities are the Young and Brave Foundation and R-Ranch. She also pairs philanthropy with the various brand campaigns that she coordinates. “I want to use my status in the industry to make an impact in the world. It feels good to help people,” Thania says. She uses the events to gain more exposure for the charities and donates a portion of the proceeds to them as well.
Blogging Style
Thania blogs about the newest fashion trends that interest her. She usually focuses on on the cutting edge of where the industry is going. The blogosphere is fast paced and it allows people to share new trends at a rapid pace. Thania says this is in part because “we post trends at a fast pace, faster than magazines.” In addition to that, she uses her blog to display new trends in street style. This is what translates each particular piece from the market to the consumer. “You get to see the product on real people of different body types.”
“As bloggers, we’re basically taking clothes and showing you how to style it,”
Sure, 6-foot models look pretty dashing in designer clothes on the runway, but it’s a lot easier to imagine yourself in an outfit when you can see it interpreted by someone who shares your unique tastes. “It’s all about the interpretation from market to consumer. Most people see clothes in a store and think ‘How would I wear that!?’ Im here to provide an answer to that question.”
Thania also gets to put a lot of her personality into the outfits she pieces together. She describes her personal style as edgy, chic, and tomboyish. All of that personality it is reflected through the outfits Thania styles. “Putting together outfits is like puzzle pieces,” Thania says. She also likes to add her favorite accessories to complete the look. Thania particularly loves shoes and hand bags. “If you have a perfect chic shoe and an iconic bag, that’s going to tie your outfit together.” Thania also expresses that one of the best parts of blogging is if you don’t like her particular style, there are many other bloggers you can view different styles from.
“My style isn’t for everyone,” says Thania. “But the great thing about fashion blogging is that I can pair a dress with combat boots while my friend pairs the same dress with a pair of heels! Two great looks, two different styles.”
What are some up and coming Fall fashion trends?
Velvet( Blazers and shoes) Red and Blush Pink colors Leather jackets over dresses Over the knee boots Suede skirts Bomber jackets Military inspired clothing Embroidery on jeans and jackets Re-done/Patched Jeans
The best part about choosing a career in the creative arts field is that it is so much room for you to be yourself. You can choose to do whatever you like and go for your passions. Your creative expression does not have to revolve around those of another. That is all the reason why photographer and fashion blogger Martin Salomon chose the career path he is on.
“I am going after a goal/dream that I had since I was a kid. All I want to do is to create a platform where I can share my passion for fashion, photography, grooming, travel, and etc. I want to inspire others to go after their goals and to not be afraid of the things they want for their life. I know it takes time to get to a good place but everything is about working hard and to always believe in one’s self. To all of you that are trying to find a spot in this industry, it’s important that you stay true to yourself and to not try and become someone else. This industry is big enough for us all. No need for copy-cats. You should always surround yourself with the right people. People who will lift you up instead of putting you down. And lastly, always believe in yourself, because you got this!”
Start
Martin began his journey about 3 years ago. It started with him just sharing his personal style and photography with others. His love for the industry inspired him to expand. “All I have ever wanted was to have a platform to share and inspire others,” Martin says. And indeed creating martinsaloman.com gave him that opportunity. He took it beyond just showing his style. He also began to expose the world to his passion.
From a young age, Martin’s looks were very important to him. Not in a vain sense, but in a way that how you present yourself is a great reflection of what’s on the inside. Grooming and dressing his best was instilled in him at a young age. He still carries these lessons in the way he presents himself today. “I remember growing up watching my parents as they would dress up for any occasion and their style was just so great. I was raised to always look my best and to dress the right way but at the same time to always have fun with it and take risks,” Martin says.
Advice
Through 3 years of exercising his opportunity to share his passions and style, Martin has learned many keys of success in this industry. He says it is important to work hard especially when doing something that you love. It is also important to remain true to yourself and your identity. Strive to be excellent in the way that you share your work and express yourself. “ I would tell myself to work harder on the things I want and to always be myself no matter the circumstances. In the creation of my work and the sharing of my work, I strive to bring excellent content,” Martin says.
Next
Martin has plans of adding a couple new things to his repertoire. He wants to take a shot at videography. He feels videography will give him the opportunity to share more with his audience in a different platform. He also wants to travel more. It will give the opportunity to really explore the world and give him a lot of new insight. “I think all of this can work together to create something different from the rest,” Martin explains.
What is your advise to to guys that are thinking of re-inventing themselves and their fashion style? Where should they start?
To know what’s the right fit for them and to not be afraid to take risks. They should begin on knowing what they want or what is the next step for the re-inventing process. I have been there quite so often. It’s all about taking risks and enjoying those risks.
Are their staples that every guy should have to anchor their wardrobe?
Yes there are so many staples a guy should have, for example a good leather jacket, a denim jacket, a good pair of white sneakers, chelsea boots in different colors, definitely a good pair of jeans, and amazing accessories.
Who do you consider the icons in fashion & design industry?
A good pair of sunglasses and a leather jacket. I mean, c’mon. . . you can never go wrong with those two.
If you can/could consider yourself an expert in one area of style/fashion, what would it be?
I’d be an expert in styling. Every since my youth, I’ve had so many people tell me that I have a great eye in telling others what’s best for them, and when it comes to style I’m a great help with finding pieces for other’s to wear.
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