Growing Up With Shakira
Understanding
Colombian
Fashion
In this month’s international fashion edit, the gorgeous Daniella Pallares is representing the Republic of Colombia. The model hails from Tulsa, Oklahoma, but is also connected to her Colombian heritage and discusses how this has impacted her fashion journey. Her self-described style is “a mix of R&B meets Oklahoma meets Colombian vibe.”
Similar to Dani herself, Colombian fashion holds a fusion of different styles, which is due to the varying geographic regions the country is home to – ranging all the way from beaches to mountains. Above all, however, Colombian fashion is characterized by artisanal artistry, vibrant patterns, and intricate detail-work.
International fashion is not just about localized fashion trends, but also the relationships different cultures have with clothing as a result from their ethnicity’s physical attributes. A trademark of Dani’s Colombian roots is her hair; It is long, thick, and curly – an envious combination. Seeing Shakira proudly sport her natural hair was important for Dani to see representation of voluminous, textured hair within pop culture. At times though, Dani felt her hair could “draw away from [an] outfit.” So on days when she wants to highlight her ensembles, she has loved embracing the slick-back hair trend of recent years “since it brings more focus to outfit pieces.” This is a testament to the globalization of fashion leading to fusion of trends across cultures.
This summer, our eyes will be on Dani as she heads to Arezzo, Italy for study abroad. We can’t wait to see her create fashion moments as she brings Colombian flair to Mediterranean style.
With many fashion-lovers, the earliest memories of clothing from childhood have an impact on their style for the rest of their lives. For Dani, she remembers being “obsessed with watching Shakira perform and dance. I owned several of her concert videos and loved how she stayed true to herself and culture with her outfits and hair.”
Vogue France describes Shakira’s signature look as a specific and timeless formula of low waist bottoms paired with crop tops. In having Shakira as a fashion icon, Dani adores the look of the Y2K styles that she rose to stardom in. The current fashion landscape really caters to this time period, and Dani is excited by “the new era of 2000’s and vintage pieces coming back, such as the low waisted jeans.”
Written by
Molly Waters