Fashion Friday: Emina Abdagic ’17

Emina Abdagic ’17 talks about her 90’s-inspired fashion style.

Sean Brown
Emina Abdagic ’17 lays in the grass in downtown Iowa City to enjoy the warm weather.

AESSMM: When did you first become interested in fashion?

Emina Abdagic ’17: “Well I believe that I was always interested in fashion since my mother would always dress me up a bit more differently than the rest of my peers since I was young. When I truly became interested in fashion on my own was in elementary around 5th and 6th grade where I’d ‘create’ my own outfits and so on.”

AESSMM: What do you mean by “creating”?

Emina Abdagic ’17: “Putting together my own outfits; mix and matching them basically.”

AESSMM: So do you believe that your style says anything about your personality?

Emina Abdagic ’17: “No not really. I never thought of my style being associated with my personality; I usually associate my style more so with how I feel. For example, if I feel happy and outgoing I’ll wear colorful things or if I’m feeling lazy or not in the swing of things I’ll dress really simple.”

AESSMM: How would you describe your overall style?

Emina Abdagic ’17: “I’d say carefree.”

AESSMM: Are there any places you look to for fashion inspiration?

Emina Abdagic ’17: “Yes, mainly on Instagram in the explorer feed or random people’s accounts who have unique fashion styles.”

AESSMM: And do you have any go-to stores you shop at?

Emina Abdagic ’17: “I like to go to Forever 21 mainly as my go to store, as they have a variety of choices and it’s usually not as expensive.”

AESSMM: Are there any other brands you enjoy wearing, or is Forever 21 your favorite?

Emina Abdagic ’17: “I honestly don’t have one favorite brand, but I am more familiar with Forever 21 although, I do enjoy wearing Fashion Nova as well.”

AESSMM: So I know you mentioned earlier that your style shifts with whatever you are feeling, but do you have any favorite outfits you can wear any day?

Emina Abdagic ’17: “Yes that usually consists of a bodysuit and jeans.”

AESSMM: Do you incorporate jewelry into your outfits?

Emina Abdagic ’17: “No, not at all. I’m not a big jewelry fan; the only jewelry I wear is earrings, and sometimes I do incorporate that with my outfits.”

AESSMM: Although you don’t incorporate jewelry, do you take time to incorporate other accessories like shoes or belts into your outfits?

Emina Abdagic ’17: “Well yes, sometimes I’ll try to create an outfit that would compliment a certain pair of shoes or that would allow me to wear my glasses.”

AESSMM: And do you have any shoes that you think are versatile for multiple different styles?

Emina Abdagic ’17: “The most simple ones, my trusty Adidas superstars. Sometimes the simple black and white ones are great and other times the holographic version of them.”

AESSMM: Speaking of Adidas, those shoes are becoming very trendy recently. Do you incorporate many trends into your style, and are there any trends that you have strong opinions against?

Emina Abdagic ’17: “I usually try not to incorporate new trends into my style, but I’ll admit it isn’t always easy for me. Like when chokers were a trend I used to incorporate those into my outfits. In my opinion I don’t incorporate many new trends in my style, but I might be biased. I won’t speak against certain trends because to each to their own.”

AESSMM: So when you were talking about first being introduced to fashion, you said your mom dressed you in different outfits. Does your mom, or any other family members or friends, influence your style today?

Emina Abdagic ’17: “Yes actually and it may sound silly but my mom’s fashion sense back in the day, let’s say around the 90’s, has influenced me and same with a friend of mine based in the Netherlands in the same time period (the 90’s). Their fashion sense in their time has inspired me and I enjoy it.”

AESSMM: So would you say your style has stayed the same over the years because of this influence?

Emina Abdagic ’17: “Not really. In junior high my style shifted away from their influence and I basically wore anything that was in trend or simplistic.”

AESSMM: Would you say your style today has shifted back towards 90’s fashion or stayed more simplistic?

Emina Abdagic ’17: “Definitely towards the 90’s.”

AESSMM: Would you consider fashion a hobby, or would you be interested in pursuing it as a career later on?

Emina Abdagic ’17: “Yes of course. I’ve always wanted to pursue the career of modeling. I actually attempted to sign with a local agency last year; as much as they wanted me, though, they decided not to accept me since there aren’t many jobs here in Iowa to pay for such career.”