Megan Norman, 21, Iowa City

Student @ University of Iowa

What are you wearing?
I’m wearing a dress with red and black brocade on the top and a black viscose material on the bottom by SHRINE clothing, which my fiance bought me from Chicago. Underneath the dress is a black tulle layered skirt from Poizen Industries that serves as a petticoat. Stockings are black micro fiber from Hot Topic and the giant combat boots are from the Demonia brand, which I also picked up in Chicago. The last piece I added to this outfit is a black tulle flower headband I found for a cheap price at Silver Spider.
 

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Where do you get your style inspiration from?
I get my inspiration from dreams, images I see in magazines and online, and poetry. My style is definitely on the darker more romantic side and is inspired by days of old and unique images. I try to express what I’m feeling through the visual world of my clothing. Because of this, my style varies. One day I look like a nightmare from a carnival and the next, a girl with flowers out of the sixties. I also enjoy looking through Lula Magazine and Gothic Beauty Magazine for inspiration. I’m inspired by those who dress in a unique way, but also have modesty. A lot of the alternative (and fashion) modeling world is, unfortunately, about sex appeal and fetishism, especially if one is trying to make money, but I try to stay away from that. I think being beautiful is much more meaningful than trying to be sexy.

Who are your style icons?/Why?
My style icons aren’t any film celebrities like a lot of people would answer. Though I admire some of their clothing, they often have stylists that put everything together for them. It isn’t their own creativity, it’s someone else’s. Musically I am influenced by Rozz Williams (deathrock singer of the band Christian Death, now deceased) and Marilyn Manson. I think that their styles of music and clothing have made an impact on people, it’s made them think. There are also a lot of designers and models I have come across since I began to model myself that have inspired me. These people have uncovered a beauty that I feel as well, which is why I am drawn to them. Examples of models are : Andromeda X and Razor Candi. Examples of designers: Freyagushi and Bibian Blue. Examples of Photographers/Artists: Eyeworks, Winterwolf Studios, and Mon-artifice. I am also inspired by poets such as Emily Dickinson.

What is your favorite local place to find amazing pieces?
I was really disappointed when I first arrived in Iowa City, as I couldn’t find many stores that had the type of clothing I felt connected to. I would occasionally shop in Ragstock and find a few vintage clothing items. Most of all, I have found amazing pieces in antique/consignment stores. I wasn’t into antique vintage clothing until I entered these shops. For example, in The Crowded Closet I found a torn cupcake looking dress that I turned into a skirt. In the local antique store Artifacts, I’ve found various hats and dresses that I enjoy. However, my favorite store to shop in (I usually cannot leave without buying something) is Second Act. They have a room full of clothing from the sixties and seventies and a fantasy room (what more could I want?). I’ve tried to convince them to let me purchase some of the rental items, but to no avail. They usually ask if I am buying all the clothes for a special occasion, and I have to explain to them that I just wear them in every day life.

What is your staple go-to store for fashion finds?
Besides what I already said, I definitely enjoy shopping in Chicago and online. There are really too many stores to name just one, but I do enjoy looking on etsy and ebay for clothing or the UK’s ‘the gothic shop’, which has great deals. In Chicago, I enjoy such stores as The Alley and Hollywood Mirror. Even so, the most unique finds are always in vintage clothing stores.

What is the one fashion item you can’t live without?
I think there are really two items I cannot live without. One is a top I found in Rome from the brand Bony Paris. It has a cameo in the center, red and blue sheer print with black lace, and black ribbon straps to hold it up. As I collect cameos, I almost screamed when I saw it. The other is a black vinyl/velvet striped vintage coat I found in Second Act. The reason I cannot live without the coat can be explained in a brief story. I was in an Iowa City store and a woman approached me, asking where I had bought my coat from. I told her, and she then proceeded to tell me that the coat used to be hers and that she had repaired it years ago (it had been somebody else’s before her as well). It brought back a flood of memories for her, which she shared. It was then that I realized how clothes can be a living text. They can also transport you back in time. It was a very beautiful realization for me.

What do you want to splurge on?
At the current moment, I want to splurge on Renaissance dresses, pvc clothing, medical looking corsets, and Lolita dresses.

What are you willing to skimp on?
I am always willing to skimp on socks and pajamas. Most of my socks don’t even have matches and are ridden with holes. And I only care about being comfortable when I’m asleep.

What kind of fashionista are you?
 I’m definitely a mix of things. As I explained before, I shop online and at vintage clothing stores. I also occasionally find things at department stores and boutiques. In addition to those, I sometimes create my own clothing. In the many years it’s been since I’ve learned to use a sewing machine I have forgotten, so I just hand sew everything without a pattern. Some of them come out pretty…unique.

What fashion genre would you put yourself in?
 There are a lot of genres I could put myself in. Namely, people label my style as goth, and then get confused when I wear vintage clothing. What most don’t know is that there are many different subcultures within the culture of “gothic”. For example, ’steampunk’ which is focused on gears, old cage skirts, goggles, etc., ‘victorian’, based upon Queen Victoria in the years when she mourned her husband, which is focused on a lot of black, lace, long flowing skirts, parasols, etc., and ‘lolita’, which is based off of the Lolita book and involves looking like a little girl/doll and often includes bows, curls, pastel dresses, petticoats, etc. There are so many different divisions, and so much to learn. I feel it is dangerous to label anyone. Of course, as humans, we all label each other, but in my experience, people who have labeled me have a difficult time seeing me as anything other than the stereotype of ‘goth’. I often get insulted on the street for wearing the clothes that I do, and I think it’s because a lot of people don’t know how to handle difference. It is a sad, but true fact. This is why I would put myself in my own fashion genre and not any specific one.