The style stalwarts of Chictopia

Monday, 28 June 2010 18:00 Alexandra V. Lapa

These days, fashion inspiration doesn’t just come from celebrities. It can come from anyone who has the passion to share their own personal style. Chictopia, the social networking site with a chic, fashionable twist, houses some notable luminaries who have endeared themselves to thousands of fashionphiles by sharing snapshots of their unique outfits for the day. As Anna Wintour may have put it, fashion has mostly been intimidating to the average person. But now that people are getting an introspective look at how sartorial choices are made, this generation is seeing fashion transcend borders of culture, age and lifestyle by sharing it with the rest of the world. Let these popular Chictopians show you what fashion and personal style is really all about:

Joanna Ladrido, Philippines

Joanna never seems to tire of documenting her outfits, and she’s always got something for every occasion. She’s not afraid to mix color, texture, even the really serious bling—which is sometimes really quite difficult to pull off and layer if you’re living in a tropical country. She’s been featured in StyleBible for her choice in accessories and the way she matches her outfit to the current musical mood that she’s into. Check out a slew of her outfits here, and feast your eyes on razor sharp ensembles. She’s currently one of the top three candidates for next month’s Chictopia style icons.

Some of Joanna’s outfits:

joannaladrido_set

Caroline, Stockholm, Sweden

Her photos and outfits look so effortlessly made and yet so urban chic. They look like they were taken straight out of The Sartorialist’s list of most fashionable. She seems to favor a lot of black in her ensembles, booties, and blazers or leather jackets. With her tall, slim frame and long wavy locks, she looks like an off-duty model enjoying a picturesque time in Paris. Caroline has already been voted as a Chictopia style icon in the past, with a whopping 2054 fans (one of the highest numbers in the whole community).

A glimpse at this fashion plate from Sweden:

caroline_set

Rebecca the Clotheshorse, Fort Lewis, WA

She may be inspired by the old, but her keen eye for the daintiest frills and loveliest frocks is anything but tired. Rebecca’s chosen username describes her love affair with clothes quite perfectly—she’s a clothes horse who’s thrilled with the prospect of breathing new life into secondhand treasures. She’s also a previous Chictopia style icon, and no wonder, as she’s already got a strong following even outside the community. Check out her blog at The Clothes Horse to get a closer look at her uber feminine style and inspirations.

Give her clothes stable a little look-see:

rebecca_set

Nicole Warne

Nicole describes her style as eclectic, and says that she is a chameleon at heart who changes her spots as often as she makes friends. Her fresh exuberance certainly seems reflective of her choices in clothing, ranging from sweet to quirky. And while she hasn’t mentioned her favourite accessory, she has a definite preference for striking red lips that give most of the looks she displays a mighty punch up. A very beautiful girl with a wardrobe just as beautiful, there’s no surprise that this girl is also in the running for next month’s Chictopia Style icon.

A sneak peek into this charmer’s closet:

nicole_set

Tricia Gosingtian, Quezon City, Philippines

The 21-year-old Filipina Chinese Tricia, a.k.a. slumberdoll, has a lot under her belt. She didn’t just get the attention of fashion enthusiasts all over the world through self-style sites such as Lookbook and Chictopia, no. Before she had even graduated, she had already established herself as one of the rising fashion photographers in the country to watch out for. In 2008, she was featured in Preview magazine as one of the Top 24 Most Creative Pinoys; in Meg magazine of the same year, she was included in the list of Top 10 Most Stylish Teens. She’s done a whole lot of work for local publications, but she’s not one to rest on her laurels. When she’s not busy being a shutterbug, she also dips her hand into modelling, styling and make-up artistry for shoots. She also updates her several creative online accounts, including Chictopia, quite regularly, and was also named as a previous Style Icon.

Take a gander at her sartorial choices:

tricia_set

Aimee, San Francisco and Los Angeles, California

Her laidback concoctions have earned her a place as a Chictopia Style Icon as well. The easy, breezy outfits have been much praised by a strong following of her blog (where they send various illustrations of her in clothes which they interpret, quite accurately, to be her style), as well as 1771 fans from the Chictopia community.

From the song of style:

aimee_set

Coconut, France

With a sense of style that’s as fiery and fascinating as her vividly red hair, Coconut brings flights of fancy to dressing up. She’s one of the site’s style icons this month, and she’s still rocking the good vibes with her florals and vintage mixed with hats and comfy chic pieces. She’s also a dancer, which, given with the cool grace she exudes when she poses for the camera, seems perfectly in rhythm.

Rocking out the old school:

coconut_set