Interview with Natalie Zaid
Natalie grew up just outside of Washington, DC, in Bethesda, Maryland. Growing up, she did not have much say in her clothing. Like many younger siblings of the same gender, much of her closet consisted of the latest dresses and skirts that no longer fit her older sister. She did not truly begin shopping for herself until middle school, where her first major influence was her identity as a dancer, specifically a ballet dancer. Her other earliest influence was none other than her grandmother, who taught her many ideas about fashion that she still subscribes to today. Growing up as a fashion-forward young woman with limited resources in Staten Island, New York, Natalie's grandmother became exceptionally skilled at spotting a deal. She taught Natalie how to recognize a high-quality garment and that money cannot buy style. Together, these lessons shaped Natalie's earliest approach to fashion.
While previous generations sourced magazines, combed through street photography archives, and wandered city streets looking for inspiration, Gen Z has a cheat code: social media. Every style, past and present, from every corner of the world is available at our fingertips. Natalie was no exception. She found herself inspired by the silhouettes and textures that dominated youth fashion in the late 2010s and early 2020s. The defining silhouette of that era, which remains popular today, paired tight, cropped tops with wide-leg pants. This rise coincided with Natalie's transition from ballet to hip-hop dance. The typical hip-hop uniform consisted of oversized clothing that flowed and draped over the body, paired with sneakers that conveyed a sense of street culture. Naturally, those aesthetics began to shape her everyday wardrobe as well.
Eventually, much like someone who wears a suit every day for work and refuses to wear one off the clock, Natalie began to see the hip-hop silhouette as a uniform rather than an expression of herself. When she was not actively performing, she saw little reason to continue dressing that way. She gradually moved away from the oversized sportswear aesthetic and returned to her roots, thinking back to her meticulously put-together grandmother, who had shown her the beauty and confidence of dressing in a traditionally feminine way. At the same time, she did not completely abandon the influences of hip-hop and streetwear.
That brings Natalie to where she is today as she effortlessly blends traditionally feminine skirts and dresses with modern sneakers to create a style that is comfortable, cohesive, and distinctly her own
