Refinery 29, the online indie fashion mecca, recently sat down with bunny favorite SUPERIEK!
Highlights from their interview with the Dutch supermodel:
Refinery 29: You definitely seem to have lots of fun getting dressed. How would you describe your style?
Iekeliene Strange: "It's a big mix of things. I don't take things too seriously and wish people could have more fun with how they dress. I like to get into a different character every day…it's fun to play around. I have a 2-bedroom apartment in London with my boyfriend, and one of the bedrooms is just considered my wardrobe! It's covered in sequins, tutus, catsuits, and colors everywhere you look. I love to make people smile when I walk down the street."
R29: Who are your biggest fashion inspirations?
Iek: "To be honest, I find my friends the most inspiring. I have a lot of very unique people around me who have their own character and don't get affected by their surroundings."
R29: Tell us some of your style constants…the things you turn to everyday…
Iek: "I wear a lot of hairpieces, like hats, headbands, tiaras. I also have an obsession with anything sparkly! Of course, my big frames keep popping back on my nose, as well. I think Berlin is probably one of the best cities for vintage shopping now. There are some great markets there where people still sell all their junk for very little money."
R29: You've been shooting a lot of your own stuff backstage. When did you start getting interested in photography?
Iek: "I've been into photography since I was young. I used to run after my sister when I was 15 with a little camera telling her to pose everywhere for me. When I was 17, I moved to London to study photography, but since London is very expensive I couldn't afford to do a full-time study. So, when I got scouted to do modeling it seemed like a good way to create some financial stability."
R21: Did the whole backstage world prompt you to start shooting more?
Iek: "It mostly started as a way to entertain myself while waiting backstage. I want to focus more on documentary photography, so I thought it would be a nice project to document the backstage fashion world as I have such an original perspective on it."
R29: Like how?
Iek: "Everything is always so rushed and dramatic running around from show to show, and I try to convey this in my photographs. It's great to see all the different creations designers come up with…especially once you get to Paris and you get designers like Galliano, McQueen, Rick Owens, you see so many inspiring looks."
R29: Which shows generally offer the best experience, backstage or otherwise?
Iek: "Galliano and Dior are always the best ones…the makeup and hair are always extraordinary."
R29: Beyond fashion, what are some other things or people you love to shoot?
Iek: "I want to become a photojournalist and mostly focus on travel stories and documentary style, more cultural subjects and people. There's so many interesting countries and cultures to document I find it really inspiring. Even in Europe every country is so diverse with its own history, architecture, culture, and people. There are so many places to visit! I'm planning a trip to the Ukraine in July to a tiny village in the middle of nowhere to document the people that live there and will also travel around the north of Scandinavia to take photos of the beautiful landscapes."
R29: What photographers inspire you most?
Iek: "A lot of the magnum photographers—some of them have delivered extraordinary work, and I think it takes a lot of courage to take some of the photos they've taken. Right now, I'm reading these travel stories of a documentary photographer called Nick Danziger who shot a lot in Afghanistan in '89 and was one of the last photographers left documenting the war there at the time. The stories he writes are amazing and inspiring…I feel like I can't wait until I have more time to travel!"
For more fairies and monsters and pancakes and such: Iek photos!
bunny BISOUS
xx jf
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