Hey, I Like Your Style! Inside the wardrobe of Sydney-based creative, Basjia Almaan
IMAGE VIA @BASJIA/INSTAGRAM
WORDS BY IZZY WIGHT
“I always dreamed of wearing the outfits I wear now – of wearing mini skirts and backless dresses, big chunky heels and tiny bikinis.”
We know personal style is a journey (I’m looking at you, Tumblr years) and our series Hey, I Like Your Style! dives into the fashion psyche of our favourite creatives. We’re talking the good, the bad and the 2007.
While the internet has made our fashion icons feel closer than ever before, even the most effortless of outfits came from a closet with some (well-dressed) skeletons. Clickable product tags, photo archives and lives chronicled in 30-second clips just don’t tell the full story.
For more fashion news, shoots, articles and features, head to our Fashion section.
These are the stories behind the wardrobes, exploring how we develop our own personal style. There’s a brilliance behind the way we choose to express ourselves and at FJ, we know every outfit has a story. For this instalment of Hey, I Like Your Style!, we enter the wardrobe of Basjia Almaan.
A Sydney-based performer, creative and the face of the new Contour by Nique collection, Basjia’s wardrobe ranges from bejewelled G-strings and fringed bikinis to silk dresses and faux-fur coats. Growing up, Basjia struggled to find confidence in her body – now, her outfits are a celebration of colour, creativity and queer identity. Read on to hear about her style journey so far.
Who are you and what do you like to wear?
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My name is Basjia Almaan, I’m a queer multi-hyphenate creative living on Gadigal land. I’ve worked mainly across fashion, media and performance. I like to wear colour – that’s one main thing about me, I always love wearing colour! I love wearing teeny tiny outfits, but also I love layering, I love dressing up, even if it’s just to walk down the road.
What has your style evolution looked like? Do you feel like you’ve gained confidence in the way you dress?
I have absolutely gained confidence in the way I dress. When I was younger, I was extremely self-conscious about my body. I went through a lot of extreme body changes growing up, [and] that affected how I would feel and see myself. I felt a lot of periods of shame about how my body looked, so was a lot less bold.
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I’d wear things that would hide my body… I just never felt like I could wear the things I’d dreamed of wearing. I always dreamed of wearing the outfits I wear now – of wearing mini skirts and backless dresses, big chunky heels and tiny bikinis. I always dreamed of feeling confident to show my body and now I am and that’s a big influence on my style and how I celebrate my body.
Personal style is a journey. Have you ever felt like you needed to fit into a particular fashion box?
Oh absolutely! Growing up where I did, I was made to feel that women with bodies like me shouldn’t wear certain things. I was always made to feel as though my body shape or size meant that I always had to hide my body.
Take us back to those awkward teenage years. Do you have any fashion regrets?
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Oh too many! Mainly my regret is thinking that I couldn’t wear the things I wanted because I was so worried what people would think or say about my body.
What are the most expensive and least expensive items in your wardrobe?
Most of my wardrobe is secondhand. I love secondhand shopping – it’s my craft, it’s my art form. So a lot of my pieces would be pretty inexpensive.
I have a few designer pieces, mainly bags and shoes, but I could not tell you what is the most expensive and what is the least. It may be surprising. Although all my pieces together would be quite expensive, as I do buy a lot of clothes. It’s something I often treat myself.
What is the most meaningful fashion piece you own?
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Honestly, any Nicol and Ford outfits I have, as they’ve all been custom-created and have really special memories attached to them. Also my engagement necklace from my partner. I wear it every day.
Who or what influences your style?
… The world. Things that come from my own daydreams, looks I see on Pinterest, queer community [and] fashion I see on Instagram, in magazines or online. My mum was very into fashion, and I feel very influenced by the looks that I would see growing up. Fashion from old school hip hop and R&B videos, especially the video vixens.
What fashion piece are you saving for right now?
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I’ve been dreaming of a Karla Laidlaw bag.
What are the wardrobe items you wear on repeat?
At the moment, a lot of my denim pieces, [like] denim shorts and denim skirts. And a red boob tube dress dress that says ‘angel’ on it that I found in an op shop. I really love things that I can slip on easily for summer (like the pieces I modelled for Nique in the Contour by Nique capsule). Also, my Converse are my main staple shoe at the moment.
Who are your favourite local designers?
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Nique, Nicol and Ford (absolutely), Karla Laidlaw, Wackie Ju, Rubee Pedder, La Latoure, Kourh, Youkhana, Angel Robertson, Oats the Label, Maroske Peech, Erik Yvon, Inner Sanctum… That’s all I can remember but there are so many! So many great local designers!
For more of Basjia’s outfits, head here.
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