Hey, I Like Your Style! Inside the wardrobe of Melbourne nail artist, Caitlyn Iskra
IMAGE VIA @CAITLYNISKRA/INSTAGRAM
WORDS BY IZZY WIGHT
“I’ll be in my Miu Miu black ballet flats one day and my worn-down loafers the next.”
We know personal style is a journey (I’m looking at you, Tumblr years), so we’ve introduced a new series Hey, I Like Your Style!, diving 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.
This week, we’re taking a step inside the wardrobe of Melbourne-based nail artist, Caitlyn Iskra. The woman behind Horni Nails, Caitlyn uses clothing to “align with the energy” she wants to bring into her days. Her wardrobe is as colourful and textured as the nails she creates, filled with pieces from local labels and vintage designer finds (like her grandpa’s YSL blazer). Scroll on for her style journey.
Who are you and what do you like to wear?
View this post on Instagram
I’m Caitlyn, a Taurus entrepreneur from Melbourne, Australia. [I’m currently] redefining the nail industry (through Horni Nails). I wear what aligns with the energy I want to bring to the day.
It’s like how can I make my energy show physically, I studied chromotherapy so my attachment to colour really is my expression of my emotions and feelings for the day. I’ll be in my Miu Miu black ballet flats one day and my worn-down loafers the next. Every day is unique (thank you, Gemini rising).
What has your style evolution looked like? Do you feel like you’ve gained confidence in the way you dress?
View this post on Instagram
Absolutely… I don’t care how I’m perceived (to the extent that I won’t wear something). I have insecurities, but fashion is a way to express myself. Maybe it shouldn’t always be about confidence but the… evolution of self. My dad would take us to op shops during the week and shop at markets on the weekends. Being as young as five, I definitely would gravitate to what excited me.
Personal style is a journey. Have you ever felt like you needed to fit into a particular fashion box?
When battling the gender norms, I found it more liberating at a younger age. You just simply don’t care. I grew up partly in the county and I was in my cowgirl boots before they became stylish.
View this post on Instagram
Then again, being by the city I quickly established that everyone is actually figuring out who they are – that never really ends, and neither does the pressure to fit into boxes.
Take us back to those awkward teenage years. Do you have any fashion regrets?
Honestly no, I had so much freedom to wear and gravitate to what I wanted. When you would go into a secondhand store, only one of each [item] existed. I became addicted to the hunt, the thrill of knowing ‘no one will have this’. Although I did love a knee-high [shoe] over jeans, which is questionable to me now…
What are the most expensive and least expensive items in your wardrobe?
View this post on Instagram
Wow… probably my Dior saddle bag, she was an investment. I can’t wait to give it to my grandchild – unless I’m the rich aunt.
The least would be my old baggy Levi’s jeans. [They were a] $5 market score, I wear them weekly.
What is the most meaningful fashion piece you own?
Anything from Noni (grandma), mostly her jewellery [which] she’ll give me on each birthday. They feel like rare collector items. My favourite is this diamond gold cross, I wear her every day.
Who or what influences your style?
View this post on Instagram
Now with so many brands, designers and media, I find it overwhelming [trying to figure out] how to dress. Summer is my favourite, so during winter [I just wear] what’s cozy and layered. However, I’ll always be drawn to old French cinema, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Divine colours and simplicity.
What fashion piece are you saving for right now?
Chanel, red, vintage.
What are the wardrobe items you wear on repeat?
View this post on Instagram
My Prada Thunderburts DAILY. This divine YSL blazer from my grandpa, and these $20 red loafers I got from a market.
Who are your favourite local designers?
Emily Watson, Bodiciab [and] I love Apoc Store on Instagram. It’s curated fashion for independent designers and artists.
You can follow Caitlyn for more here.
Liked this? You’ll love these...
