Hey, I Like Your Style! Inside the wardrobe of DJ and music journalist Jess Fu
IMAGE VIA @JESS.F.U/INSTAGRAM
AS TOLD TO MARYEL SOUSA
“New Zealand designers are so slept on.”
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.
This week, we’re catching up with Jess Fu, a Melbourne-based DJ, music journalist, music manager and booking agent. Jess has all the makings of an It Girl – an enviably cool job with a wardrobe to match.
Before moving to Naarm from Aotearoa, Jess’ style was laidback but chic, “more Eckhaus Latta,” she says. But now, inspired by the city’s eclectic energy, she’s been incorporating more pre-loved pieces into her looks, ranging from inexpensive op shop skirts to iconic (and notoriously hard to find) designer items. Combine these with pulls from some of New Zealand’s underrated designers and it’s a recipe for a style that’s impossible not to drool over.
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Fashion Journal: Hey Jess! Tell me about yourself and what you like to wear.
Jess Fu: I’m a music manager, booking agent and DJ. Sometimes I also put on gigs and parties. I run my own agency called Crasher. I love helping musicians grow and being part of their journey. As a young woman of colour in music, it’s hard to be taken seriously, so I like to wear clothes that make me feel powerful and confident.
What has your style evolution looked like?
Before I moved to Melbourne and started DJing more often, my style was more street and laidback, more Eckhaus Latta. But since starting my own music agency, my wardrobe is leaning more vintage. I have secondhand items from Prada, Comme des Garçons, Junya Watanabe and Marithe Francois Girbaud. I don’t often purchase new; 99 per cent of my wardrobe is secondhand.
Do you remember the first clothing item you owned that made an impact on you?
My sibling’s Jay Jays T-shirt that said ‘Sorry… about your face’. I wore it all the time as an 11-year-old; I thought it was so funny and edgy. I still think about that T-shirt. It was iconic.
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Take us back to those awkward teenage years. Who or what was inspiring your style at the time?
I was on Tumblr a lot – I loved Lana [Del Rey] and I was big on the soft grunge era, too. I loved wearing ripped band T-shirts and studded socks with my American Apparel skinny jeans.
What are some of the ‘investment pieces’ in your wardrobe?
My Miu Miu pebble kitten mules (FW99) are an iconic piece that I’m so grateful to have in my wardrobe, and these Ann Demeulemeester riding boots I bought for $20 at a garage sale, which were in terrible condition. I got them fixed for a couple of hundred bucks.
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Most expensive and least expensive items in your wardrobe?
The least expensive is a $2.50 skirt from a thrift shop in Whangarei in Aotearoa. The most expensive is my red tartan Comme des Garçons top, circa 2013.
What is the most meaningful fashion piece you own?
My wedding veil, which was made by a designer and an old friend, Emma Jing.
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Who or what influences your style today?
The people of Melbourne influence me! Everyone is so stylish. Just anyone walking down the street.
Tell me about the last time you felt really great in an outfit for a special occasion.
Other than my wedding, it might be the outfit I wore to the Taite Awards in 2023 when I was nominated for a music journalism award. I wore an Emma Jing dress made from an old war parachute. To this day, I still get people asking me about that dress.
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What fashion piece are you keeping in your closet despite being ‘out of trend’?
If I don’t wear something or think about an item, I just swap it or donate it.
What item of clothing gives you the ick?
Nothing. Wear what you want!
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What are the wardrobe items you wear on repeat?
My Cecile Bahnsen x Asics flower sneakers and a vintage Roberto Cavalli bag that is like a bottomless pit.
Who are your favourite local designers?
More people need to know about New Zealand designers – such as Emma Jing, Jing He, Catherine Boddy, Wilbur Hsu and Jess Grindell. They are so slept on.
Keep up with Jess here.
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