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Hey, I Like Your Style! Inside the wardrobe of New Zealand actress and model, Roxie Mohebbi

IMAGE VIA @roxiemohebbi/instagram
WORDS BY CAIT EMMA BURKE

“There seems to be this weird etiquette that you have a style and that branching out of that means you’re having a crisis or something.”

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 Auckland-based actress and model, Roxie Mohebbi. Known for her eclectic style and infectious charisma, Roxie is a mainstay of the New Zealand fashion industry, featuring in campaigns for some of the country’s (and FJ’s) favourite labels – think Paris Georgia, Frisson Knits, Ingrid Starnes and Kate Sylvester.

Roxie and her family moved to New Zealand from Iran when she was five, and growing up as a refugee in a small town she used to view style as a tool that could help her fit in and assimilate. But as she grew older, she began to embrace playfulness and freedom of expression, something that working in creative industries actively encouraged.

Despite finding success in the fashion industry and as an actor – most recently playing a trainee surgeon on the iconic New Zealand soap opera, Shortland Street – she still finds most of her clothes in op shops, something that was a necessity during her childhood. Take a peek into her style evolution below.

Who are you and what do you like to wear? 

 

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I’m Roxie and I am still figuring that out. I struggle to define my personal style but I think it’s whatever brings me joy and assists in creating the energy I need that day.

What has your style evolution looked like? Do you feel like you’ve gained confidence in the way you dress? 

 

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Absolutely! I feel like I have been through a lot in terms of my style journey. Growing up in a small town as a minority, I really felt like ‘fitting in’ was something of survival. I already felt like an alien so I learnt to assimilate through things I could control – namely my style. Growing out of that was extremely liberating. Travelling helped too, to feel anonymous and therefore free to express myself.

Personal style is a journey. Have you ever felt like you needed to fit into a particular fashion box?

 

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I think we all do in some ways, right? Working in the fashion world, especially, it feels like there is pressure to worry about your ‘brand’ – whatever the hell that means. Working in film helps with that – sometimes I feel like clothes can help you get into character for the day. And it’s a non-committal way to express the different parts of you.

 

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There seems to be this weird etiquette that you have a style and that branching out of that means you’re having a crisis or something, whereas some days I just want to wear what I want to wear!

 

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Take us back to those awkward teenage years. Do you have any fashion regrets? 

Peplum tops. No further comment.

What are the most expensive and least expensive items in your wardrobe? 

 

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I think most of my clothes cost between $5 and $50. Growing up with op shopping being somewhat of a necessity, it pains me to buy new. It’s not even some push to appear environmentally conscious (which is obv bloody important as all heck), I just love a bargain.

 

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So my most expensive items, in terms of value, would probably be a Versace fur coat I got for $30 or some patent Prada boots which I got for $70 (#smug). I am finally in a place where I am starting to ‘invest’ in local designers and handmade pieces though. So, watch this space.

What is the most meaningful fashion piece you own? 

 

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Anything that used to be my maman’s from Iran. I lost a couple of her clothes when I was a teenager and I hold pure grief and regret over that now. Also some jewellery I have which is very sentimental. Namely a vintage gold brooch in the shape of an axe made of pounamu and gold which my BF gave me. It’s pinned to all my fits these days.

What’s in your cart at the moment? 

 

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Mostly gold jewellery! Handmade rings with beautiful, big, colourful gems are where my attention is right now.

What fashion piece are you saving for right now? 

 

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I would like to own some Jean Paul Gaultier because I want to feel kooky rich vibes. And definitely some Hera Saabi jewellery.

What are the wardrobe items you wear on repeat? 

 

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Currently, it’s this vintage yellow Versace tie with butterflies all over it. It’s possibly the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen but I am obsessed with it and refuse to take it off. In a more pragmatic sense, I wear a lot of Marle and Kowtow as staples.

Who are your favourite local designers?

 

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Starving Artists Fund is iconic all the way through. Emma Jing has incredibly beautiful garments. I love Paris Georgia, chic as all hell. Georgia Jay bags are beautiful and so (too) collectable! Harris Tapper for any time I need to get my boss baby on. And I’m reaaally excited for the launch of new designer Slush coming this month back home in Aotearoa!

See more of Roxie’s killer looks here.

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