Hey, I Like Your Style! Inside the wardrobe of Melbourne content creator, Yasmin Kurzmann
IMAGE VIA @bunnyyassy/INSTAGRAM
WORDS BY IZZY WIGHT
“I love recreating outfits I’ve seen in film or TV, or basing an outfit on an aesthetic or the vibe a character gives off.”
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 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 Melbourne content creator, Yasmin Kurzmann.
Akin to the outfits in the circa-2005 Bratz Rock Angelz franchise (a must-watch piece of fashion history), Yasmin’s wardrobe is equal parts punky and glamorous, comprised primarily of shades of red, black and pink. But despite the distinctive aesthetic she has now, growing up she wasn’t interested in putting “cohesive outfits” together. “I don’t think I even knew what that meant,” she says.
It wasn’t until a 2022 university placement in South America that Yasmin really felt a shift in her personal style. “I learnt a lot about myself, and my fashion changed when I came back to Melbourne,” she explains. “It took so many experiences to find myself and what I liked to wear.” Read on to hear about her style journey.
Who are you and what do you like to wear?
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My name is Yasmin. I’m a 24-year-old girl who loves to wear anything black, punk and witchy-looking. I love sexy stiletto boots, red accessories and gothic jewellery. Comfort and warmth are my main goals when it comes to creating outfits. I love to wear plaid/tartan, anything pointed-toe on my feet and mixed metals when it comes to jewellery.
What has your style evolution looked like? Do you feel like you’ve gained confidence in the way you dress?
From the age of 17, I always loved to wear all-black outfits. I had blonde hair which I always straightened, so I loved the contrast of my light hair with my dark clothing. I spent a lot of time at clubs and hanging out with my friends, so I always wanted to be comfortable wherever I was. I was a young girl, so I wanted to look sexy and wear tiny tops and skirts, but I also didn’t mind wearing a baggy T-shirt and a pair of shorts to the club depending on my mood.
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In 2020, when I started to try and wear my hair naturally curly, my fashion slowly changed with it. I went from wearing all-black to incorporating whites and blues… From then up until mid-2022, I always fluctuated between the two aesthetics: all-black or hippie-princess fairycore. My aesthetic would always depend on my mood. I always felt more serious and put together in black, but felt more free-spirited in loose and colourful clothing.
I started to find my style after coming back from a university placement in South America at the end of 2022. I don’t know what it was, but I believe that trip as a whole changed… the way I think and perceive myself. I was doing conservation work in the Amazon rainforest. I think living in a different culture, 10 hours away from mainland society, changed my whole perspective on life itself…
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I learnt a lot about myself, and my fashion changed when I came back to Melbourne. I started buying from small businesses and experimenting with layering and dressing more outside my comfort zone. I gained so much confidence in the way I dress over the years. It took so many experiences to find myself and what I liked to wear.
Personal style is a journey. Have you ever felt like you needed to fit into a particular fashion box?
I always wanted to have what the ‘cool girls’ at my high school owned. I always found myself shopping at places like Kookai, Paper Kites or Supré for parties as a young teenager. That’s where everyone bought their party clothes, so that’s where I bought mine. I think growing up… played a huge part in overcoming this and finding my style. Social media, pop culture and film really helped me to hone in on what I liked and what I didn’t.
Take us back to those awkward teenage years. Do you have any fashion regrets?
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I didn’t have any interest in fashion as a teenager up until I was about 17 years old. I loved to shop – don’t get me wrong – but I wasn’t interested in putting cohesive outfits together. I don’t think I even knew what that meant. However, in 2018, I attended one of my best friends’ valedictory at his school. I wanted to wear this stunning red lace maxi dress that a friend of mine had worn, so I decided to rent it from her. This was a huge mistake.
My bust was four times bigger than hers and physically didn’t fit the cups of the dress but for some reason, I decided to look past this and wear it anyway because I thought it looked okay. So stupid. I remember adjusting the dress the whole night because my boobs physically did not fit in it. I tried pulling the dress up higher so more of my chest was covered, taking off my strapless bra, stuffing toilet paper in the dress, everything. I ended up being so self-conscious that I wore my friend’s blazer the entire night to cover myself.
What are the most expensive and least expensive items in your wardrobe?
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A black velvet Gucci Dionysus handbag with a Swarovski tiger clasp. I spent over $3000 on that bag. Don’t ask me why. I was a stupid teen who had worked and saved her money and decided to splurge her savings on that. This is why you never impulse buy! It’s a stunning bag but I find it very hard to style…
I’m also hesitant to wear it for fear of spilling something on it or ruining it and that’s not how fashion should be. That defeats the entire purpose of buying it in the first place. My least expensive item is my red leather shoulder bag that I style with almost every outfit. It was $7 at Savers (op shop). She is so well-loved.
What is the most meaningful fashion piece you own?
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Anything (mostly jewellery) that’s been handed down from my grandmother or mother. They’re the most sentimental pieces, there’s so much history attached to them. My mother’s wedding band and engagement ring from her marriage with my father (they’re divorced now), are my most meaningful pieces.
Who or what influences your style?
Film and music are the two main influences on my personal style. I get a lot of fashion inspo from characters, storylines and cinematography. I love recreating outfits I’ve seen in film or TV, or basing an outfit on an aesthetic or the vibe a character gives off. I think musicians influence my style as a whole the most… For example, Lady Gaga, Stevie Nicks, and Miley Cyrus play a huge role in my fashion identity.
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I love the fact that Gaga has always been such a risk-taker when it comes to fashion. Her outfits have always been an art form and social statement rather than a piece of clothing. She inspires me to be… myself, step outside my comfort zone and take risks. I love aspects of Miley’s rock-and-roll aesthetic, and she was one of the people who inspired me to wear my hair naturally curly when it was blonde. I love Stevie’s whimsical and witchy aesthetic. I love to mimic that in my outfits.
What are the wardrobe items you wear on repeat?
My red tartan scarf, my secondhand leather trench coat, my short leather jacket, black knee-high boots (specifically my vintage Playboy ones and Aloha square-toed ones), black baggy jeans and my thrifted red leather bag. All are such wardrobe staples for me. I wear a lot of black and red, so these items are easy to pair and incorporate into any outfit.
Who are your favourite local designers?
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Katharina Lou makes one-of-a-kind pieces out of deadstock fabrics, I own two dresses and one set from her. They’re some of the most worn items in my closet. Apres Studios is more known for its scrunchy tops and dresses; I have two of their long-sleeved plaid tops in different colours.
Itadaki makes plaid/tartan items too, but their pieces are inspired by Japanese street style and silhouettes. Millie Savage and Fiorina Jewellery are my favourite local jewellery shops. Millie makes the most unique handcrafted pieces that have a punk edge. I own three rings from her collection. Fiorina is more sophisticated and mature, they don’t have that handcrafted look to them but they’re more rigid and chunky.
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