077: ssense & sensibility
q&a w/ aisha gelb
Y’all…this is going to be a good one! I’ve been wanting to get Aisha on the ‘sletter to talk style and shopping for, truly, over a year. We were going to do something on Skims, which is one of the first things we bonded over. And then we thought about doing something on the Miu Miu Fall 2023 collection or potentially on men’s dressing with this Tik Tok as our main text. The final iteration, this dispatch, is incredibly primo stuff. I’ve been obsessed with Aisha’s style since I first met her and since then, she’s forever on my moodboard. She has STYLE and it’s because she’s super INFORMED. She values fashion history and spends time watching old runway shows and knows about designers’ entire oeuvre, not just their top hits. And, as she mentions below, she also thinks a lot about fit and proportions which adds texture to even the simplest of looks. Nowadays, it seems like anyone in a pair of adidas sambas gets called an It Girl. But Aisha? She’s the real deal.
Do you have a ritual or process for getting dressed?
Not really… if I’m working or have plans usually I’ll think of an outfit while I fall asleep or lying in bed in the morning. If I’m trying a bunch of things on and changing a lot, I’m probably stressed out. I tend to get hyper-fixated on particular pieces or vibes or silhouettes for a couple weeks at a time. Lately I’ve also been trying to branch out in silhouettes (I’ve been stuck on everything skintight for a little too long) and adding more accessories/embellishments to things so right now I keep that in mind when I get dressed. I’m also not anti outfit repeating at all but I try to change at least one aspect of what I’m wearing so I’m never wearing the EXACT same look more than once. Usually this just happens naturally but I’m trying to do it more with accessories so I’m not getting tired of my actual clothes. There is some talk amongst my friends and family about my penchant for underwear as outerwear being far too scandalous for the streets—stay tuned on whether I care enough to alter my style…
Does your work doing costuming and tailoring influence how you approach dressing for yourself?
It does but I think less than people imagine. I’ve been sewing for most of my life so I’m always thinking about the fit of garments and how that can make or break an entire look. That probably influences me the most—if a shirt doesn’t hit the exact spot I want it to with a pair of pants I’m not going to wear it. I would say the same about fabric choices—even with a t-shirt, the fabric of a garment can completely alter the vibe of an outfit. I think about the drape of everything because it can really change how my body looks. If I want something skin tight but I don’t want everyone to see every single fold of my flesh I know what weight of spandex is going to do that best.
Usually when I’m building outfits I’m also thinking of “character” descriptors for guidance. My day to day “character” is 60s Bond Girl who used to be a ballerina on a space station. Sometimes I’m thinking of an 18th century princess in her undergarments. They aren’t anything fully fleshed out or overly prescriptive, but it definitely helps with building mental moodboards.
What makes someone a style icon? Who do you think are forever style icon?
I think if more than 10 people copy a key element of your style more than one time you’re an icon… I think any non-celebrity who has this happen is at minimum a fleeting icon to those 10 or so people and if we’re gonna throw the icon label around for celebrities and Instagram randos then the proles on the streets deserve it too!
If you are a celebrity, my rules are different and you can only be a style icon if you have no stylist, otherwise your stylist is the real icon (e.g Zendaya is no icon without Law Roach). For this reason I will accept anyone having Blake Lively as their ultimate fashion girlie, but I will not accept Margot Robbie or Kendall Jenner. I feel the same about historical fashion icons: Audrey Hepburn was nothing without Givenchy and Cher is nothing without Bob Mackie. Being able to wear beautiful things other people chose for you is not the mark of an icon in my mind, an icon should stand alone!
Forever style icons include: Chloë Sevigny, Grace Jones, Dennis Rodman, Lotta Volkova, Donatella Versace, Lil Kim, Vivienne Westwood, Rihanna (she probably has a stylist but she still stands Alone), Princess Diana, me… I think Julia Fox and Bella Hadid (and potentially Rosalia and Lily Rose Depp) will be solidified in this list over the next few years.
What/who has a forever place on your moodboard?
Anything and everything designed by Manfred Thierry Mugler , classic sci-fi films, Bollywood stars in the 2000s, Kim Kardashian (sorry to myself), the Miu Miu Fall 2021 lookbook, Chloë Sevigny’s wedding.
How do you shop? What are some pieces/items that you have your eye on right now?
I shop constantly and like a maniac. With vintage shopping (both online and irl) I get very specific or I’ll get sidetracked into buying something I love but wouldn’t actually wear. My most effective method for online shopping is sticking to a few designers and only scrolling (sorted by price - low to high) on their pages. I also leave windows open constantly on my phone browser to remind myself of things on my wish list. IRL shopping involves touching every piece in the store and I generally end up not buying anything because I’m a mall girlie at heart but the older I get the uglier the mall clothes get.
I don’t want to reveal my realistic wishlist because it’s all vintage pieces that I don’t want anyone else to snatch up first but here are some things I keep tabs on and will mostly likely never get for various reasons (mostly lack of money):
Tyler McGillivary Crinkle Tank. Kepler Raffia Stomacher. Bad Binch UFO Top. Paula Canovas Del Vas Orange Cutout Vest. Gucci By Tom Ford Top.1 Jean Paul Gaultier ‘The Cyber’ Turtleneck.
Vacsom Eqph39 Hand Piece. Miu Miu Shearing Mittens. Area Silver Crystal Draped Headband. Vetements Passport Slingback Pumps. Maison Margiela Tabi Knee High Boots. Manolo Blahnik Suede and PVC Peep Toe Mules. Mondo Mondo Mood Ring. Freya Douglas Ferguson Woven w/ Amethyst Earring. Loewe Anthurium Resin Charm.
Courrèges Slip 2nd Skin Dress. Transe Paris Bodysuit. Maison Margiela Black Pencil Midi Skirt. Courrèges Paris Couture Black Pant Suit. Balenciaga Trompe-L’oeil Spandex Midi Dress w/ Gloves.
You can follow Aisha on Instagram @popstar.aisha. If you're not obsessed, there’s nothing I can do to help you! If you ARE then you’re in the band. Thanks for being here either way! Coming soon…god knows, but isn’t the anticipation worth it?
ed. note: if this was my size, i would snatch it up like THAT