Girls compare themselves with other girls. While we all know life is no competition and it’s more fun to be happy for each others fortune we still can’t resist. Of course, I’m no exception and catch myself comparing what I do with other bloggers. Apart from the question if they are more beautiful or more creative than me, one thing I often stumbled upon is the issue of facial expressions.

Like the models on the catwalks, many bloggers rarely show a smile on their flawless faces. The blank expression is just so chic in fashion (I loved this article about the question why models don’t smile).

I sometimes try to look badass fashionable as well (for example on the second picture coming with this look), but I never succeed in stopping my mouth corners from going upwards for more than a few seconds. I just love to smile, and I believe it makes the world a little bit warmer.

Models don’t choose what they wear; sometimes they might even think it’s ridiculous what the crazy minds of the designers produced. But it’ s part of their job to present whatever piece they have in the best light possible and fulfil the vision of designers, photographers and editors when doing pictures. Unlike them, when I wear what I love on my pictures and only follow my very own fashion dreams.

Therefore, I just have to grin from ear to ear most of the time: I love what I do and that I can share it with you. I am a very happy girl wearing all those amazing pieces and it’s my privilege to express my luck in a big broad smile. So you see there is no way to stop smiling at all: Who needs coolness? I say smiling is en vogue in Sara’s wonderland!

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Have you always dressed like this? People often ask me. So let’s talk about this today! How did it happen that I ended up being this crazy version of me when I once was a child like everybody else and could have become everything?

I grew up in a world without internet and fashion. The little village I was born used to be a world far, far away from the catwalks, from shopping malls and neon lights. Clothes were mostly meant to be practical, their purpose was to protect against the snow and to make it possible to walk over stony paths. Most people probably believe it must be a dream to grow up there, but little Sara was never interested in cows, hiking, and nature in particularly. I loved books, and they were my first way to escape the green world around me. I dreamed of dragons, witches, and futuristic cities.

Unlike most of my classmates at school, my parents weren’t farmers, and my mother took me to the closest city where I learned about the miracle of H&M. I was thrilled. With the innocence of a hillbilly girl, I discovered my love for pretty clothes and thought I found paradise. When I didn’t like the clothes my mother laid out for me I sometimes splashed water on them on purpose (how handy we had a well in front of our house).

While other people already started to talk about me dressing differently than the others, when I look back I don’t see myself as anything else than a hillbilly girl who still had a long, long way in front of her. I don’t think you would follow my blog if I would dress like I used to back then. It took many years to become what I am today, and I feel like an architect who constantly builds on the house called Sara. Nobody just wakes up dressed crazy like this. If you rip a person from everything, she or he is, in the end we are all (almost) the same: Plain and naked canvases. But how we design ourselves in clothes and character, this is what makes the difference!

I wouldn’t have dared to wear this look five years ago and sometimes I still struggle with my eccentric self – especially when I catch people laughing about me. But style is work in progress, it’s an evolution! I am looking forward so much to see future me and pray to all my fashion icons that she is even more crazy.

Whenever I have doubts I tell myself: It’s ok to be a cyborg, to be a Carmen Miranda impersonator, a forgotten member of the Addams Family or a princess who got lost on her way to Disneyland! All you need to do is to develop an idea about who you want to see on the pictures when you look back at your life and head into that direction! I went for the crazy girl from rainbow city, and I’m not halfway there yet…

And last but not least, a link to a brilliant post about colour by my dear friend and artist Diane Goldie. Click here for this must read.

My Outfit:

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Ciara Monahan designs fashion that can’t be overseen and turn every day into a beach party. Fearless, she plays with colours, tropical elements and bold shapes. Ciara’s fashion is a tropical cocktail of creativity and spreads a lot of fun. Her designs are heavily influenced by pattern and quirky silhouette and often come with laser cut 3D perspex embellishments.

Ciara Monahan is a London-based fashion and accessory designer who graduated form Middlesex University in 2013. When she started her career as a fashion designer, she did internships with a few of the very best designers such as Mary Katrantzou, Tatty Devine and Julien Macdonald. Her collection was showcased at the Berlin Alternative Fashion week, and her designs are the best friends for festivals.

Her last collection is called “There is no place like gnome” and it’s inspired by the story of the little gnome in the movie Amelie. He travels around the world, collects funny souvenirs. In the end, he discovers Ciara’s tropical paradise and parties with flamingos there. This is the sweetest story a fashion collection ever came with, isn’t it?

This girl will climb very, very far on the rainbow ladder for sure!
Enjoy the interview I did with this fabulous gal:

Interview with Ciara Monahan

Ciara, your fashion is extraordinary colourful, quirky and full of fruits. Where do you find your inspiration for your quirky pieces?
Oh god, everywhere! I’ve been lucky enough to live in London for the past eight years, which has only provided me with a wealth of weird and wonderful situations and beings that inspire a variety of ideas. I could probably write a book on all the mad things that happen here. I’m like a magpie when it comes to really weird kitsch objects though, these things are forever stopping me and holding my attention in the street, in other people’s houses or parties and also any exhibitions I get to have a good look around. Although saying all this, my last collection was inspired by a trip I took to Bali. That place was just the epitome of a colour-filled paradise, and that influenced my work in a big way.

Do you dream of fruits from time to time?
They do tend to pop up in my life a lot. I went to Glastonbury Festival and, to change things up from the usual pineapple way of life, I decided to wear a lot of banana themed items for the week…and I kept finding them EVERYWHERE. It was like I was being stalked by them. Inflatable bananas, people dressed as bananas, banana paintings, just couldn’t escape them! Oh, also it’s not particularly a fruit but I’m getting increasingly drawn to aubergines! That deep purple colour is just so enticing, I want to dive into it (plus I just love the sound of the word, it’s really pleasing to say).

Some people would say that your pieces are not wearable, I think it’s what a girl dreams of wearing everyday. What do you think, where do you see a pretty girl going with one of your wild and fruity looks?
I can imagine a lot of my designs being paraded around at a variety of music festivals. I, myself, am a self-diagnosed festival addict and love to dress up even more than usual at these things. I see festivals as places where people strip back any judgement they feel standard society has on them and lets them portray their true selves, it’s kinda like letting your spirit animal loose! My clothes are there to embrace this freedom and just make people feel happy when they’re wearing them. LOVE that you’d happily wear my designs to the supermarket! It would be great to see them being rocked along the streets of London too, and hopefully in time this will become more of a thing. This is a city where you can wear what you want and express who you are without pressures to conform to certain ideals, and lets face it who doesn’t like wearing a lot of fruit and animals? It’s the only way of life non? I’m pretty sure there’s some scientific proof it makes you happier and live longer…


I saw a video of you dancing with the models on the catwalk and read that you love festivals. What music fits your fashion best in your opinion?
It’s hard to pin down a particular genre of music to my designs in general as I find different songs go with different collections, plus I listen to a larrrge range of stuff. I guess in the end it’s a song that just makes people want to get up, dance and feel like they’re part of the collection coming down on the catwalk. Anything with a really awesome beat does the job nicely!


If there would be a book about your life as a fashion designer, what would be the title of it?
‘How Carmen Miranda Got Lost In Coco Cabana and other such stories’
It would be a ridiculous book.


Let’s have a look into the future: What secret plans you have for your label and can we expect more quirkiness on the catwalk from you?
I’m currently working on the next collection which, in all honesty, is going to be as much of a surprise to myself as it is to everyone else! I have original concepts and the collections take so many twists and turns throughout the design process that I always end up creating something I never even saw coming, which is just the best thing about the whole journey really! I can tell you that there will be a range of more ‘wearable’ clothes that can be worn to festivals and of course on many a-colourful supermarket trip, but that’s not to say they’re gonna loose out on any colourful quirkiness! I’m going all out!

Thank you very much for the interview Ciara and keep on living your pineapple way of life!




Visit Ciara Monahan’s page here and don’t forget to follow her on Facebook.

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I already wear ices fit for a queen.

A paparazzi caught Princess Sara on her way to her castle.

Where is my handsome prince and his white horse?

Ruling the tropical kingdom where the golden pineapples grow.

A swinging flamingo skirt made for the dancehall.

The flamingos accompany me everywhere.

Tropical fruits and palm trees are what my kingdom has to offer.

Princess ready to conquer the world with pastel power.

Every girl dreams of being a princess, of living in a castle, having a room full of pretty dresses and dancing at balls with the handsome prince of her dreams. You did so too, and your dream hasn’t come true? Well then, maybe it’s time to rethink!

Carrying this princess feeling with you all the time hasn’t to do with possessing an awful lot of money, but with attitude. Close your eyes and think about what small or bigger dreams you could make come true just in the last few months. One, two, three, four… Oh, you are still counting? Great! Do you realise how far you’ve come? You must agree it’s a reason to be thankful for and proud of yourself.

Now the only thing you need for your princess day is just to dress like one. No matter if Belle, Arielle or Cinderella, each princess has her signature look. People very often say that you need to dress for the job you want and not the one you have. I agree and say it’s princess time.

I chose this fairylike skirt and a flower crown for my princess look today and became the ruler of a tropical flamingo kingdom. I managed to include two of this summers trends in one look: Tropical prints and metallics. Great isn’t it? A day with an outfit can turn out nothing else but splendid. Just never let others tell you to grow up, dress serious and stop dreaming!

How do you like this look lovelies and what makes you feel like a princess?

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Even Game of Thrones fans must admit: Summer is coming! Time to start dreaming of splashing in a swimming pool and thinking about what to wear.

Probably 99% of all girls (including me) don’t feel very well being almost naked in public, but I promise: It gets (a little bit) better if you are wearing a stunning bikini or swimsuit. People will look at the fantastic print of what you wear instead of the structure of your orange peel skin. Anyway: We are all not perfect, and it doesn’t matter, so celebrate summer with a colourful beach look and just have fun!

As you can see, my heart clearly beats for swimsuits this year, and while I am always on the colourful side, everybody else seems to join me this year. Never in the years before was it so easy to find beachwear and I could have selected a lot more. I hope I included your favourite too…

So tell me: What do you like best from the beach fashion here and do you have summer holiday plans already?

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Cool in Neon: A very urban look against the grey in the city.

Edgy Cat Eyes: The golden edges are the icing on the cake, don’t you agree?

Monsters at the beach: I couldn’t resist wearing my Joanna Pybus monster clutch. It even goes with tropical prints.

Million Dollar Girl: Because this is what you might need in Miami…

In love with the bodycon dress: the best piece of clothing to show off your curves and be proud of them.

Futuristic Feet: Hologram Shoes for the Science Fiction movie star feeling

Despite my last autumn look, I am back to a summer outfit today. I spent last weekend in a sunny London. The desire to dress to be a walking colour boost is stronger than ever. London always encourages me to be the boldest me I can imagine. Thank you, best place in the world, I love you just so much.

I also went shopping a little at the weekend and bought a few things for winter.  But as long as the weather allows, I’ll continue to be your summer girl and stick to my sandals and bare arms. The time for scarves and heavy boots will be long enough. It’s good to buy them now and be prepared, but they can stay in the wardrobe for a while.

The current whitish/greyish shade of my hair makes me feel a little bit like an elf. Doesn’t it work very well with the bright neons, because of its (almost) absence of colour? It feels edgier than my usual pink hair, especially which those Alexander Wang sunglasses. The lilac hair dye fades even faster than the pink one, and it turns every day into a new shade. Yesterday it was very bluish. I’m going back to pink very soon because my heart just beats for the Barbie colour. But a change is always good, my lovelies. Never stop to change, embrace it and let it carry you away to places better than you could have ever imagined in your dreams!

How do you like this look lovelies?




My Outfit: 

Thanks to Desire Clothing for the dress and shoes.

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Sonia Xiao and Seun Ade-Onojobi are the creative designers behind the fashion-forward brand. In the following interview they will tell you a little bit more about their inspiration and work and what Knickerbocker Glory has to do with their work.

Interview with Typical Freaks

Please tell me something about your label: Who are you and how did you come together?We studied together on BA Fashion and begun customizing footwear as a hobby and to make extra money during our studies. As we both studied fashion (at London College of Fashion and Central Saint Martins), we decided to eventually begin making clothes last year.

Your new collection just came out, featuring cute fruit prints and bold jungle patterns. What inspired you to your designs?
This collection was inspired by a lot of references from our childhood, particularly TV and colouring in books. Bright print and individuality always play a big role in the design process so we tried to incorporate hand made processes which would make each piece unique wherever possible.

You are a very international label based in London with Asian and African roots as well. How do you think the different cultures influence your work?
I think traditional textiles and fashion in Asia and West Africa are known for the liveliness and vibrancy, so it would be a shame not implement that kind of essence in our work. London itself is such a cosmopolitan place that we can always find inspiration in our other cultures right here.

Your work displays a lot of bold colours and rich patterns. How important are those elements for your work?
When we begun working together we would always wear really bright clashing prints. It was during early days of Nu Rave, before the term was even really being used and we would often be called freaks and that is how we came up with the brand name. Now we still want to represent these people in society who wish to stand out and challenge other peoples preconceptions about what should be worn.

How would you describe the girl that wears your fashion?She is young, sometimes young at heart and full of inner confidence. From day one we wanted to create some semblance of couture or high fashion techniques and process, at a price which young, creative people could afford and cherish forever. Our clothes are not for everyone, but we want the limitation to be a different taste as opposed to a different bank account.

Which famous person – dead or alive – do you think catches the spirit of your fashion the most?

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I just take a coat and let the fun continue.

Colour is my weapon against gray weather.

If there is a little bit of sun, I am happy to put aside the rain jacket.

It would be a shame to hide the parrot print more than absolutely needed.

Do you feel the spirit of the jungle?

I almost hear the sound of the palm trees rustling in the wind.

Let’s dance to the sound of the jungle and keep warm!

How to not get moody while it get’s colder from day to day? I admit it’s hard, but wearing colours and tropical prints is the best antidote. Adding fun to your outfits helps to keep the summer spirit in your heart!

My new T-Shirt from Dazzle & Jolt is perfect for my mission to keep summery. When it arrived, it was instant love. The adorable parrot print in the very bright colours won over my heart and I love the casual fit. I was a little bit afraid it might not look well, like long T-Shirts sometimes do on a curvy girl like me, but there was no reason to worry at all. Since I love parrots this will be among my favourites from now on.

To be prepared for quickly changing weather, the neon green rain coat is my first choice. Plastic jackets have always been among my favourites and I wish I had one in every bright colour. Because this outfit is rather casual, I wear a multi coloured sequin skirt for a touch of glitter. Something shiny never hurts!

Dressed like this I suddenly feel like dancing, no matter if there is rain or sun.What are your secrets to keep yourself in a summer mood and how do you like this outfit?

My Outfit: 

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Let me introduce a brand new label from London: Dazzle & Jolt. This year the exciting brand launched it’s first collection called “Geometric Jungle”. Happy jungle prints in all the colours of the rainbow makes the collection perfect to brighten up your outfits.

Fruits, flowers and exotic animals such as toucans, parrots and tigers have their big appearance on Dazzle & Jolt’s tees. Every piece is a bold statement of fun and joy. You can wear them as the splash of colour to an otherwise plain outfit or let them be part of a rainbow look form head to toe.

Dazzle & Jolt was founded by the two friends Jessica Holt and Zara Saleem. Their mission is to colour the world. All their prints are limited edition, so get your hands on their tees, crop tees and sweaters as long as you can. The tees are made from 100% organic cotton and printed in the UK.

I love the graphic quality of the illustrated prints and can’t decide for a favourite. It seems like Dazzle & Jolt just has all the things I love most on their tees (maybe expect cats and melons), so I am torn between pineapple, flamingo and parrot. Why not just get them all and make the streets of the city less monochrome?

Visit Dazzle & Jolt here or join their Facebook page.
Which one is your favourite Dazzle & Jolt piece?

Copyright of all pictures by Dazzle & Jolt.

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The crazier prints are, the more I love them. This is where Lalalove London comes in: The London and Bangkok based label is print heaven! Quirky screen printed shirts and eccentric dresses with romantic ruffles will win over your heart. Their recent collection is full of tropical elements, candy and animals, all mixed up to a psychodelic cocktail. All in all, it seems that this collection is like a rejoicing overdose of all the good things together.

Linda Charoenlab, the designer behind the label, was born and raised in Bangkok, were she worked as a stylist. After relocating to London and further studies there, she founded Lalalove in 2009. Lalalove stands for kitsch at his best, their much revered prints and as well for eco-friendly production. It is fashion far from normality and boredom, ready to be worn by bold people.

My true favourite from the collection is the flamingo bodycon dress. The print of this dress spotting two flamingos forming a heart with their heads inside of a psychodelic wonderland full of orchids and lilies is beyond perfection. I am so obsessed with flamingos and love to think if my soul would be an animal, it would be a pink flamingo. You see why I need this dress so badly in my life.

While I am dreaming of pink animals, Lalalove is ready for their next masterstroke: Their A/W 13 collection will hit the shops soon and it’s called “The Final Attack”.  See a little preview below and get ready!

Visit Lalalove London on Facebook. If you are in London, you can shop their fashion at Topshop Oxford Circus, in Switzerland go to Famous Ape in Geneva.

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