I’ve been a fan of Keiko Lynn‘s style for at least 20 years… when we were both active live-journalists living in the Southeast. Though things have changed a lot since those days (we’ve all grown a lot as people and our fashion has organically morphed and blossomed with age…) I’m still so excited to see Keiko‘s face when I open my instagram and how she styles everything from her hair and eyewear, to her outfits. She describes her style as “Always an evolution, with a constant of swingy sixties dresses ❤️”. I am pleased as punch to share with you our recent interview and spotlight with Keiko Lynn.
FN: Who is your real or fictional style icon and why?
KL: All of my style icons are fictional or fictionalized versions of real people, and they vary from day to day but they’re always from old movies. TCM may as well be my vision board! Or it’s specific moments — like that yellow mini that Barbra wears in Funny Girl. Or Leslie Caron’s hat in Gigi.
FN: Does your Instagram have a specific brand, theme or color-scheme? If so does that effect what you wear or how you post?
KL: No, not really—unless you consider my personal style & life a brand (which would be fair!). But I don’t stick to a color scheme. I find it too limiting. I might post more of a certain color, maybe oranges in fall and red and green in December, but it’s more because of my surroundings / a holiday than a theme. I love the look of it on other feeds but I’d feel too limited!
FN: How does your love for Disney affect your style?
KL: I work it into my everyday style, whether it’s polka dots or a vintage Mickey sweater, but I turn it up when I’m at the parks!
FN: Who is your Disney style icon and why?
Minnie Mouse tends to be my muse. I love red, I love polka dots, and I love mini dresses. But I’ve also been really into the Dapper Dan ensembles, especially lately! As for real life style icons, I’m in love with @fancytreehouse’s Disney style, which is a soft pastel dream to my usual vibrant reds. And @colormecourtney, who is one of the cutest human beings.
FN: How does your love for Harry Potter affect your style?
KL: As much as I’m a Harry Potter fan, it probably doesn’t affect my day to day style much — but I LOVE dressing on theme for shows and the parks.
FN: Who is your Harry Potter style icon and why?
KL: As horrible as she was, I kind of loved Miss Umbridge’s all pink style. And her kitten decor. She was the most evil character, though!
FN: Is there a fandom that you think people would be surprised you love?
KL: I don’t talk about it as much but I am fascinated by the Marvel Universe.
FN: What trends do you think defined fashion in 2019 – any breakthrough designers?
KL: I don’t follow trends very much, and I’m not saying that to sound cool or rebellious. 🤣 I just find that I’m more and more out of touch as I get older! Like hearing VSCO girl is a thing…I had to google it. And I used to follow fashion week shows like crazy and completely stopped keeping up. I tend to gravitate more toward whimsical, smaller brands.
FN: What are your favorite brands that fit your esthetic these days?
KL:
Innika Choo,
Sister Jane,
Lirika Matoshi,
Alice McCall,
Zimmermann,
Ganni,
Sretsis,
Madewell,
AGOLDE
The last two are jeans I live in, and some of those brands I can’t really afford to shop much, but I love looking!
FN: If you were shopping for the following – where would you go?
KL:
Athletic wear: Beyond yoga for pants, and any old tshirt I have on hand.
Formal wear: A vintage shop
Maternity: I have no expertise in this area, but I’d be wearing all the cute 60s maternity outfits!
Kids clothes: Oeuf, h&m, GAP kids
Plus size: ASOS
Swim wear: Modcloth
Men’s fashion: J.crew
Shoes: I order so many of mine from amazon
Accessories: Etsy
Babies: Oeuf, Baby gap
Bags: I buy a lot of vintage bags (like the beaded tote I wear a lot). My most worn bag is a vintage coach backpack.
Eyewear: I almost exclusively wear my line from Bonlook (it also comes in sun) as optical. For Sun, in addition to my own collection, I love my $10 amazon heart cat eyes, and Karen Walker “starburst” frames
Makeup: Sephora, Ulta, Nordstrom, or colourpop.com
FN: What’s your favorite piece right now in your closet – where did you get it? Was it expensive or reasonably priced?
KL: My favorite piece in my closet is a vintage trapeze dress from the 60s. I liked it so much, I was able to track it down in another color and bought it! It was reasonably priced.
FN: If you want to invest in something really unique that might be a little more expensive but a key piece you’ll get a lot of wear from – what would you suggest?
KL: I think jeans are my bigger investment — I am big on finding the perfect jeans and sometimes that comes with a price tag. But they last forever. Coats, as well. They’re what you see most of in the winter, so they should be both attractive *and* keep you warm. Worth the investment!
FN: If you don’t have a lot of money to spend and you want to add several new pieces to your wardrobe where would you shop?
KL: Thrift shops, 100%. They’re still my favorite place to shop. I get inspiration from pricier brands but have fun finding similar pieces second hand.
FN: What fandom out there currently are you dying to see a line based on?
KL: Marvelous Mrs. Maisel—I would love to see a capsule collection.
FN: Do you participate in fashion challenges- what are your favorites?
KL: I did a 30 wears challenge where I styled 1 shirt 30 ways, and I love doing things like that. I usually do 4 or 5 at a time but I’d love to do another that’s longer.
FN: What Instagram accounts we should be following?
KL:
@randinicholejoan
@fancytreehouse
@hotpinkpineapples
@Colormecourtney
@Owl__kitty
@silenceisplatinum
@amandawachob
@thiswashollywood
@jessolm
FN: Do you have your own line?
KL: I have a collection of cat-eye glasses with Bonlook! They come in 3 different styles. We started 5 or so years ago and they did really well, so we just kept releasing. I love working with them. https://www.bonlook.com/women/design-collaboration/keiko
FN: What brands are problematic that people should avoid/why?
KL: If you look into anything, any brand, you can find something problematic. I think that judgment should be left to the consumer.
FN: What advice do you have for young people trying to find their personal style?
KL: Don’t be afraid to experiment, and thrift stores are your friend.
Thank you so much to Keiko for taking the time to talk to us. I hope you enjoyed our spotlight with Keiko Lynn – is there anyone else you would love to see us spotlight? Let us know comment below…