STYLE GURU BIO: Anna Leone

Hi everyone, welcome to my page! My name is Anna and I have been around for 20 years now. I am a junior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign pursuing a major in advertising and a minor in art and design.

One of the designers that continues to inspire me is Tom Ford. He is an innovative genius (have you seen his 2015 winter line of over-the-knee boots?!). Tom Ford said, “Dressing well is a form of good manners.” and that is a quote that has stuck by me throughout my fashion journey. This opportunity at CollegeFashionista caught my attention because it allows young fashion muses to spread the word that you do not need to be wealthy or wear designer garments in order to dress well.

As much as I would love to be decked out head to toe in Tom Ford or Versace every single day (goals), my personal style is much more simple. My day-to-day outfits this season usually consist of a pair of boyfriend or skinny jeans, a black or white T-shirt, combat boots or a pair of sneakers and a leather jacket. Black is my absolute favorite color in the entire world because it is classy and effortless, I feel the most like myself when I am dressed head to toe in all black! However, I love to get dolled up when going out or attending events either at school or in Chicago. My current winter obsession is faux fur coats. I love how much personality and sassiness they bring to any outfit–throw a fur coat over anything and you instantly look like a boss.

My favorite stores to shop at are Akira and NASTY GAL. I love how both brands have an edgy yet elegant style at affordable prices. I realized my love for fashion when I started working retail at the age of 16. To me, fashion is a form of art. It allows everyone to have their own unique spin on the canvas they know best–themselves. I have been a stylist at Hollister, Eminent Lifestyle, PacSun and I am currently employed at Levi Brand Jeans. At school I am involved with a club called The Fashion Network, and I am always looking for new opportunities to expand my knowledge about the fashion world.

I am a bit of a wild child and I love to travel and explore new places. When I’m not in Champaign, you can find me wandering the streets of Chicago window shopping, eating deep dish pizza or dancing in the middle of a crowd at a concert. After college I hope to move to California or New York City and use my degree to work for a brand I love. Follow me on my chaotic and exciting journey throughout 2016!

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