STYLE GURU BIO: Mikayla Byfield

Hey ya’ll! My name is Mikayla and I am a rising sophomore at New York University studying Finance and Marketing. It’s my first semester as a CollegeFashionista Style Guru and I couldn’t be more excited! I have found a ton of inspiration from other Fashionistas on the site as well as, the weekly newsletters. I hope to give someone else a little style inspiration as well over my duration of my internship.

Although I’m majoring in Business, I’ve never been one to dress very prim and proper. My inner free spirit and Jamaican roots dominate my summer wardrobe, giving off a bohemian islander vibe. With that being said, why I would move all the way from Texas to take on the concrete jungle? I’m sure my style would have been perfect for the Coachella and the festival-style lands of California. However, New York has my heart.

I love different cultures and knew that New York was one of the best places in the world to divulge into all the different perspectives that the United States has to offer. Although I am Jamaican, I was born in Texas and have grown up in the Southern culture. The Big Apple has a unique energy that I could never find back home so I knew NYU was the place for me.

After living in New York for all of nine months, my style has definitely become more edgy. I find myself wearing black on black more days out of the week than I would ever admit, and can never pass up a good sale on leather jackets. My favorite activity in the city is to walk around SOHO and people watch. It still amazes me how many different styles and well-dressed dogs you can find in just one hour of being in New York City.

The people of New York have also influenced me to take more risks with my wardrobe. Living in such close proximity with that many diverse people makes you care less and less about judgement. Now, I can wear denim on denim without being weary of someone finding my outfit odd. I also feel confident enough to wear a large floppy hat out on the town knowing that no one on the street will look at me weird because the city is full of unique and different people all wanting to express themselves.

I hope to take more risks with my style and truly have fun with my wardrobe this summer. I’m so glad that CollegeFashionista can be a part of my style journey!

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