Vancouver is home to a thriving fashion industry made up of individuals committed to its growth and success. Get to know these personalities in The Inseam and discover what makes the Vancouver Fashion scene so awesome.

Photo: courtesy Sherry Lu

What is the definition of an “It Girl”? She is a lady with charm, class and impeccable taste. Anya Georgijevic has all these things and more, not to mention, a killer wardrobe to match. A true fashion aficionado, Anya is a Beauty Editor for Vitamin Daily and a Digital Managing Editor at The Block Magazine, and is best known for her blog, I’m the It Girl, where she discusses style and beauty with an informative and entertaining flair.

Conveniently, I meet with Anya at the new “it” café, Nelson the Seagull, where I am appreciative to learn that Anya is down to earth, honest, knowledgeable and truly passionate about fashion. After gushing about each other’s ensembles (like true “fashionistas”), we chat about Anya’s blog, style inspiration and the Vancouver fashion and art scene.

Valerie Tiu: Can you talk about your background in fashion? Did you always know that you wanted to work in the industry?

Anya Georgijevic: Actually, no. I went to art school and did my BFA. I really wanted to be an artist. It’s almost a romantic thing to want to be. After graduating from art school, I figured that I should get a job, so I ended up styling windows. On the side, I did the art thing and I worked at a gallery and then I went to architecture school to do my Master’s. I guess I spent my twenties being distracted by a lot of things, because I didn’t love that either.

VT: But it’s all creative.

AG: It’s super creative. But looking back, everything that I have done in both schools were fashion-related. Actually, my thesis was about fashion. So it just made sense to just pursue it once and for all – rather than being stuck at an architecture job that I hated. And then I started my blog. So I don’t actually have that much [fashion] background. But it’s all interconnected.

VT: I think that fashion is intertwined with a lot of different things.

AG: Being a trained designer actually does give me a great point of view on things. I think that with people or even designers who look at fashion, and don’t take their inspiration from elsewhere – things are going to get boring pretty fast.

VT: What motivated you to start I’m the It Girl?

AG: I was still in grad school and I was always researching fashion history, fabrics and textiles. It got to a point where my desk was just filled with fashion books. And I would always tell my friends about sales and cool new designers. So they suggested that I do something fashion-related.

VT: So you were always into fashion. Do you have any style inspirations? Who is the ultimate style icon in your eyes?

AG: Nan Kempner. She was an American socialite. I actually saw an exhibition of her couture collection at the Young Museum in San Francisco. I was in school and I fell in love with this exhibition so much. She had couture by Valentino, Dior and original Balenciaga from the sixties. She was someone that really understood fashion and really understood mixing. She was one of the first people before Jackie O. to wear jeans. And she paired them with her Chanel jacket. This was in the late sixties. She’s fabulous! I was really inspired by this show. I always refer to her every time I feel uninspired. It was a show that changed my outlook on high fashion and fashion collecting – the whole culture of it.

VT: You have that column on your blog, “If I were Rich,” where you feature very expensive but beautiful and avant-garde things.

AG: I think fashion is art. There is so much more than just being able to pick out a gem at H&M. First and foremost, it’s art. It’s an art form that is sadly being lost by fast fashion. But I think that there are designers and there are designers.

VT: You are celebrating the two-year anniversary of I’m the It Girl. How do you see your blog evolving in the future?

AG: It’s going to stay a personal blog. The blogs that I like are the single-contributor blogs. I like getting to know the person. It makes it a bit more precious.

VT: Do you have any favourite blogs or websites that are part of your daily read?

AG: Business of Fashion for news. First and foremost, it’s important to understand how the business works and who owns who. It’s essential before you start writing about it, or collecting it.

Locally, I check Searching for Style; I think it’s hilarious. I think she has a good grasp on the fashion industry and how things work. Her point of view on these things is really refreshing. I’m always curious about what local gals are wearing: Solo Lisa, Le Mode Du Jour and Bleed for Fashion. I always check Style.com. I read a lot of sites that are not fashion related, like Hypebeast, Booooooom, Selectism, Nowness; sites that are culturally more broad.

VT: Do you have any favourite local fashion designers?

AG: I think Canada and Vancouver in general has its strength in menswear. Brands like Wings + Horns and Dana Lee – I think they have a really good grasp on what they’re doing. They have a really good understanding of classic, casual streetwear. I think there is also something very Canadian about both – they’re a little less flashy than its American counterparts. For womenswear, I like Lily and Jae and Dace. There are some interesting jewellery lines, like Sleep Standing Up, Broken English and Becky Brisco.

VT: Do you have a favourite place to shop in Van?

AG: Definitely Roden Gray. Also The Block, One and Two of a Few, Gravity Pope Tailored Goods, Violet and Misch.I love good vintage stores too.

VT: What does the future hold for Vancouver fashion?

AG: It’s hard to tell if it’s evolving design wise. So much of it depends on the economy and manufacturing. Vancouver lacks manufacturing and textile production. I think that affects the industry directly, because a lot of designers have to import goods and manufacture elsewhere if they want to sell it at a decent price. I think it’s hard to develop a community that doesn’t have its roots in manufacturing. The reason why Italy is so rich in design is because everything from fabrics to leather is manufactured there…. Here it is so isolated, so it’s hard for local designers financially. There has to be a bit more community support in form of a proper fashion week to support the local scene.

VT: What makes Vancouver so special?

AG: I love Vancouver. It’s just so beautiful – the outdoors, the ocean. If I go away, I miss it. I think it has a great art and food scene. My favourite spots? Well I am married to a food blogger, so we are always going to different places. My favourite restaurant is La Quercia. I love the random Chinese restaurants around the city. I am in love with Gastown and all the stores that are popping up. I love Chinatown. The history there is amazing.

I love the blog community in Vancouver. There’s V.I.A., Vancouver Slop, all the fashion and culture blogs. The people here are curious; they know what’s going on in the city. I love that The Cheaper Show exists. There’s nothing like that elsewhere in Canada. Things like that make Vancouver awesome.