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Fashion is just one manifestation of the ways in which we exercise self-expression and curate our identities. How we dress influences first impressions and how others perceive us; it’s a form of non-verbal communication, revealing our personality without even having to utter a word.
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ur sense of style is never static—it evolves and shape-shifts, alongside our growth as individuals over time. But I think we can all admit there’s just some better fashion phases than others (let’s forget about the Goth phase okay), but it’s all part of the journey. Style is an art form, in the way colour, textures, and accessories are combined together to create a certain aesthetic. Even if you’re not particularly interested in style, I think we can all appreciate when someone has mastered the art of it. Connor McWhinnie is one of them. Connor is a graphic designer, content curator, and self-described “pack of skittles” with impeccable style. From the humble early days of being dressed by his mum in Big W footwear, Connor’s interest in fashion began to be piqued in 2015. It started with purchasing a hoodie from the Anti-Social Social Club streetwear brand, which was rather exclusive and hard to come by at the time. Connor explains that he thought he was the coolest kid, but
Celestial
looking back sees it as “actually tragic,” much like the Big W situation (although I’m sure I’ve made much worse fashion choices). Then began “some absolutely atrocious trial and error experiments” on a journey to discover his own personal fashion flavour. I would never know that now scrolling through his Instagram @connorxel, where he flaunts popping outfits of vibrant colours and contrast, mixed with a generous dollop of 90s street-wear vibes for good measure. Casual, calm and collected, his photos appear like effortless snapshots where he just happens to find himself colour coordinating with the surrounding urban landscape. But he assures me in no way are these shots spontaneous, but well planned out and articulated in advance. Besides taking the picture itself, which he claims has become easier since figuring out what he likes in each shot (angles are incredibly important), a lot of effort goes into each Instagram post. “There’s a lot that goes into editing it, and
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