My Style: Juliette Aleksine Piiksi

Where do you collect your inspiration? - I’m very into aesthetics, especially colours and layers. Most things that inspire me kinda appeal to those two aspects. It can be an interesting colour on a car, garbage lying in a hedge or some old lady walking down the streets. It might be weird, but I love how the Romany people on the streets of Oslo dress. Maybe insensitive and shallow to say, especially that the fact that they are wearing so many layers are to keep warm, but hey, I think they look rad.

When did your interest for fashion start? - I’ve always had an interest for fashion. I still remember telling my mom when I was around 10 that I was gonna to be a fashion designer when I grow up. I even started on my application to Esmod when I was 11. Quite never took liking to sewing and decided I was too inpatient to become a designer, but I still have shitloads of fashion sketches from my youth.

How did you dressed as a kid? Oh, I was ruthless towards my parents when I was young. I actually had a 4 or 5 year period from when I started deciding what to wear myself, maybe around 2,5 years of age, where I REFUSED to wear trousers. I just wore skirts and dresses. My mom even brought back Levi’s jeans to Sweden (born and lived my first years in Huskvarna, near Jönköping) from her trips to US, and I did not want to wear them – I was not having it. I was a very dramatic, stubborn and egotistical child. I even put on fashion and dance shows in our living room when we had visitors from other countries (my parents used to run their own business, s/o to Kirby vacuums). Oh and I loved red and yellow, usually worn together.

How did you first get into the business? I don`t really know. I mean, I was always interested in fashion – first thing I did was to volunteer at the costume section of Riksteatret, then Oslo Fashion Week, and I then kept a blog on Faksimile with Natalie Helgerud, Marianne aka Styledevil, Annabel and Alexander aka the sceptic. But I was a really shitty blogger, so it didn’t last long. Maybe I should start blogging again. Hehe.

When did you start to work as a stylist?  I did some shoots before I left for my course in London, but I had my breakthrough when I was in England. My first few years there I kinda didn’t feel like I fitted in, so I started interning. First as an image intern with Next Model management, and then as a studio intern for the stylist, Panos Yiapanis. I learned a lot, but long story short – the more I learned, the more realised I was getting seriously exploited as a worker, and then preceded to break up with the fashion industry. I had a long hiatus where I kinda did not give the subject much attention at all. I had closed that chapter until the photographer Mille Frømyhr asked if I wanted to do some styling for her back in late 2015, and I thought “why not?”

You’re a huge fan of vintage - and also an assistant daily manager at Robot Yup! Loves me some vintage – I usually always wear at least one item of clothing from another decade everyday. Nowadays it’s usually colourful vintage dresses with trousers. I moved to Oslo back in 2014, and got two part-time jobs – one at Høyer Eger at their Luxury department, and at Robot. I started working with different projects within the music industry around the same time, so I ended my contract with Eger and took up some more shifts at Robot. Suddenly the time flies, so now I’ve been here nearly three years. I would not be who I am today, if it wasn’t for that place. Robot and I have had some good times together.

5 key vintage items to buy?  Levi’s 501s in a nice wash, a chunky leather belt, a soft oversized cotton Fila t-shirt, a pair of broken in doc’s and a black leather bumbag or backpack. Boom, hello festival season!

What do you never wear? Ooooooh, I don’t know. I thought Crocs, but I kinda like those Christopher Kane editions soooo. I never wear tight fitting short dresses – I don’t believe in those.

In what way does your mood affect the way you dress? The environment around me always affects my mood. It sounds super dramatic, but if the weather is bad, then I get depressed or sad. Same goes for my clothes. I notice if I wear something annoying, like a really tight pair of jeans, or a too short jacket –you know, you kinda feel like it’s super not flattering on your body, that makes me doubt myself and affects my self esteem. So! Therefore I always make sure that my outfit and make-up on fleeeeeek when I have a bad day. 

Flats or heels? Love the look of heels, but flats – I walk and run around quite a lot, so sneakers mostly. My favourite at the mo are my chunky Asics from 8 th grade. Very Balenciaga.

What trends and colours do you believe in for AW17? Even thought I’m a stylist I try not to follow trends as much. Just do my own thing you know. But I love that maximalist vibe going on. Izza on point this year – Hello Gucci, I’m talking to you.

Where do you get your coffee - and where do you go out?  Usually at my official office: Oslovelo. Jk, but I mostly sit there nowadays, after I stopped renting an office. They usually have not just one, but two really good coffee blends. You can find me here most hours of the day. I haven’t gone out so much this year, just because I decided in December to work harder on my career. And I mean, as a project manager for a website with the responsibility for 3 other people, styling commissions, assistant manager for Robot and working with other commissions, with social media, events and booking for other companies there’s not enough time during the week, so I often work weekends too. But when I do go out, I go to Revolver on my friends’ club nights. In fact, I’m looking forward to “RVLVR WEEKEND” on the 9 th and10 th of June when Suicideyear and MikeQ is the line-up at Revolver with my friends’ club concepts “Ball Em Up”, “Group Therapy” and “KOSO”.

Vintage stores to visit?  Robot,  Frøken Diana’s, MA Vintage, Fløyel &Kanari, Gatsby, Ny York, Velouria Vintage and Reprise.

Must visit store in town? Okey, so apparently I am really bad with stores that don’t sell vintage! Haik/w just got a pop-up shop in Storgata – totally worth the visit. Other than that I can mention stores that sell food, coffee and beers? he he. Kverneriet got the best burgers in town, Revolver for the best club nights, and Oslovelo for coffee, cake, beer and best people – behind and in front of the bar. Beers at Oslo Mekaniske og Perla is also super nice.

Any local designer to watch? I’m a huge fan of Anne Karine Thorbjørnsen, Michael Olestad, Admir Batlak, Elisabeth Stray Pedersen, Haik/w and last but not least, BFF Malin Molden!