My name is Kate Lindemann and after spending much time writing about women’s fashion I am excited to have the opportunity to delve into men’s trends with writing for Let’s Hear It For The Boys. Born and raised in London, I crossed the pond to attend USC in Los Angeles. Although LA has influenced my style I still stay true to my European roots with how I dress.
It's hard to pinpoint exactly when my interest in fashion began. As a young child I had no interest in it and I was perfectly happy wearing my brother's old soccer shirts. Looking back I think it was when I was walking along Spring Street in New York, and I stumbled upon a small clothing store called LF. I spent hours in the store, completely fascinated by the intricate lace and the flower dresses. This store, LF, at 15 years old, struck a chord with me. For some reason, this is where my passion for the fashion industry began and surprisingly not with my family who had always been very much involved with fashion, as my great grandfather is the founder of Etam. Yet I guess all teenagers have that spirit of wanting to be independent and explore the world through their own eyes.
Studying art history in England also aided my growing interest. I was learning how art and what people wear mirrors what is going on around them. It was one way in which people could express themselves. When one sees an impressionist work, a painting full with slap dash paint strokes and far from realist interpretation of the world many believe the painting is a mess. What many do not know is that those paintings are not a lack of talent, they are a rebellion. They are people rebelling from the classical conventions and traditions. If people had never done so then we would not be in this world of exploration, movies would still be in black and white and women would still only be painted flawless. What I am trying to illustrate is that fashion is an art form that shows how far we have come. It shows how in our day-to-day lives we too have touches of the same spirit of those impressionists that broke boundaries. To break these boundaries one must have the confidence to try new things and not just repeat what has been done before. However, like painters, one can’t just paint a wall blue and expect to be respected, one must persevere and be educated in order for one to be taken seriously.
At 20 years old I have much more to learn but I hope that, with the other Style Gurus, we can help guide people with their own experience of fashion so that matching colors, accessories, whatever it may be, can be just that little bit easier and we can help spark some inspiration for what you would like to wear the next day.