Welcome to December! With the start of a new month comes a special spotlight on one of my fabulous Style Gurus. This month's feature is Jose Quinones from DePaul University. I spoke with Jose about life in Chicago and how photography plays a key role in his daily routine. Enjoy the feature below and follow Jose's column here:
CollegeFashionista:How does it feel to be Style Guru of the month?
Jose Quinones: It feels amazing, really! I never expected to have this much of an audience and to have people come check the website out and read my columns and really enjoy them. Overall, I feel accomplished knowing that I am giving my part to CollegeFashionista so that it can grow into something greater.
CF: Has your passion for photography developed since joining the CollegeFashionista family?
JQ: It most definitely has! It’s like, before I was writing for CollegeFashionista, I never carried my camera around, and now, it’s always by my side. It really has nurtured my aesthetic eye and made me want to pick up my portrait taking where I had left it.
CF: Do students know you around campus as a trendsetter?
JQ: I don’t necessarily know if every single student knows me as a trendsetter, let alone know me at all. All I know is that the people that I do encounter on a day-to-day basis like to ask me for advice on what they should wear or if what they are already wearing looks good. I personally feel that everyone on campus is a trendsetter, because we all get ideas from one another, especially with a school like DePaul, there is such a diverse pool of people that you know someone is bound to admire someone else’s sense of style.
CF: What do you hope to do once you graduate?
JQ: I always feel awkward answering this question and I have yet to figure out why. I am hoping on being able to work within the fashion industry. I want to work for a fashion magazine, or something along those lines. I have always had my eye on wanting to work for Vogue magazine and have my name somewhere underneath Anna Wintour, or who knows, maybe take her place one day. A boy can dream!
CF: Any fun winter break plans?
JQ: If only! The most fun I’ll have this winter break will probably be being able to sleep in and have more time to hang out with my friends. I was planning on going to NYC to visit my friend at NYU, but things didn’t really go as planned, so I had to post-pone that little rendezvous for another time. I’m also going to be working a lot, which I’m really excited for, because I love my job and the people that I work with.
CF: Best place to shop around campus?
JQ: We’re talking about Chicago here! There is a plethora of places that one can go shopping at! Especially since the DePaul campus is in both Lincoln Park and the Loop. Personally, I go to Nordstrom, J.Crew, Haberdash and Levi’s.
CF: Motto to live by?
JQ: I remember going to Francesca’s Collection one day and looking at one of their little posters that they had. “Live in the moment and make it so beautiful that it will be worth remembering.” Ever since that day, I have told myself that I have to make every moment count and that I should live it to the fullest because I want to remember everything I ever did as something to be cherished.