Sara Maia is relatively new to blogging, so we were impressed when we stumbled across her site. Her clean cut style and impeccable taste has already earned her a strong army of fans on fashion network lookbook.nu and we only expect this fan base to grow. iFashion posed questions to Sara about her ambitions, icons and fashion faux pas. Read on to find out more and see why we rate Sara’s style by visiting her blog at:
s-mmaia.blogspot.com.

You are relatively new to blogging. What inspired you to start your blog smmaia?
I wanted an alternative outlet to openly express my thoughts and feelings on certain collections, my own looks and any associated topics that caught my attention. It’s a great forum to go into the kind of detail not everyone wants to hear in a real-life conversation on a day-to-day basis, so that’s something that attracted me to blogging. Also, I’ve been working towards writing professionally for years now, and I thought blogging would help refine my writing style… although, being a personal outlet, I do drop the guard and talk pigeon-chasing antics, and shower-singing…

We love your clean cut outfits. How would you describe your personal style?
That’s something I’ve always had trouble putting into words… I wrote a post on my self-diagnosed ‘Style Schizophrenia’ which explains why I find answering this challenging! If I had to be succinct and this was a ‘gun to the head’ situation, I’d have to go with “liable to change”. I go along with the “style being an extention of the ‘self’” line of thought, and given that we’re all a multi-faceted bunch, I’d say that “varied” is a pretty acceptable response when talking about eachothers’ style!

What draws you to an item of clothing?
Generally, I’m sold by versatility. If I see something in a store or online and can instantly see how it can be dressed up, down, or as something completely different to intended, then I have to have it. That, or it has to make such a statement that I can’t tear my eyes away!

Do you tend to plan your outfits? If so, how do you go about creating a look in the morning?
Only to the extent where I know what works with what, so if I have a certain item for a particular occasion, I’ll have outfit options that stem from that. Most days though, it’s just a case of pottering over to my wardrobe, and half-consciously assessing what fits the bill for that day. I usually go for one key item that I feel like wearing, and the rest of the look (other items, accessories, bag, etc.) follows…

What item in your wardrobe do you wear most?
At the risk of sounding like an imitation Hell’s Angel, it’s a toss up between leather trousers or one of my [embarrassingly large collection of] leather jackets. They’re a crazy kind of versatile: I abuse the hell out of those things. I pin on new collar-tips, or add a [faux] fur stole, or flatten the lapels to switch-up the neckline… you know what, it’s not much of a toss-up between top and bottom half leather at all. The jackets win.

What is your dream A/W outfit?
I’m pretty into playing with textures this A/W, so without any particular pieces in mind, I’m looking forward to mixing up thick knits, silk seperates and structured outerwear.

Are there any collections you particularly liked at LFW?
There were a lot of great collections showcased this LFW, and A LOT of incredible emerging talent. Danish designer Malene Oddershede Bach had some stunning statement acid-yellow-into-cyan-blue pieces, and Simone Rocha’s masculine silhouettes with fragile, intricately constructuted details topped the ‘favourites’ list, but I was also won over by Holly Fulton, Christopher Kane and Aquascutum.

Who is your style icon at the moment?
I don’t keep an eye on anyone in particular, but I always like what I see from Marina Diamandis (of Marina & the Diamonds), and I guess I could be counted as one of the many, many, many [...] Olsen admirers.

Have you ever regretted wearing a particular outfit?
Funnily enough, I don’t ever regret any outfits, because as cringeworthy as a look may be, it’s funny seeing what I deemed acceptable to walk out the house wearing back in the day. There are certainly photos that should never, ever see the light of day again. Ever. But I imagine- even now- that I’ll be fondly chuckling away at photos of my younger self when I’m sixty and senile, asking myself “what the heck was I thinking…?!” At least I’ll get a good laugh out of the questionable ensembles!

Finally, what is the one item you would save for a year to purchase?
I’ve got a wishlist as long as my 5’2” self, but luckily for me, I’m not one to break the bank over items when the high street offers up such great alternatives. Saying that… (Santa are you listening…?), Alexander Wang ‘cape heels’ in rose gold are currently topping the list.