Fashion 101 | Interview with Blank Canvas Fashion
We hung out with a local Denver stylist, Aaron Rodriguez, the founder of Blank Canvas Fashion and asked him a few questions!
What's your name and where are you from? My name is Aaron Rodriguez and I’m originally from Inglewood, California but I’ve lived here in Colorado since I was 12.
How did you get into fashion styling and what do you like about it? I decided to pursue it one day in late 2015, after realizing how much I hated my day job and also that regardless of what we do or don’t do, death is a guaranteed thing. So I started to learn how to network, learn what a wardrobe stylist does, build a portfolio, and I started to climb. People see the glamour of being a stylist on Instagram but it’s also been a lot of long hours, pulling/transporting/returning a bunch of clothes, learning from mistakes, learning to match what’s been asked of you, and learning to have a business sense too. It’s not just about putting cool outfits together. What I love about it is that it’s a job that requires you to be an artist and that you get to tell a story through clothes, and you show everyone how important wardrobe is. It becomes easy to look at a photo and spot if there was a stylist present.
What trends are you seeing right now that you love? In general fashion, I truly believe we’re entering a goth and horror phase, which is so exciting because it’s what I love. Leather, vinyl, texture, things that flow, things that look sleek, and black on black on black. In Denver fashion, I’ve been seeing a lot of patches, studs, and appliqués in clothing. Bringing some punk into the daily ensemble.
What is a trend that you could live with out? I’m not a fan of printed leggings. I’ve seen some really chic ones for activewear but I’ve also seen awful ones. Flesh print leggings come to mind. Although, if you can rock them, all power to you.
Why the name Blank Canvas Fashion? Blank Canvas Fashion was born out of a conversation I had with my friend’s sister when she asked me how I put outfits together. I told her I approached fashion the way an artist would approach a canvas, with an open mind to create something from scratch. I also think style paints a picture of who you are and allows you to be a walking canvas. I don’t think it’ll be my styling name forever but it’s allowed me to explore a variety of styles and allowed me to stand behind a name that captures people’s interest.
What do you think about Denver's "sense of fashion"? I like where it’s going because there’s a lot more diversity but I wish people would push the envelope. Some days, jeans and a flannel are perfect, and others shredded overalls and a neon visor are great too. I want people to take more risks.
If you could live anywhere (based on their fashion) where would you live? And why? New York, because I could wear black everyday and not tire of it. Maybe Japan, the fashion there seems completely fearless.
