BY CAMILA RYDER

In print | Published February 4, 2010

Name: Ambar La Forgia
Class Year: 2011
From: São Paulo, Brazil (but currently living in New Delhi, India)
Current Residence: Mary Lyon

What She’s Wearing:
La Forgia’s outfit is an international affair. While her hat is from Urban Outfitters and blazer from Zara, most of her other clothing comes from shops in India and Brazil. La Forgia’s scarf is from Dilli Hut, the purse is from a store in Connaught Place in New Delhi, and her ring is from a bazaar in Suriyani Nagar – all in New Delhi. The dress is from Armazem and her tights are from Lupo, which are both stores in São Paulo. The black leather boots are from Arezzo in São Paulo, which La Forgia labels the “best shoe store ever.”

La Forgia has lived in different countries around the world. “[I’m] not only visiting the country, but I actually live there so I get to see how people in the country dress.” Her outfit, though not featuring a sari from India or warm weather attire from Brazil, still has elements of international fashion. Worn with a tailored blazer and tights, La Forgia’s fun and bright dress echoes the beautiful colors worn in both Brazil and India. Her use of accessories, like the cheetah print scarf and the beret with an appliqué, adds great texture and variety. This mix of sophistication with fun is what gives La Forgia’s look a cool take on a winter-ready outfit.

How She Describes Her Style:
La Forgia said that she always wonders what she would say in describing her style. “I think the only [thing] I can [say is] international and quirky,” she said. “Someone told me once that I dress like a mix of a can can dancer and a child, but I don’t see that.” La Forgia’s look is far from this mixture; it’s her ability to combine eclectic pieces with basics and fun colors that characterizes her own style. She has a large scarf and jewelry collection, all in very bright colors. “Typically my scarves are electric blue or electric red,” she said, “and the jewelry’s just super bright and big.”

Fashion Influences, Inspirations and Style Icons:
La Forgia cites her mother as her main influence. “I was never into style,” she said, but her mom’s love of fashion (her closet is reportedly bigger than Ambar’s room) made her start to think more about her style. “She doesn’t let me buy anything…unless she approves of it,” La Forgia said. “I’d say a lot of my clothing is a direct influence of what my mom allows me to buy.” After having moved from the Dominican Republic to Brazil and now to New Delhi, her mom also culturally adapts her style to what people wear in each country.

La Forgia mentioned admiring the ’40s glamour fashion and pin up style of burlesque artist, Dita Von Teese. “She’s always wearing nice coats and hats and tights and heels,” La Forgia said, “so I think she would be my style icon.” La Forgia also flips through fashion magazines, observing what the models wear in the spreads. “My favorite thing about the gym [is] all the magazines,” she said. Her room is also decorated in magazine cutouts as sources of inspiration.

Where She Shops:
“Zara, to me, is the best for staples,” La Forgia said of the Spanish store, which is similar to H&M but specializes in European style. “[In] Brazil, Zara is amazing… I feel like in the U.S., Zara isn’t as good, but you can still find good pieces.”

She also loves Arezzo, the shoe store in Brazil where she got her boots. “It’s amazing,” La Forgia said. “I wear a lot of high heels, mostly because of my mom and because I’m short, and every single one of my shoes is from Brazil.”

Favorite Items in Her Closet:
“I love my big purses,” she said. “I have two: one from Brazil that’s electric red and one from India.” La Forgia likes the convenience of oversized purses because she likes to have everything with her. “My friends call them backpacks because they’re just so big.” Her first high heel purchase, a pair of black booties, is one of her favorite pairs of shoes, and she wears them all the time. “I have to keep getting them re-worked on the bottom because I wear them out.”

Wardrobe Staples:
“I feel like I always wear black tights, high heels and short dress or short skirt,” she said. La Forgia never wears jeans, or even pants for that matter. “To me, pants are uncomfortable.” She likes Dita Von Teese’s style because of her no-pants look. “She doesn’t wear jeans – she hates jeans,” La Forgia said. “Every time I read [about] that, I’m like ‘Yeah, I totally agree!’”

Do you think you’ve got great style? Want everyone to know about it? Then submit a photo of you in your best outfit to cryder1@swarthmore.edu. Please include your name and contact information.

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