“Fashion Is Art in the Wynwood Neighborhood of Miami,” The New York Times, Jan. 16, 2014
For Isis Miller, style is not just self-expression. It’s her contribution to Wynwood. The Miami neighborhood is an area of concentrated creativity, where nearly every cafe, gallery and auto body shop displays elaborate and vivid street art.
“Your style is your art, so I definitely want to complement the area in which I live,” said the 27-year-old barista at Panther Coffee.
Ms. Miller isn’t just proud to live and work in Wynwood. She wears her loyalty. A wristband on her right hand proclaims, “I Am Wynwood.” Her favorite accessory, a 1950s ring shaped like the state of Florida, was purchased from a flea market down the road on NW Second Avenue.
Each day, Ms. Miller aspires to handsomeness — a homage to her icon, Katharine Hepburn. A floral patterned vest worn over a navy blue button-down with rolled cuffs and brown lace-up boots achieved Hepburn-esque confidence without sacrificing practicality. “My job requires me to move a lot, so I have to be comfortable,” she said.
But Ms. Miller, a “barista on a budget,” said she probably spent less than $50 on her outfit.
“I can’t afford to go to the high-end places, and I don’t think you should have to,” Ms. Miller said. “To look good, it’s really about attitude.”
read at The New York Times