by Jade Stavri-Ratcliffe
A Friendship the Internet Made
The interview you are about to read is with Jasmin a.k.a Vintage Vandalizm, whom I have never met, but through talking on social media I feel like we have bonded. One ‘boss’ lady to another.
A friend of mine, Vanessa Frankenstein, put us in touch. Jasmin had flown to a job where Vanessa was also modelling, and after they parted ways Vanessa messaged me and said ‘Jade, Jasmin is the type of woman you would LOVE, you both have super similar sense of humour’. I plucked up the courage to send Jasmin a private message and I’ve not looked back. We’ll be meeting at Viva this year and I can’t wait! I love surrounding myself with women who push themselves forward, without compromise, and Jasmin is one of those people. She’s a real inspiration and hopefully you’ll be as inspired from this interview as I am.
In 2008 you exploded onto social media and led the way for women to showcase their style on multimedia platforms. What sparked that to happen?
I started using social media as a tool for expressing my creativity with fashion because I wasn’t accepted to the fashion college I wanted to go to (I tried 5 different times). It ended up opening more doors for me than that college would have, and hey, no student loans! BOOYAH.
You are a native New Yorker of Puerto Rican heritage; do you feel this has helped you become the woman that you are today? And what was it like being brought up in New York by a street car racing father and a breakdancing mother?
Absolutely! So much of growing up in New York (NY) has moulded me into the strong and proud Puerto Rican woman that I am today. I have my mom and dad to thank for that experience. They exposed me to a million different subcultures. My dad showed me the classic car culture and I learned how to dance from my mom. It’s strange to live in a place now (Nevada) where there aren’t many Puerto Ricans or cultures that I am used to, but I am glad I spent 27 years of my life in NY being submerged in NY culture as a whole. The graffiti, the music, the food, the dance culture, and the hustle. You couldn’t get that anywhere else. I have carried that with me all my life. That’s why the name “Vintage Vandalizm” embodies everything I am.
How would you describe your style evolution from when you started out in 2008 to today? Any fashion faux pas?
I really haven’t changed much. I was always fashionably bold and I am SURE I have had my moments. I STILL have moments today where I am like “what was I thinking when I wore that?” Lol. No shame in my game. I take risks with fashion all the time. Ya win some and ya lose some.
You are THE QUEEN of thrifting, could you share your top 5 thrifting tips?
1. If you pick a garment off the rack and you look at it for more than 5 seconds wondering if it will work, TRY IT ON. I have done this and found some incredible pieces that had no hanger-appeal but looked incredible when I tried it on.
2. IGNORE SIZE LABELS. I sometimes find the best pieces in the Medium and Large racks. Sometimes things run small or have the potential to look great when altered.
3. Always carry a tote to put your items in after you’ve made purchases, it’s eco-friendly!
4. CLEAN your thrifted items before wearing them.
5. Enjoy the hunt and have patience. You never know what treasures you will find!
How did you realise what worked for your body shape?
It’s so hard in this day and age for women to embrace their bodies, especially their curves.
Can you tell me about your road to body positivity?
I am all about lines and balance when it comes to getting dressed, which is not really easy to explain! But say you want to appear to have an hourglass shape, do you go with low-rise skinny jeans or a fitted dress with a peplum? You go with the peplum dress which draws you in at the waist and enhances your curves. It’s not about shying away from clothing that you like because you feel you aren’t skinny or curvy enough. It’s about finding things that flatter your figure. Style doesn’t have a size. I have a long torso, short thick legs, a tiny tummy, a big butt, and small boobs. High-waisted garments and moulded cup bras balance me out. By being aware of these things, I accentuate and work with what I already have. I have always been body positive but I have my moments where I look at my bumpy scar ridden skin or my chunky ‘lil tummy and wish it could be different. But man, life’s too short to spend so much of it picking at the things you don’t like about yourself when you could be enjoying all that you already are. Go out there and wear whatever the hell you want and be unapologetic about it. If you go through life caring what others think of you, you’ll be imprisoned forever.
I know you talk on social media about your social anxiety and how it affects you. How do you deal with this, being in the public eye day to day? What advice would you give to other people in a similar situation?
It’s weird you know? By being a public figure on social media with over 160K+ followers, people micro-analyse you and create a personality for you like they do for real celebrities. So most of the time, people assume that because I am bold in the way I dress, that I am some social butterfly. However, that couldn’t be farther from the truth! I don’t like crowds and I constantly have to recharge after a certain amount of contact with people. I am an empath so I take on a lot of people’s energy. Sometimes I go days where I isolate myself from everyone just to recharge. Some don’t understand it, but I’m a loner at heart. I have had lots of bad experiences that sort of showed me that I had to protect myself until I kind of filter people out. I may not be a real celebrity but I do deal with the same struggles as a small public figure. You just get to a point to where you don’t know who to trust and you always feel like a fish out of water in social settings. I don’t really know what advice to give as I still struggle with my anxiety but I will say that cannabis has helped immensely. It’s not a definite cure but it helps me when I start to feel physically ill from my anxiety (which is very common for me). It helps me mellow out. I don’t understand the negative stigma attached to something natural so I may get flack for being pro-cannabis but I have seen it work wonders for myself and others in ways regular medicine doesn’t.
Let’s talk about “pin up” – would you class yourself as a pin up? Do you feel like there is a positive “pin up community”? Would you change anything about the vintage modelling industry?
I would definitely say I am a pinup, I just wish people didn’t mix up “Rockabilly” with “Pinup” style. They are two different things. I am not Rockabilly. I may enjoy the music, the fashion, and the architecture but I’m also multifaceted. For some reason, purists in the subculture don’t really embrace that – apparently, you cannot listen to hip hop or go to B-Boy jams and enjoy other cultures without someone badgering you. I get shit all the time and to be honest, I couldn’t care less. Who wants to conform to some stupid standard of those who like to place people in boxes? I DO believe that there is a positive pinup community as I have met so many WONDERFUL people in this subculture but I wouldn’t say it’s always positive. All subcultures have bad apples, and those bad apples sometimes ruin things with their negative petty bickering. That’s why I keep to myself and dabble in the culture here and there. I don’t have time for petty dramas and public spectacles of everything! I keep to myself and I lead by example by being a good person who minds their business. And if I have a problem with someone, I go straight to the source and I discuss it one-on-one with them in private like an adult (the way it used to be before social media).
As for the vintage modelling industry, I’d like to see more brands think outside of the box when styling their models in vintage reproduction. There are so many different ways to wear vintage/ repro. There are so many women who don’t feel like they can relate to the perfect pinup look who may get discouraged because they feel like they have to have perfect pinup hair and makeup and everything else. I am all for the classic pinup look, but I am also supportive of women who sport the pinup look their own modern way.
I would also like to see more diversity and plus size models being advertised, though I have noticed a shift lately where I am seeing all kinds of women being celebrated and I couldn’t be happier.
In my eyes, you are such an inspiration to other women whom are aiming to be their own boss. Were there any struggles to get where you are now? What are your goals for 2018 with your brand? I have been through hell and back and I still struggle and still have doors closed in my face. It doesn’t just stop, you know? Trust me, there are people/ brands who love me now that ignored me before. You just can’t give up. I have had to work 10x harder than my peers just because I am a Puerto Rican girl. I know a lot of women can relate to that. So all I want to do is see the fruits of my years of labour recognised. I want to be able to open doors for women like me. I want to inspire them to keep going and get so good at what they do that they can no longer be ignored.
My goal for 2019 is to release my own collection so I can dress women all over the world and have them feel beautiful, comfortable, and empowered through my clothes. It’s already in the works. It’s all a matter of time.
What has social media enabled you to do that you weren’t able to achieve before? Have you got a top 5 achievements made possible through the power of social media?
1. Social media gave me the platform to inspire thousands of people to embrace their true selves and their own creative style
2. I am hella fortunate to have been able to get jobs all these years in the fashion biz without a single resume
3. I have been able to connect with brands I could only dream of collaborating with.
4. I have been able to connect with icons like Dita who recently sent me her new line of lingerie…Like is this real life?
5. I found my tribe through social media. People who understand and embrace me for who I am. My whole life, I have always felt like an outsider. Now I have a great following of people who support me and keep me motivated.
You wear both true vintage and vintage reproduction. Are there any style tips you could give for ladies wanting to incorporate both into their lifestyle?
I only have one style tip: wear vintage or vintage reproduction however the hell you want to wear it. Don’t think you have to conform to some traditional standard of vintage style.
You have been a judge for Miss Viva Las Vegas: what criteria do you look at when selecting the contestants? Any tips or tricks you can suggest to help them move forward?
I look at how bad someone wants it. You have to bring it for Viva Las Vegas. It is the biggest and most important pageant in the Rockabilly scene. You have to have great photos, great answers to the questions, a great outfit for the stage, and a great personality. Miss Viva Las Vegas has to embody and represent all the positive change we want to see in the community. The only advice I can give is that you don’t have to be perfect, you just have to do your best.
What words of wisdom were you given that you use to this very day?
My favorite philosopher, Alan Watts, once said in one of his lectures.. “You have to regard yourself as a cloud because clouds never make mistakes.” I’ve always carried that with me whenever I am down on myself about the mistakes I have made. They don’t exist. Mistakes are just lessons learned and learning a lesson always serves a purpose.
So far loving the website.
Tell me more about that gorgeous plaid skirt and jacket 🙂