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When I spotted Onah on State Street she had this incredible energy about her that defied her age. She reminded me of Elle Fanning’s character in the Rodarte short film, The Curve of Forgotten Things. Not in aesthetic terms, but in having that quality of almost supernatural strength in her personality. It’s a feeling you pick up on instantly in the energy when you meet a person, just like coolness. Clearly this is a concept that is hard for me to verbalize but I can tell you it runs much deeper than outfits and clothing. Suffice it to say Onah is one of the special few teenagers who backs up her coolness with true personality, and isn’t just using fashion to create a facade. She has heart, which is a rare gift to see in a person of any age.
Morgan is a supremely talented fashion design student at SAIC. Although she originally hails from Los Angeles, she has since warmed up to life in Chicago. Morgan was actually the first person who connected the dots between weather and street-style during a snowy conversation on the street last winter. We discussed how Chicagoans and New Yorkers are all about layering year round, whereas Los Angeles retains a completely different aesthetic, something only a transplanted Los Angeleno would notice. I wholeheartedly agree, because everyday (non-fashion editor/model) New York street-style and Chicago street-style are quite similar (check out Mr. Newton’s site for gorgeous pics of regular girls for proof), and if you then visit my friend Eva’s blog HiStyley you’ll see just how dramatically the aesthetic shifts with LA street style.
Morgan is also one of the first people I ever photographed back when I had my little Canon Powershot SD. To see how far my skills have come, click here. I’d be embarrassed by the quality of my old photos if I wasn’t proud of how far I’ve come.
