Girl of the Week: Erika Valliere
Erica and I found this week’s Girl of the Week when we were shopping on the weekend. Erika Valliere is 22 years old and originally from Ontario. She just recently moved to Vancouver during the summer and has been working at Aritzia since then. During her stay in London, Ontario she finished her degree in English Literature at The University of Western Ontario. Erika loves music and has been a musician all her life. She can play four instruments: the piano, flute, trumpet, and guitar (amazing!). She also sings blues/soul and currently sings in two bands here in Vancouver (love it!). Meet Erika.
Wearing… I’m wearing an awesome Eddie Bauer sweater I got in the men’s section at Value Village – such a steal! I’ve layered it over a TNA chambray boyfriend fit shirt – super comfy. And my absolute favourite pair of pants – Citizens of Humanity red twill skinnies from Aritzia. The boots were a lucky Joe Fresh find.
My personal style is… Classic with a twist. I’m really inspired by Katherine Hepburn and Gia Carangi – I love classic, clean silhouettes. Not a fan of anything too trendy, but I like to be a little adventurous with colour, texture and jewelry. I also love to have a character in mind – I’ll wake up and decide I want to channel ‘cowboy’ or something and kind of play with that idea in my own way. Basically anything that makes me feel relaxed and pretty!
Autumn essentials… Ankle boots, leather jacket, lots of scarves, colourful pants and something silk!
Top 3 favourite songs at the moment…
1. “Aeroplane over the Sea” by Neutral Milk hotel – unbelievable lyrics!
2. “Downtown Train” by Tom Waits – classic and awesome.
3. “The Pain” by Bronze Nazareth – amazing former member of the Wu Tang Clan.
Beauty must-haves… Black liquid eyeliner! My beauty mainstay – could not live without it. Red lip stain – I love Revlon’s ‘Just Bitten’ in “Gothic”. It stays on forever and the colour is gorgeous. Also Urban Decay lipstick pencil in F-Bomb is amazing. Nars’ “Orgasm” blush – the colour is unreal and one case lasts you years! It pays to invest in a good blush. And a good perfume is essential – I think every girl needs her own signature scent. Right now mine is Chanel’s no.28 De Pausa.
Current wish list… Black sheer silk skirt – there are so many things you can do with one! And I am jonesing for a pair of Citizens of Humanity wide-leg high-waisted jeans. Also I really want a wide-brimmed felt hat with a feather in it because they are awesome and I want to be Carmen San Diego.
Favourite local shops… Aritzia! And Value Village. Honestly I’ve been here for such a brief amount of time and I’m working and at school so often I haven’t had much time for shopping, but those two places are where I’ve found things I love so far. Does anyone have any recommendations for me?
I feel most comfortable in… An amazing, comfy knit and some leather boots. Simple, sexy, and practical!
Most-enduring piece… A good leather jacket. I’ve had mine for years and it’s still a year-round mainstay in my wardrobe. Everyone should invest in one!
Guilty pleasure… Corny movies. It’s October so Jim Henson’s “Labyrinth” is going to be happening very soon. I need my Bowie fix.
First memorable fashion purchase… When I was around 6 or 7 years old, I had these AMAZING red cowboy boots. Real ones. I grew up on an acreage with horses and went riding all the time, so my parents took me to one of those legit stores where they measure you and custom-build you a pair of boots. Mine were red with gorgeous swirls all over the uppers. My mom still has them somewhere! If I ever have a daughter, she’ll get them as well. They are beautiful. I kind of want a grown-up pair now….
Dream vacation… To take a year and travel all the way from Europe down into Asia! I want to experience everything on foot and take the train and busses through the world! That is definitely a dream for me.
Photograph by Nicole Soon
