I Spy DIY: Putting the Personal Touch in Style
h1Once you change your way of thinking from buying to DIYing you can find inspiration for your next project at the hardware store or on the runway.
Jenni Radosevich, I Spy DIY
What do you do when you work at a stylish Manhattan fashion magazine and can't quite live on a model's budget? Make the beautiful things you see yourself, of course. That's the story of Jenni Radosevich who worked for years surrounded by beautiful new styles that were just out of reach. Inspired by what she saw, she decided to find ways to make those fashionable finds affordable - and personal - with her fashion site I Spy DIY. On her site you'll find inspiration for creating beautiful DIY bracelets, adding neon to your wardrobe this season, learning from Fashion Week trends, and creating your own glitter wedges - to name just a few recent projects. Her DIY designs are so popular, her book debuts on April 17 for recreating today's fashion trends at home.
We caught up with Jenni right after she was on Rachel Ray (showing how she created these DIY double cuffs and other fashion items from kitchen supplies) to find out who her soulmates in style are, what her readers' favorite projects are, and how she recommends newbie fashion DIYers get started.
You do a lot of amazing and beautiful DIY projects. Fess up - where do you get all your DIY inspirations (there are so many!)? I know "Everywhere" seem like a generic answer, but it's true! Once you change your way of thinking from buying to DIYing you can find inspiration for your next project at the hardware store or on the runway.
Are you surprised by how popular the DIY and crafting movement has become on the Web? Why or why not? I am blown away by how DIY took the Internet by storm. Crafting has always been popular, but slap a new, hip acronym on it and now its a huge trend. I could not be more excited because I've been making fashion since I was a wee one (puffy paint, anyone?) and now I can make a career out of it!
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You worked at InStyle and have written a do-it-yourself fashion column for the magazine. What celebrities are your muses for DIY style? I love the ladies who inject a little personal flavor into what they wear. Rachel Bilson, Alexa Chung, Diane Kruger and Olivia Palermo all find interesting ways to mix and match, and reinvent the popular trends everyone is wearing.
How would you describe the typical DIY fashionista? Who is she? Someone who loves the trends and wants to get the look for less!
What are some readers' all-time favorite DIY projects on your site? Hands down their favorite project has been my chain & rhinestone bracelet. Ironically, I posted it on a whim thinking readers would think it was too difficult, but I still have readers tweeting me pics of the ones they made! All my bracelets have been the biggest hits on my site.
Your book comes out April 17 (congrats!). Give us a preview – what are some of your favorite DIY projects in the book? Thanks! I am excited for it to finally come out! My favorite thing to do it to take unexpected items and turn them into fashion, like the shoestring and straw necklace in my headshot. Puffy paint even makes an appearance. I love when people are surprised at the supplies.
You were on Rachel Ray to preview your book – what was that like? Rachael Ray was so fun, and it flew by in a blink! I liked that they gave me the challenge of creating DIYs using items from the kitchen. I also LOVE the way they did my hair - beachy waves, baby!
What other DIY blogs are your soulmates in style? I obvi love the bloggers who modeled in my book: Jessica from What I Wore, Kim from eat.sleep.wear. and Christine from My Style Pill. And I absolutely adore Blair from Atlantic-Pacific's ability to layer it on while still looking super chic.
For newbie DIYers, what projects do you recommend for getting started? Definitely accessories, especially bracelets. Everyone loves a little wrist action!
