Annalise Craig isn’t your typical trend follower. She certainly  isn’t afraid to break away from the norm. You probably know her as one of the stars of the LF vs. LB rap battle star, the New Media film expert, or a strong supporter of Supreme. Annalise definitely shows her passion for fashion brands, but this passion goes much deeper than the clothing she wears at school. Her interest for the history of fashion is inspiring.

What is your go-to outfit?

“I try to strictly wear only black jeans, at least casually. I could get more adventurous but I usually wake up late so some sort of graphic tee. Also, black vans go with everything, but I’ll try to wear a different sort of sneaker. I always wear my gold Gucci charm necklace because I never take it off.” 

What is your dream job?

“My all time dream would to either be a stage designer for concert tours or a director for concert tour documentaries like Justin Timberlake Future Sex/Love Show and Justin Bieber’s Never Say Never. Just working on concert tours in general is what I want to do.”

When did you first become interested in fashion?

“I got really interested in sneakers when I was in elementary school. My first sneaker was the New Love Air Jordan 1s. Later in middle school when I discovered Odd Future I started researching brands like Supreme and Tyler, the Creator’s golf brand because a lot of the members wore those clothes and I liked how they looked.”

If you could switch closets with 3 celebrities who would they be?

1. Frank Ocean, no questions asked.
2. Sean Wotherspoon (owner of the store Round Two in LA/ designer of the air max 1/97)
3. Jaden Smith

Where do you get most of your inspiration for your fashion?

“Frank Ocean definitely. Every time there’s a new article about Frank in a magazine, I’ll order it so I can see all the photos and look at his clothes. I think his style is so simple but at the same time says a lot about who he is and what he’s into, like all his vintage Nike T-shirts. I’ve sought out to find some of my rarest Supreme items just because I saw him wearing them and completely fell in love with the look. I also look at a lot of my favorite movies for my inspiration like the film Palo Alto. The clothes Jack Kilmer wears in the film are just very unique and the colors all compliment his look so well. I also keep a folder on Instagram for looks I like from random photos, it helps me regain a sense of style if I ever feel lost.”

What are your favorite colors to wear?

“I wear so much black and white which I need to move away from, but at the same time: do I want to? I just recently bought some new Sean Wotherspoon Air Max 1/97’s and the colors of those are so beautifully curated and unique. It’s inspired me to really try to wear lighter colors for the coming seasons.”

Where do you shop for most of your clothes?

“I buy a lot of clothes and accessories from Grailed (a resale streetwear app). I can find a lot of vintage Supreme pieces I need on there so it has a lot of what I want. Lots of stores in Wicker Park like Saint Alfred or RSVP sell brands I like, Undercover or Off White, but those are pretty expensive. I still buy pieces from Urban Outfitters because it’s a little easier on my wallet and I can try to avoid graphic t-shirts. The same also goes for Topshop. My wardrobe is also made out of a ton of concert and artist merchandise like golf, Brockhampton, and vintage Justin Timberlake t-shirts. I get those from shows or Depop for the vintage stuff.”

If you could give any advice to the students of LFHS about fashion, what would you say?

“I would say research a lot about brands you’re interested in before you buy from them. It pains me when people drown themselves in the latest Supreme season and don’t even know who created the brand or when it started. Same with a lot of these newer streetwear brands and high-end labels. I’m sure I sound like a broken record but Supreme is really such an eclectic brand with an insane history of deep art roots and inspirations. It’s a shame that it’s started to become forgotten and masked with just wearing the name, so I really wanna keep the history alive. I would say also don’t be afraid of looking unique. It’s hard since we feel like we’re all under a microscope in high school, but I want to see people try to be more androgynous with their outfits and not stick so much to their gender stereotypes for fashion. I’m no stranger to wanting to follow fashion trends because they’re trends and they’re full proof for looking cool on you, you know? I would say just try to wear trends in a way that’s unique for you and to make it your own.”

Annalise Craig is an expert when it comes to the brands she loves. Her passion for clothes and accessories, and her knowledge for brands continues to grow. Hopefully Annalise’s advice inspires you to take fashion risks and to follow your style icons. Keep dressing in the styles you love Annalise, you’re rocking them.