Beyond the hype // Daniela Ramirez

Daniela Ramirez is a 29 year old blogger at nanysklozet.com from Venezuela but living in Miami, United States. Visit her blog at www.nanysklozet.com.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Daniela Ramirez. I was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela. I moved to Miami to go to college and I fell in love with the city. I studied Marketing and Fashion Merchandising and right now I'm getting my masters degree while blogging full-time.

What are your passions?

As everyone in the Lookbook community, I love fashion. I also love traveling back to Venezuela and being able to spend time with my family and friends.

How did you first become interested in fashion and why is it important?

I first got interested in fashion when I moved to the U.S. back in 2006. For some people caring about fashion is materialistic, however I think fashion is about expressing your personality, who you are and who do you want to be. Fashion can change the way you feel about yourself and it can give you the confidence you need to do anything...it's a little cheesy but true.

How do you describe the fashion scene in Miami compared to other major cities or fashion capitals?

On the contrary to major fashion capitals, people in Miami love color and print. Also, there's a big factor that limits the way we dress: THE WEATHER. Even though it's great having summer weather all year round, we cannot experiment with layers and winter clothes. It's all about short shorts and mini skirts.

What do you love about living in Miami?

First of all I love the weather - it feels like summer most of the year. I love the Hispanic influence; I can get Venezuelan food in the supermarket and I speak Spanish 90% of the time. Also, all of my friends are from different countries and I love learning about other cultures.

Tell us your top 3 places to visit in the United States:

Can I recommend 3 places in Venezuela instead? 1) El Pico Bolivar (where you can ride the highest cable car in the world), 2) Los Roques; it's seriously the most gorgeous beach ever and 3) La Gran Sabana; it's in the middle of the Amazon jungle and it's just breathtaking.

Describe your personal style and its influences or inspirations.

My personal style is wearable but still trendy. I love trying out new trends but I don't do it crazy-over-the-top. I love transforming the newest trends into a wearable outfit. I get inspiration from...everywhere! From magazines, fashion shows, fashion blogs, Lookbook, TV shows, etc.

What are your favorite designers and places to shop?

I don't have favorite designers. I think it varies depending on the season on the collection. I love Carolina Herrera not only because she's from Venezuela like me, but also her designs are timeless and so feminine. I love finding great pieces at affordable prices, reason why some of my favorite stores are: Furor Moda, 2020ave and H&M.

The first thing you look at in another person's outfit is:

I used to look at shoes, but I've realized I'm more of a bag girl. The type of bag you wear says a lot about your personality, and a look is not complete without the perfect bag.

What do you skimp on?

I skimp on jewelry. I think jewelry is the best way to update any outfit; so I prefer to buy affordable necklaces and rings, so I can change them all the time.

What do you splurge on?

I splurge on bags. Great quality bags last a lifetime.

A fashion rule you always break:

I think fashion rules are meant to be broken. I'm petite and they are so many rules for petite girls. I always hear things like "petite girls shouldn't wear maxi dresses or big prints". I think it's not what you wear, it's how you wear it.

A fashion rule you never break:

As a petite girl, I think fit and tailoring is very important.

What do you think is the most recent notable trend to appear/reappear, and what are your thoughts on it?

Everything is so 90s right now; from wearing shirts on the waist to little girls socks. I have two older brothers and they were teens during the 90s. I remember looking at them and thinking I wanted to wear this or that; thankfully trends always come back!

What is the most underrated item in menswear and womenswear?

Hats: they can really transform an outfit! When I was little my mom made me wear hats all the time, and I used to hate them. However, I love how you can instantly look ready to go when you put a hat on.

Your favorite color of the moment is:

Like I said, I live in Miami where bright colors are always on the street. However, right now I'm drawn to darker colors: burgundy, black, navy and forest green.

What is your next "must have" purchase?

I want a pair of plaid pants.

What is the ultimate showpiece in your closet?

A Chanel bag I got after saving money for a couple of years. It's a classic bag and it was worth every penny I saved for it!

Are there any fashion icons or famous people whose style you admire?

I really admire Miroslava Duma; she's petite like me but she's not afraid of wearing anything...and she always looks fantastic!

What's on your iPod at the moment?

There's a mixture of 80s rock/pop, Lana del Rey and cheesy 90s music.

What can't you live without?

I can't live without my puppy, my computer and gum.

Next place you want to travel to:

I'm dying to go to Thailand. I just want to experience a completely different culture on the other side of the world.

What is your personal favorite outfit on Lookbook by you, and by another member?

My personal favorite is this one (shown above) with matchy matchy shorts and classic staples. One of my favorite Lookbook members is Adriana Gastélum. It was hard to pick one outfit from here but I absolutely love this one.

In the year 2018, you will be:

In 5 years from now, I would love to be freelancing for a major Latin-American magazine while doing personal shopping and styling.

What would you say to someone seeking general fashion advice?

I would tell them to forget about people say and to wear whatever they want and to express their personality through clothes!

Our last interviewee Matthius C. wants to know: If you get a time-machine, when and where do you wanna move?

If I get a time machine, I don't think I would stay too long in one place. I would start with a quick stop in Ancient Greece, then I would head to NYC during the 1920s and finish in Venezuelan during the 50s.

What should we ask the next interviewee?

What do you think is going to happen to the fashion blogging community in 5 years?