Sumaiya Zama, a sophomore, describes her personal style as ethnically urban. Her fashion sense is greatly influenced by living in the city and from her connections to Indian and African culture. “I like to make a lot of different cultural connections because I have a strong tie with Africa,” she said, shedding light on her affinity for ethnic prints. Her Jasmine pants and elephant-print scarf are both from Forever 21, her purple button-down shirt is from H&M, her tan ankle booties are from Charlotte Russe, and her camo-print backpack is made by Herschel Supply Co.
Zama, who is double-majoring in Africana studies and political science with a minor in creative writing, admits to doing most of her shopping online. She loves Etsy and likes to look for independent boutique owners when shopping for jewelry, which she tends to wear frequently. Her favorite online boutique is wickedclothes.com. Much of Zama’s fashion inspiration comes from following the blog blackfashion.tumblr.com. Her celebrity style icon of the moment is Lupita Nyong’o, and she also admires Freida Pinto for her taste in jewelry and color choices, given their similar complexions. As for a favorite fashion designer, Zama is a fan of Elie Saab, who is widely known for fusing western and eastern styles into his designs.