{♥} our monthly feature, “inspirational stylistas on 5am je t♥aime” is Diya, from diya in her stilettos. Diya has already been featured in several other online media outlets, and I’m happy to introduce her to our readers on 5amjetaime! {here i have to thank ellie from lovelie who brought diya to my attention}

Diya is a chemical engineering major, aiming for a Ph.D in her later career, happily embraces fashion with her own unique taste in style, photography & hard rock music. She combines ultra feminine materials such as lace, silk and satin with a modern twist of rockstar accessories. She has been inspired by metal fashion as well. Besides her vintage+modern look, you can always find lots of surprises in her floral dresses, parisian chic styles, and lovely lovely short skirts in beautiful fabrics too. She has a truly fun and playful attitude towards her style, smartly mix-matching clothing from her own DIY pieces, vintage on ebay/etsy with asos, uo, ck, forever21, akira, modcloth and many other contemporary brands. being fabulous does not cost too much as long as you know how to shop the right dress, blouse and jacket!

Diya started blogging earlier this year and has been updating consistently with new looks. She drew her inspirations from lots of dreamy pieces in fashion photographs. {I especially appreciate the way about how often she pulls off an elegant look with white blouse. check out shopbop today for their new fall blouses from equipment!}. Most photographs on her site- great captures of the scenery texas and other places- are taken by her boyfriend, who is also a lawyer and runs music business.  What’s amazing about diya’s pictures is the creative visual style in applying subtle filters to yield a surreal atmosphere without being overpowering. Extremely artsy and poetic, i always enjoy such a beautiful combination of style and photography art. Diya successfully made an impressive statement of her life in fashion with passion. {find Diya on fbook, twitter & bloglovin here}

Diya, on her cultural background and style influences:

“I was born in Urumqi, China and moved to the states at the age of 8. Since I lived in a hometown that had a 60% Muslim and Urdu-speaking population, I was heavily influenced by their sense of dressing. To this day I am still drawn to beading and sequined details.”

{*} modern desinger’s muslim garments from the muslim fashion week/festival in the past: {the latest islamic fashion festival took place on jun 30th in jakarta, indonesia}

{*} diya’s beautiful beaded golden cluth from asos:

Diya, on fashion inspiration:

“I don’t really have a style icon in the sense that I want to dress exactly like a certain person, but I do admire Fan Bingbing for her willingness to experiment with fashion. Most Asian stars tend to play it safe and there’s nothing wrong with a flawlessly executed Armani/Versace/Marchesa gown, but I love Fan Bingbing because she always has fun with fashion. That’s the exactly the type of attitude I have with fashion. I’m not trying to play it safe; I’ve definitely have had my share of “fashion disaster” moments. It’s all about having fun while finding what looks good on you. I feel like I’m a bit bipolar in terms of going back and forth between more rock n’ roll looks to softer palettes, but it’s all part of the fun.”

{*} chinese actress fan bingbing in several sophisticated and elegant styles: {recently, fan has also graced the red carpet with several stunning couture looks, which earned herself ‘the best dressed chinese actress,’ see red carpet fashion awards}

{*} diya’s inspirations from asian related fashion/style/models: { we have features on liu wen, asian girl’s fashion and vogue korea on 5am je t♥aime,too}

{*} 5am je t♥aime’s favorite pics from diya’s gallery

{*} slip as dress, f21 lace tights, ebay pearls, vintage blazer, colin stuart pumps via victoria’s secret clearance, purse via overstock.com. {ahh….those transparent & sparkling hearts, so cute!}

{*} shirt: vintage, skirt: f21, tights: tabio, bag: the sak, belt: random, ring: amrita singh, hirt/blazer: vintage/thrifted, skirt: asos, necklace: f21, tights: topshop.

{*} asos blouse, urban outfitters skirt, overstock.com bag, colin stuart pumps, f21 tight.DIY skirt, vintage shirt/necklace/belt/bracelet, colin stuart heels.

{*} dress: asos, shoes: jeffrey campbell, necklaces: f21 + f21, arm/hand jewelry: random.

{*} f21 belt/skirt, jc penny top (not the form-fitting b/w stripe long sleeved top I was looking for but I will find it soon!), self-designed/etsy custom made jacket, bakers boots, piece of lace as scarf.

{*} f21 skirt/shirt, vintage fur, bakers boots

Lastly, Diya’s message to 5am je t♥aime readers:

“If I had one styling philosophy, it would be to have fun and stop obsessing over the latest designer piece or runway collection. Love the clothes you already have as much as you lust after pieces you don’t have.”

{*} images/infos:

{in her stilettos}, {islamic fashion}, {islamic fashion festival in the past}, {fan bingbing-1}, {fan bingbing-2}, {fan bingbing-3}

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