Style Diaries: Meet Sasha Joel
Hi! Can you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about where you’re based and what you do?
Hello! My name is Sasha, and I’m an Australian currently based in LA. I’m an artist and the founder of Rensa, my relatively new fashion label which launched towards the end of 2023.
We’d love to hear about your new brand, Rensa! What's the story behind it, and what inspired you to start it?
Rensa is a women’s fashion brand based in Australia that was created by combining my love of painting and fashion. Our first collection features a shirt, a pair of shorts, and a pair of pants (all in cotton poplin); these can be worn in sets or on their own. The textiles for the fabrics were designed by me, taken from original paintings I did, which were then digitally manipulated. This print comes in two colors. It’s bold, unique and effortless. We want you to be able to throw something on in a hurry yet still look chic and put together. Our pieces are created to be incorporated into your existing wardrobe. It’s designed to be mixed and matched however your heart desires!
How do you think your surroundings have influenced your style and Rensa’s?
Growing up, my mum was a big influence and taught me a lot about fashion. She also comes from a creative background, working for herself as an interior designer/architect. She has an incredible eye for detail and quality and has a great appreciation for classic, life-long pieces. Mum has an amazing wardrobe, so up until I left Melbourne we had a bit of a ‘shared wardrobe’ situation going on between the two of us. Since I've moved to LA, that’s a little bit tricky, lol! It’s super cool to see that I’ve inspired her to take more fashion risks.
As I get older, I continue to discover more and more about my own personal style. I love to push the boundaries. Color, print, and texture are things I value. I love to mix things up and never really stick to one single style in an outfit. I love to look effortless no matter what I am wearing, I like to look as natural and authentically myself as possible. I can appreciate high-end fashion and love purchasing classic pieces that will forever be in my wardrobe, but also love to thrift and find unique, vintage pieces with character. Luckily, LA is one of the best places to thrift!
My style influences are endless, I’m always finding more. I love French, Italian, and Japanese fashion, country western, bohemian, street style, punk rock, military, and different eras of history. My fiancee is the other huge fashion influence in my life. He’s an incredible creative - an extremely talented photographer with incredible style and knowledge on most things within the creative world. He can throw on anything and look cool. We also have the same approach towards fashion, with similarities in influence, appreciation for quality, love towards fashion history, and sourcing odd, one-off, vintage pieces. Strangely often, we will leave the house with coordinating outfits on, totally unplanned (I love it ;))
When it comes to starting your day, how do you approach getting dressed? Do you have any inherent style guidelines you usually follow?
When I look into my wardrobe each morning to choose my outfit, I run through a couple of things in my head. The first thing is the weather… I’m sort of weather-obsessed. After I’ve covered the temperature and amount of sun exposure at every hour of the day, I assess my level of activity: Is it relaxed or strenuous? Casual or more formal? Etc. After this, I analyze my mood: Am I wanting to look more feminine or more masculine? What items of clothing have been neglected lately? is there any particular item of clothing that I want to center my outfit around today? Etc.
Once I have gone through all of these, I will have come to some sort of a conclusion.
And this is how I create an outfit!
Having recently moved from Australia to LA, how has your experience in Australia shaped your personal style, and how do you see living in LA now potentially influencing its evolution?
Australian fashion, to me, is sophisticated and chic, which I love and feel has a strong influence on my style. The day-to-day style here in LA is definitely a lot more casual and laid back than in Aus (I can’t believe how many people wear sweats and Uggs literally anywhere and everywhere). In saying that, there’s an incredible amount of fashion diversity here, and people are not afraid to be themselves. There’s so much freedom for people to really express themselves through fashion - something we don’t see as often back home. I really do feel that being here will be an amazing opportunity for me to really embrace this and continue to see my style evolve.
In that same vein, have there been any specific trends or items you’ve spotted in/around your neighborhood in LA that you see yourself incorporating into your everyday style?
I’ve noticed people here LOVE their sneakers, which made me realize it’s been a while since I wore any myself. Coincidentally I stumbled upon a pair of brand new Nike’s at 2nd STREET in my size, so I grabbed those! They’re an old style that I loved, so it seemed like it was meant to be.
What’s one item you’re excited to wear this summer?
REALLY LONG FLOWY DRESSES!
In what outfit do you feel the most you?
Long flowy dresses forever!! There’s something about putting on a long flowing dress that makes you feel so feminine, chic and like a princess! I love to wear them with different accessories. Sometimes I go for sneakers, other times boots or sandals. Sometimes a hat, or some earrings or a scarf. Different sunglasses. I just try to have fun and tune in with my mood.
Before we let you (almost) go, what’s one item that you think everyone should have in their closet?
We all know what my answer is…but, for those who are interested - a good quality black blazer for sure!
This? Or That!
Leather or Denim?
Denim
Colors or Neutrals?
Colors
When Traveling: Matching Sweat Set or Full Outfit?
Full Outfit!
Sneakers or Sandals?
Sandals
Vintage or New?
This is too hard for me, both!
Hot Weather or Cold Weather?
Cold Weather
Solids or Patterns?
Patterns