StyledOn.com Feature & Interview!

For the full interview click here!

What an honor is is to be up there with the best of them! I was recently asked by Emily of StyledOn.com to be a part of their blog love feature, which most excitingly showcases all my favorite bloggers... Natalie Off Duty, Something Navy, Sincerely Jules, Trop rouge... (The list goes onnnn!) and their beautiful blogs. I've always loved this segment they have done, so to be asked to be a part of it was completely amazing! I am so honored that they actually read my blog and had such lovely things to say about it! :) Honor, honor, honor... word of the moment!!! This site is fantastic if you don't already peruse it on a daily basis... you will love! I hope you enjoy the interview... I really enjoyed doing it, it's nice to be asked questions you don't really ask yourself! I'm preparing to head up to London now for the weekend to see friends and some family, before I head back to Barcelona... Most excited to get some quality friend time in before I become a slave to the Disco again in hotter, more humid climates!!!
So much love and thank you for all the lovely comments on my last post... it's extra amazeballs when you guys actually take the time to read what I write! So thanks!!! I will respond... I promise! xx

From London to Barcelona, and now Hong Kong, blogger Zoey Crystyna has lived in some amazing places around the world – and she brings that international savvy to her style blog, Make Shift Model. Zoey has been offering up sneak peeks at her debut fashion line, Disco Pony, and it looks like it's going to be a huge hit, with sequins and sparkles in spades. Her enthusiasm and passion for her creative endeavors is truly inspiring, and we couldn't wait to learn a little more about Disco Pony, the evolution of her blog, and what she'll do next.

StyledOn: Tell us a little about yourself – how did you get into blogging?
Zoey Crystyna: Before I moved to Barcelona with my fiance, I was doing my degree in Fine Art and Philosophy at Goldsmiths in London. That was my introduction to hard-core-hipster-cool in terms of fashion! I've never felt so completely unfashionable than when I started university here! It took me a while experimenting with all the new things I was seeing to find my style, and it wasn't until I got out to Barcelona that I really found it and thought to put it all into a blog.

SO: Tell us about Disco Pony!
ZC: Ahh, Disco Pony! My baby! This is a pretty lengthy tale, so I shall try to keep it short-ish! Disco Pony has been an amalgamation of luck, determination, hard work, and a willingness to move to the other side of the world! I come from a family of artists, designers and draftsmen. It is a part of who we are to be drawing and making things, and I have always been sketching up designs and dreaming up the perfect outfits. Be it destiny, luck or circumstance, I was given an opportunity to put all these designs and ideas into my own fashion company. That's not to say I didn't work insanely hard to actually make it happen, but I was certainly blessed by more than a sprinkle of good timing with this one!

SO: What are your style words to live by?
ZC: Any number of wonderful words of wisdom that come from the beautiful ladies of Advanced Style. Seth's blog introduction sums it up nicely however: "Proof from the wise and silver haired set that personal style advances with age". These ladies are my ultimate inspiration.

SO: What are your career aspirations?
ZC: As any mother would her baby, I want to see Disco Pony grow up to be strong and successful. I feel like I have finally found my place in the world, after a lot of searching over the years, so to see Disco Pony flourish would be an incredible achievement. Aside from that, I will always be singing. I was training to sing Opera with an incredible woman before I left Barcelona… So now I am on the hunt for her Hong Kong equal! Disco Pony is still a baby however, so I'm quite exhausted from all his newborn demands!

SO: If you could collaborate with someone on a fashion-related project, who and what would it be?
ZC: I'm rather fortunate to have one of the most talented, incredible artists as my Aunty, best friend and all round life ally. We've been scheming up a joint project for a while now, and I'm so excited to sit down and start sketching. This is a woman who has the most spectacular archive of paintings I've ever seen… all of which will translate stunningly onto cloth!

SO: What is the most treasured item in your closet?
ZC: My black vintage fedora. It belonged to my fiancé's grandfather. I've heard incredible stories about this man, who escaped from a concentration camp in the Spanish Civil war. The fact that his hat is now almost surgically attached to my head is somehow quite wonderful!

SO: What’s at the top of your wishlist right now?
ZC: Another hat… I can't have too many hats!

SO: Is there one item you think every woman should own?
ZC: Can I say a hat again?? Okay, I will try to switch it up! Every woman should own a red lipstick. Nothing makes a face light up better than a red lip!

SO: We love your blog and read it on a regular basis. Which blogs do you read the most?
ZC: Thank you! I'm honored! I am obsessed with Advanced Style. This is hands down the most inspirational blog out there. Never have I left this site feeling anything but excited about getting older and being able to let my freak flag fly! Not that there is anything remotely freaky about these incredible women. They are the epitome of beautiful, amazing... everything wonderful basically! Another blog I revel in is According To Annika. This girl is going places, and quickly! I love her, she writes with an honesty I can only aspire to! I should also mention Natalie Off Duty, since this is the girl whose blog got me excited to start one myself! Since then, she has become a really close friend – I even named my first Disco Pony dress after her! I will never tire of seeing what she's up to!

SO: Tell us something about yourself that we might not expect.
ZC: I was trained as a Chorister from a young age, and spent my school years between the Cathedral pews singing psalms and anthems in the classroom. This was the most valuable, wonderful experience growing up. We were one of the first girls' Cathedral choirs in the world and got to record a beautiful album. It was the best vocal training a person could have… long hours, before and after school, even Christmas day. I wish I could have carried on, but they throw you out come 15 to make way for the next lot of girls. Our voices don't break like the boys, and if they didn't set us free we'd end up as an "Advanced Choir!" It just wouldn't sound the same!

Photography by Albert Dedeu