Little Navajo

Julia Keddell is an impressive graphic designer living in Auckland, New Zealand that moonlights as a fashion blogger with her endearing blog Little Navajo. She is nothing short of amazing with striking images of her own personal style, which has a very bohemian feel to it as well as breathtaking images of her own photography and escapades. She’s not new to the fashion industry and can definitely hold her own. Her blog is http://little-navajo.blogspot.com.

Tell us about your personal style. Where do you get your inspiration?

My personal style is really relaxed and probably a bit bohemian. I like wearing shorts and over sized shirts with long knit cardis and ankle boots. I love ‘good floral’ print dresses and shirts, and I love my leopard coat! I am more inspired by dressing in what I feel comfortable in rather than looking at someone’s style and thinking ‘I want to dress like that’ – I take pieces that might be in fashion and team them with wardrobe staples like denim shorts or leather jackets. I am definitely aware of trends, but I don’t dedicate my wardrobe to them!

What are staple pieces in your wardrobe? What are staple pieces you think every girl should have in their closet?

I thrash my One Teaspoon chunky knit cardi and my Leopard Coat. My leather pants have become a staple winter item as have oversized slinky knit t-shirts. My staple items are different to the common white t-shirt or good pair of jeans – sure, you need those, but I find it easier to have a statement piece that I want to wear, for example, my leopard coat, and then style the rest of my wardrobe around that. So I would recommend that every girl have a coat, maxi dress, a chunky, knit feel-good cardi and a great range of printed pieces as staple items to create outfits around.

Who are your fashion icons?

I LOVE Margherita Missoni, imagine having the archives of Missoni as your wardrobe! She always looks so natural and interesting at the same time. I especially love her style when she mixes vintage prints and bohemian layers. I also really like the way Talitha Getty wore pattern and accessories, the sixties and seventies produced some pretty amazing fashion.

What inspired you to start a fashion blog?

I love fashion and photography so my blog is a place where I can be creatively free to express my personal creative process and style.

What is the meaning behind your fashion blog name?

I am inspired by traditional forms of design, and I really felt a connection to the Navajo style of art and pattern. After I started the blog I noticed the Navajo trend coming up everywhere! But it wasn’t inspired by that and will hopefully remain relevant after people have moved on to the next thing.

Which do you prefer blogspot or tumblr? And why?

I like both for different reasons, tumblr is complete eye candy and so inspiring, I get trapped on there looking at images often! But where tumblr is a melting pot of images – blogspot separates your posts so you can tell a story and theme each of your posts. I also like wordpress, but I feel like people understand blogger so it’s best to stick to something most people are familiar with.

What is the future for your blog? Are you planning any fashion collaborations? Designing?

I love hearing from my readers, their comments always make my day and they are so lovely and supportive, so I don’t have a future planned but hopefully it grows as people discover it and I can continue to use it as a place to document my adventures. I have recently collaborated with a charity on a t-shirt illustration – which you can buy here. I also have a couple of things on the go at the moment, so I can’t wait to share them when they are complete!

What do you think separates you from other fashion bloggers?

There are many different ways people express themselves through their fashion blogs, I try and only post things that are unique to me. So I post about my own photography and work that I have done or if I am going to do a fashion post it will be about a trend that I want to promote and I will source varied images that relate to the specific trend I am loving, rather than posting editorials and celebrities that other people are talking about. I guess I just try and keep it unique and interesting so that every time someone comes back to my blog they get to see something they haven’t seen anywhere else.

What are you looking to do in fashion? Is it a hobby or future career?

I work in the fashion industry in New Zealand, I am a graphic designer and part of my varied job is to create seasonal fabric prints, which I really love. I think I will always be involved in the fashion industry as it has been a clear theme in my design work since I was young.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I would like to have worked overseas again in the next 5 years. This is something I have only recently decided so we will see what happens! Mainly because I just got back from Bali and the plane trip reminded me of heading back to London. It made me realize that there are so many more people to meet and adventures to be had, home can be too easy sometimes and might not push you to your creative peak. I really want to test how far I can go.

What are your places to shop at?

I am an online shopper, I find I can look through 100 things in a few minutes with a coffee in hand and find exactly what I am looking for! I get frustrated walking around and looking for ‘something’ that may not even exist! My favorite online stores are ASOS – for fashion trend fixes, One Teaspoon – because I want to wear every single thing they design, Pixie Market – for all around amazing-ness, Sole struck – because they actually have shoes that I want to wear! And the accessories over at Spell and the Gypsy – those girls are the sweetest people ever.

What is something interesting about you that most people don’t know?

That I have recently switched to Eco products! My friend was working at The Eco Store in New Zealand and educated me on what’s in most beauty products and washing powders. So I have replaced everything! I use Eco Store washing powder, I also have products from two beautiful Australasian natural skin and hair care companies, Sukin Organics and Antipodes, my skin is definitely loving it!

What’s your favorite color?

Chambray blue, or that hard to find perfect American indigo jean color.

What do you spend most on?

After camera film and developing costs – probably eBay! I find most of the things I want on there, like vintage Harley Davidson shirts and poison rings. I have a few Ikat blankets and so I think my savings are starting to tip towards collecting woven rugs, there are so many amazing designs and colors.

What do you spend less on?

Probably shoes, which is strange because I love shoes! I just got a couple of pairs made in Bali because I literally have Chucks and a few ankle boots and the rest of my shoes are so worn out I need to get rid of them. I think it’s because shoes are expensive and I usually buy one or two pairs that I love and then wear them to their death.

What inspires you?

Travel and the markets that I find in whichever country I am in. There is always something that I haven’t seen before especially traditional art and design. I also get really inspired by interiors and all forms of pattern in architecture.

Tell us about where you live.

I live in Auckland, New Zealand, which is the most populated city in New Zealand but it never feels any where near as busy as a big city should. I love the Sunday markets and I have a few favorite little cafes. But I like to escape the city and head to where I grew up which is a sleepy little beach town, two and a half hours south of Auckland, where everyone lives in sandals, singlets and denim shorts.

What are you passionate about?

I am passionate about mixing work and play, but I do a pretty awful job of it, I am constantly inspired and find it hard to turn my computer off. I am passionate about doing something I love for a living and living in a creative space with lots of light and color.

Where would you like to visit/live in the future?

I really want to visit to Mexico and Morocco, they both have some of the most amazing patterns and colors and I want to see it all first hand. I wouldn’t mind living in New York for a while, I remember it being a really fun city when I stayed there a few years ago.

What can’t you live without?

In terms of technology my camera and laptop – but I wouldn’t go to the extreme of saying that ‘I can’t function without them’! I would still find a way to be creative, so I guess I can’t live without being creative.

By: Cristina Horta