Megan Kaslly frequented a lot of thrift stores growing up. The 24-year-old, who was born and raised near Seventh Avenue, knows a thing or two about the best spots around town to pick up funky vintage.
She's also got some big plans for the future of Phoenix fashion.
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"I live in North Phoenix," Kaslly says, "so I'm in a really good spot. There are seven Goodwills around me. I love it."
Kaslly hunts on 50-percent-off Saturdays and $1 Thursdays at Goodwill, which is when she says she really hits the jackpot. "On the discount days, it gets really competitive. The thing to remember is not everyone has the same taste, so your gem might still be in there waiting for you. It happens all the time."
Thrifting is not the only thing Kaslly is a pro at. Her dream job is to be an art director in fashion photo shoots and campaigns, as well as pursue creative directing for a clothing label. With her bachelor's degree in business, Kaslly says she would love to link up with more local businesses here, and then possibly move to L.A. to make her dream a reality.
"My boyfriend [Amir Saebi], who is far more fashionable than I am, is collaborating with me on a store called La Voute Co.," she says. "He started doing vintage clothing a long time ago, but when he decided he wanted to do other things, he sold his collection, and started making things instead. Now we're doing it together."
Kaslly says the pair isn't just doing T-shirts. They want to design their own clothing.
"I love very ladylike vintage dresses and the things I find at thrift stores, but sometimes polyester just won't work for Arizona. So I want to use modern fabrics and cuts to make it easier to wear these things in hotter weather.
"When I look at photos from my grandparents' yearbooks, everyone looks so beautiful. In my little dream land, everyone would look like that," says Kaslly. "I want to design these clothes to make them fit today's people."
Kaslly turns to classic women like Jackie O., Megan Draper from Mad Men, and Victoria Beckham for style inspiration. She loves modern, sharp lines that feel classy and polished. She also finds guidance for funky vintage looks from people she follows on Instagram, as well as the "punk teen" and "rockabilly mom" looks of Gwen Stefani.
To Kaslly, the whole idea of being an art director seems so far in the future. Luckily, she's already gotten some great industry experience under her -- probably thrifted -- belt.
"I've done photography work, some local gigs, and some of my work was featured in the February cover and March spread of Java, where my boyfriend and I collaborated with the store Hub. It was really cool to be featured."
Kaslly is working toward becoming a personal stylist at Nordstrom, where she currently works in the hosiery department. "I want to start a blog about my job and see where it goes," she says. "I'm thinking maybe 'Sock It to Me' or 'Legs for Days'."
Kaslly laughs, "Any day now, I'll get that started."
What are you wearing? I'm wearing a palm tree jumpsuit by Topshop, some fun silver heels, a little Marc Jacobs dog ring that changes when you move, my boyfriend's fancy watch, and a belt I got from Goodwill.
Where do you usually shop? Goodwill, Buffalo Exchange, Nordstrom
What's the last item of clothing you bought? It was my birthday a few weeks ago, and since I'm usually super thrifty, I wanted to buy something from Nordstrom, where I work. So I bought this jumpsuit, which was on sale, so score!
Name five items every woman should have in her closet. 1) High-waisted pencil skirt 2) Flow-y blouses 3) A good platform shoe 4) Big, chunky rings 5) A bright lipstick to complete your look
What's a trend you can't stand? Some people do them well, but usually cut-out shoulder shirts really piss me off. Since childhood, I've also resented girls who decked themselves out in zebra print and hot pink.
Give us a childhood memory of you and clothes. My mom and I went to Last Chance and Macy's all the time when I was little, and my mom will never buy anything full price, which is where I get it from. We're totally bargain hunters.
What is your one piece of fashion advice for Phoenix? Phoenix likes to show a lot of skin, and I think it's not about how much skin you show, but how the clothes fit on your body. Represent yourself and know that modesty is beautiful too. I love that everyone does their own thing.
