INTERVIEW: Arabelle from Fashion Pirate

Do you ever discover a blog and just fall head over heels in love with it? That was exactly how I felt upon visiting Arabelle's Fashion Pirate for the first time! Here was a person who was not only blogging about beauty and clothing through her own individual perspective, but also was tackling subjects not usually talked about in the blogging community - and all the while being incredibly articulate.
Much to my surprise, Arabelle agreed to be the next blogger interviewed for this feature, and I got to ask her about make-up, film, and the future.

Where do you hope to see yourself in five years?
Hopefully I'll be working in beauty at a magazine, and doing something regarding women's rights as well. Honestly I have so many interests right now that I'm juggling I'd be happy to do any of them.

Describe the average day in your life.
I'm boring as hell most days, I fluctuate between never leaving my room/computer and never being in my room/running around screaming, and rarely like, just hang out with my friends. They yell at me sometimes about it and have to drag me to be social. I wake up (late), fall asleep standing in front of my closet and wake up leaning over drooling on one of my dresses, pick that one to wear because why not, and go to class. Then I watch a movie 'cause I'm doing a 365 film challenge that I've fallen behind on because of fashion week and general madness. In class and between them I answer emails, tweets, schedule photo or video shoots for Rookie or powder doom or whatever and do my social media internship with a company that hasn't launched publicly yet. On week days I'm really boring and just go to class and be narcissistic and outfit blog or stuff. I get everything done on weekends when I can go back home / into the city and visit showrooms and designers and whatever and do fashion stuff.

Can you remember what the first makeup product you completely fell in love with was?
I was way into this shimmery blue lipstick from Hot Topic in middle school. I thought I was hot shit when I put it on, and used to smell it a lot because it smelled like vanilla. Wish I still had it, it'd probably look dope with my hair. Also I could probably pull it off way better now.

Let's say your a superhero - what are your powers, and more importantly, what does your costume look like?
The power to convince anyone to do anything I want. I wouldn't be a very good hero, I think. Maybe an anti-hero. I'm way too much of a sociopath to be a proper good girl, I know this already. But ummm... I'd wear a costume designed by Yohji. He's dabbled in movie costume design before so I'm sure it'd be rad.

I love reading your thoughts on movies - are there any in particular that have inspired your style?
Not really, no. I like movies more for the feelings than for the visual effect in a lot of cases. My favorite films re: style would be maybe The Fall (SO BEAUTIFUL I WANT TO CLAW MY EYES OUT) and Top Hat. My personal style is very much a uniform as of late and isn't influenced by music or movies or what have you -- more by... Wednesday Addams. I guess The Addams Family would be my major filmspiration if you were to pick one. I just want something to feel safe and dangerous in at the same time, which is why I wear what I wear. It gives me that feeling. I guess it's no surprise Thrillers are my favorite movies. I can be a voyeur and safe as the viewer but still be totally caught up in the danger of a good plot.

If you had a dinner party and could invite any five people, living or dead, who would they be?
Rei, Audre Lorde, Luce Irigaray, John Waters, G-Dragon.

You are one of my favorite voices in the blogosphere - do you ever have difficulty expressing how you feel in writing?
I think the hardest part is just pressing publish. If I've written it down already, it means it's been in my head for awhile. I'm in my own head a lot, I am my own best friend and enemy for this, but it makes me a prolific writer when I get off my ass. I've never had a problem saying what I mean -- I used to get chastised by people for not shutting up or not thinking before I speak. But I can't help being truthful. I don't want to help it. I like to be liked by people on the internet, but I also don't seek anyone's approval for what I say. I just need to say it. It's a need. I need to say these things. I think if I didn't write or vlog or whatever I'd probably just sit consumed in my own thoughts to a point where I would go mental and start gnawing on peoples spinal cords.

If you had to choose, would you rather live without lipstick or eyeliner for the rest of your life?
Eyeliner. I feel naked without at least 2 lip products in my bag. I would cry if I could never do a cat eye again but lipstick makes me happy. I remember in Breakfast at Tiffany's, Hepburn would always apply lipstick to arm herself against the world and bad news. I do the same thing. When I'm stressed out you have to pry my chapstick or lipstick from my manicured talons.

Want more? Visit Arabelle at these links!
Fashion Pirate
Powder Doom
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