Local Style Icon: Jacci Stallone

By day she’s a custom bike builder at Bell’s Bike Shop; by night she DJs at Drinker’s Tavern and is a guest dj at Kensington Kittens at Atlantis. It’s a wonder Jacci Stallone even has time to blog, at Being Perfect is Hard, and plan an online vintage boutique. As a member of Chictopia’s style council and the Vice Blog Network, Jacci brings Philly’s hard edge to every outfit she touches, but still manages to make it something every girl could wear. We decided to ask Miss Stallone a few questions.

Hometown? Newport, Rhode Island. I moved to Philly when I was 17 to study fashion at Drexel; I dropped out after sewing through my finger. However, I recently acquired a sewing machine, so I hope to give it a go again. I have too many ideas in my head and ignoring them would be a waste.

Have you always been interested in fashion? I was into layering crazy outfits in the first grade; one time my grandmother was embarrassed to be seen with me in public because my outfit was too crazy.

How would you describe your style? Dude, I don’t even understand my own style. I’m all over the place, but I think the music I listen to can have an influence on what I’m wearing. Sometimes it’s Nancy Sinatra, Wu Tang, Gucci Mane, My Bloody Valentine, the list goes on and on.

Any other influences? I’m always inspired by past decades. I love the ’30s, ’60s, ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. Skateboarders of the ’70s, supermodels of the ’80s, Tupac Shakur, Peggy Moffitt, Courtney Love, Stevie Nicks, Tallulah Bankhead, Betsey Johnson, older women who haven’t lost their edge and style.

How do you keep up with fashion? As a kid I would read Cosmo, but now I constantly scour the internet for fashion news. I keep up with Elle.com and Style.com for all the new fashion shows and read a lot of blogs like Kingdom of Style, Dirty Flaws, and Style Bubble. I’ve been reading Nylon since I was 15. I read other magazines too, like Oyster, V, British Elle and Harper’s Bazaar.

Favorite designers? Ossie Clark, Betsey Johnson, Jeremy Scott, Ashish, Rudi Gemreich, David Koma, Melody Ehsani, Stella McCartney, Jean Charles de Castelbajac, anything that makes me go “WOW!”

What are your favorite local shops? Sweet Jane Vintage in South Philly, Wilbur Vintage and Decades Vintage on 4th, the beauty supply store on 7th and Chestnut, and the Italian Market vendors.

Finally, what makes fashion important to you? I feel like I somewhat breathe fashion. It’s always on my mind in some way, whether I want it to be or not.