Victoria’s Secret model Shanina Shaik on her latest collaboration and how to master off-duty dressing

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22nd Aug 2019

When it comes to the contents of your wardrobe, there’s no denying that there are a series of staple pieces you wouldn’t want to live without. Worn on high rotation, these items have earned their way into your heart and cemented themselves as the trusted foundation of your closet. 

As trends come and go, you discover pieces you deem worthy of being classified as staples, and the four styles designed by Victoria’s Secret model Shanina Shaik, in collaboration with Byron-based label Johansen, are just those. 

Offering everything from silk slips to cotton shirts, the model shares: “I’m all about having classic staple pieces in your closet that you can incorporate and style any way you want over the years.”

Sourcing inspiration for the collection from Pinterest, personal experience, and a series of her favourite magazines, Shaik tells  that while taking creative charge of an Australian label from her base in Los Angeles proved difficult at times, she made a concerted effort to be involved in every aspect of the production process. 

“Johansen would send me samples to Los Angeles. I would try on the pieces personally, and then take pictures of what I would like to change,” says the model. “It was a very hands on collaboration, being that I chose the social content,” she continues, adding that she was also responsible for “how I wanted everything to look in the end.”

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Citing the crisp cotton Breeze set and the slinky silk L’ete dress as two of her favourite pieces from the collection, Shaik shares that while she likes to pair the slip dress with a T-shirt and sneakers when she’s after a more casual look, she swaps the kicks out for a pair of heels and removes the T-shirt before heading out for the night. 

Confirming that each style has the ability to be worn from day to night, the model tells  that, “there are so many ways you could wear the pieces”. She adds: “you can change the look by adding shoes or heels and sunglasses, so that’s really exciting as well.”

On the topic of off-duty dressing, Shaik shares that the best way to describe her personal style would be simple, classic and easy. Confessing that she steers clear of wedges and chunky boots, the model says she has a weakness for heels, and won’t head out for the night without a pair of them on her feet. 

Sharing that she has a knack for guessing her size just by looking at a garment, a skill which comes in handy considering she tends to opt not to try before she buys, the model says that when shopping, she will only ever invest in pieces that make her feel confident, and are the perfect fit for her figure.  

“When you don’t feel good about what you’re wearing, it shows and it doesn’t look good,” says Shaik, who confesses she wishes she “could burn pictures” from her first years in New York. The model further admits that she’s still finding the style that makes her feel great: “I’m still finding myself as a woman, and [discovering] what [makes] me feel good.”