Guess what! Over the next few weeks we’ll be featuring some of our favorite bloggers from Kaboodle and beyond! And I’m thrilled to introduce you to the very first one (drum roll, please!):

Meet Mammi-Ama Ofori (known on Kaboodle as mammiama), the stylish lady behind the fashion and lifestyle blog Purple Vintage Space Princess , which was whimsically named after her love of the color purple and vintage fashion mixed with a nickname given to her by a photographer during a photo shoot. 


When we interrogated her for her best fashion insights and tips, we learned that and then some. For example, she  credits her mother for influencing fashion sense, her style is primarily vintage—from the 1940s to the ’80’s with a touch of ‘90’s—and she loves mixing vintage bases with modern accessories from Target, Forever 21, Topshop and Gilt Groupe to create her wonderfully unique look. She’s also a self-declared “Thrift Goddess,”  gets a good portion of her wardrobe from Goodwill and Salvation Army, hunts for vintage treasures at her favorite Etsy shops, JessJamesJake and Poochie’s Closet, and runs two shops on Etsy herself—one showcasing hand-picked vintage pieces and the other offering handmade knitwear accessories. If that weren’t enough, she is all about music—she’s a singer and can play the guitar, piano, cello, and clarinet!

Read on for more from Mammi-Ama:


Kaboodle: What advice do you have for a person who would like to start sharing photos of their personal style?

Mammi-Ama:  “JUST DO IT! Don't make any excuses like, ‘I don't have the right camera... I don't know how to get started.... etcetera.’  Start taking as many photos as you can each day. Play around with different angles and lighting. You need to get familiar with yourself and be comfortable in your own skin. Don't worry about what anyone will think – just be yourself and have fun with it. It's great to be inspired by other people and how they take their photos and style themselves but be sure to be your own unique self and shine your own bright light. It's definitely boring to see copycats. It's much more fun and exciting to see the REALNESS in people – believe me, it will show up in your photos.”


K: What’s your secret to style confidence?

MA: “My main secret is something that we ALL possess inside of us. It happens to be one of my favorite sayings and you will see me post it often in my blogs, on my website and pretty much anywhere you see me online and/or in print.
IF YOU CAN DREAM IT, YOU CAN HAVE IT!
It truly is that simple. You are what you believe and you are only as big (or as small) as you believe yourself to be. If you think and feel that you are confident and allow yourself to develop into the fabulous person that you are (because each and every one of us is FABULOUS and special) then you will be it. Allow yourself to be exactly who you are. It can be nice to see what ‘trends’ are in for a particular season and be inspired by all that is around you, but at the end of the day you have to be true to yourself and not project an image of what you think others want to see. Style confidence is all about being who you are and sharing your shining bright self to all that you encounter. Tell yourself each and every day that you are here for a reason, that you love yourself and that you are excited to share your insights on fashion (and everything else) with the world!"


K: What is your go-to scent?

MA: “I am a big fan of scents that bring out a pure and fresh essence so to say. I encourage you all to check out CB I Hate Per-fume ($17-$90). I have been wearing Perfumer, Christopher Brosius' scents for a few years now and I am completely in love with them. His perfumes are works of art. You will know exactly what I mean once you have the chance to smell them and be in the presence of his gallery. He has created every kind of scent you can imagine from Smoke, Rubber, Tomatoe, Burning Leaves, Old Leather, Grass, White Ginger Flower, Soaked Earth, At the Beach, Gathering Apples, etc. The list goes on and on and the scents are absolutely incredible. I love his tea rose and eternal return (pictured below) scents, just a few of my favorites to wear. Definitely check out his website and read his biography about his journey as a perfumer. It's a great read!”
 

K: What is your must-buy for spring?

MA:  “The Franklin Flap Bag (in Yam color - $469) made by Hayden Harnett. They are located in Brooklyn, NY, and are known for constructing really fabulous bags. If you are a gal like me that has a million and one things in her purse (that she justifiably needs...ha) then you definitely want a bag/purse that will distribute all of the weight evenly, look stylish and be versatile with all of your outfits. I'm in love with this bag and fully recommend it.”
 
K: What is your most recent online purchase?
MA: "Handmade organic body butters from Etsy ($12)."
 

Now that you’ve gotten to know our Hot Blogger, check out Mammi-Ama’s top five most wanted products right now! To see more from this interview, check out her video response.