You may remember Jo of Lost in the Haze from her breathtaking video tour of Brunei; well, we wanted to know more about what made this blogger tick. Her fashion blog is chock-full of inspiring outfit photos set upon the backdrop of New Zealand, where Jo lives. With the magical combination of her candy-colored outfits and verdant settings, it’s easy to imagine unicorns and rainbows in the backgrounds of her photos. But we brought Jo back down to earth by asking her easy questions like what her favorite cupcake flavor is, and where she would jet to on an impromptu weekend retreat. To steal her look, first nab her namesake dress and then peruse her fave ModCloth picks!
You grew up in Brunei in Southeast Asia, but now call Christchurch, New Zealand home. What was the biggest adjustment when you moved?
I struggled an awful lot with the temperature change! Brunei is a solid thirty degrees Celsius (eighty-six Fahrenheit) all year round! I moved to Christchurch during August, which is right in the middle of winter. I remember wearing double layers of socks and tights under my school uniform—it was so cold!
What are your favorite eras for fashion? What style icons do you channel from those eras?
I’m quite obsessed with the 1960s! I adore all of the key looks from that era: big hair, lots of eyeliner, cute collars, and short hemlines. My favorite style icons of the time would have to be Edie Sedgwick, Brigitte Bardot, and Anna Karina. I find Brigitte particularly influential; I love teasing my hair into her trademark beehive!
You’ve mentioned that you love cupcakes—what flavor do you like most and why?
I really, really love vanilla cupcakes. The icing is my favorite part. I was one of those notorious icing eaters when I was little—always leaving the rest of the cake behind on the plate!
If you could go on a trip, where would you travel?
Lately I’ve been daydreaming about visiting the very south of New Zealand, to the Fiordland National Park. There is a big glowworm cave, and is full of massive green hills surrounded by misty lakes. I feel like something magical would live there, and maybe it would even say hello if I went for a visit!
Do you speak any languages other than English?
Sadly, no! I did seven years of French at school, but for some reason it just never stuck! I would always get so nervous for my French exams; the verbs got my head so jumbled! I’m really jealous—my dad is one of those “language people.” He’s fluent in English, Malay, and Maori (the native language of New Zealand).
When you’re not blogging, what are you up to?
It changes week to week, but lately most of my time has been dedicated to designing my own clothing line. It is getting more and more exciting the more I progress—and I am enjoying every minute of it! I also run a vintage store, full of all kinds of treasures. On top of all that, my boyfriend, Barnaby, and I are a photography team! We’ve done several campaigns lately, and nothing could make me happier!
How do you spend a typical day?
I’ll wake up and have a hot Milo while Barnaby has a coffee. I’ll shower and then change into something pretty for the day. Most days I will go on a thrifting excursion, and in the afternoons I’ll usually brainstorm and work on my clothing line! In the late afternoon we’ll go for a long walk (usually for food) and take some photographs along the way. In the evening I’ll blog, and spend a while looking at my favorite websites and replying to emails. I also try and squeeze in as many errands during the day as I can. I’m forever saying that the day just isn’t long enough!
Here’s how Jo styled her namesake dress for a cupcake date. Where would you wear this wow-worthy dress?
Jo says she’d wear the Lost in the Haze Dress paired with the Cat Eye Cutie Sunglasses, Sunday Market Tote in Cat, Carousel Lip Gloss in Candy Apple, Tights for Every Occasion in Mustard, and Midnight Clear Flats. What about you?