Classy Rebel prefers vintage designs ‘with a hint of prep’

Arkeida Wilson draws fashion inspiration from vintage designs, stocking her wardrobe with pieces that are “classic and timeless.” She’s especially partial to circle skirts, wide leg pants, collared shirts and, most of all, dresses. A creator of fashion herself, she founded Classy Rebel Design in 2017, launching Kickstarter projects with Star Wars and Star Trek themes. Inspired by cosplay, her work brings fandom flair to everyday wear. Many of the photos below feature her original designs.

What are your diehard fandoms? 

Anything else within the realm of Batman not but him — like Harley Quinn, Nightwing, Teen Titans, especially Starfire. Also, Lore Olympus, Doctor Who, Bob’s Burgers, X-Men, Star Wars, and Star Trek. 

Then hopping into the books genre: Children of Blood and Bone because Toni Adeyemi can do no wrong! And I’ve just been binging the audiobooks for the Bridgerton series, along with anything romance or fantasy! 

How would you describe your personal geek style? 

My style is definitely vintage-inspired with a hint of prep. I love good classic and timeless pieces that I can continue to use as a staple in my wardrobe. Like a great circle skirts or wide leg pant from Madewell that I pair with collared shirts and printed tees or sweatshirts. And dresses. Dresses make up the majority of my wardrobe. I don’t own a single pair of jeans and I plan on keeping it that way for as long as possible. But I wear my dresses out and about regularly. 

What favorite geek fashion items can be found in your closet? 

My pin collection! A good chunk of the clothing I wear isn’t always super obvious to the character I am paying homage to. So I put one on the collar of my shirt and my outfit is infinitely but subtly more nerdy and to my liking. I also like to keep a few on my denim jacket but I do keep them in rotation. It’s a fun conversation starter when I meet people on the streets of NYC or in the office. 

Describe your go-to geeky outfit. 

Skirt, preferably a circle skirt or something with a flare, a button down collared shirt paired with a graphic tee or sweatshirt.  

Where do you find yourself searching or shopping the most for your geek fashion needs? 

I think I am a pretty lax shopper in the fact that I don’t shop very often. But when I do, it’s balls to the wall, all or nothing. Also, a lot of my clothes aren’t necessarily nerdy but I can pull color schemes to make it fit the character I feel inspired by that day. Some of my favorite brands are Voodoo Vixen, which I have an absolute favorite green jumpsuit that I use as a Tiana bound. I even got it in other colors. Also, Vixen by Micheline Pitt, Hell Bunny, and for my shirts I go to Jordandene, The Colorful Geek, Out of Print, or the Disney Store. 

Feel free to shout out any personal geeky passions, projects, or business endeavors: 

I just finished up the rewards for my last Kickstarter, which was a Finn-inspired dress. 

My newest Final Frontier Collection launched November 18 on Kickstarter for all the Trekkies out there. 

I will be working on my Senshi Swimwear line that will hopefully launch in January 2022. 

For more details, visit Classy Rebel Design.

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About Author

Lavender Vroman

Lavender Vroman spent 15 years as an entertainment writer, editor, and film critic before launching her own website, nomansland.blog. Her graphic novel will be published in 2024. She spends too much time thinking about Star Wars.

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