Zaina Abujebarah is a barista, University of Utah journalism student and SLUG contributing writer. She has a keen sense for fashion, mixing multiple different styles into her own swirl of mixed couture.
Special thanks to Alchemy Coffee, who hosted this month’s SLUG Style in their beautiful and cozy coffee shop.
Every month, SLUG Style features a distinct and unique member of the community and asks them why they do what they do. Exploring more than just clothing, SLUG Style is an attempt to feature the people who give Salt Lake City flavor through personality and panache.
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“As influences go, I feel like I’ve dabbled in everything aesthetic-wise,” says Abujebarah. “I was really goth for a few years and I was really rockabilly for a few years, and I tried to be a Zooey Deschanel kind of thing for a while. I feel like after sampling all of those different things, I’ve kind of mashed together all of them into one.” Photo: @clancycoop
“I like Stevie Nicks a lot. I like her flowy thing,” says Abujebarah. “Although I’m not as extreme, I do love Marilyn Manson and his style. He’s out there. I love Audrey Hepburn, so I feel like I channel her a lot. When I wear a casual dress or something, it’s mostly 1940s, 1950s cut.” Photo: @clancycoop
“Marilyn Monroe is an influence of mine, in the sense that I try to channel not her aesthetic necessarily, but the way she carried herself,” says Abujebarah. “I love that about Marilyn. Anybody could have worn a hot-pink dress, but she walked a certain way and carried herself a certain way that made it what it was.”
Photo: @clancycoop
“I like getting dressed up. In the morning, it’s just my routine,” says Abujebarah. “I feel like if I don’t do my make-up and wear something awesome, then it’s like I’m not ready for my day yet … kind of like I never actually made the step to where I can do other things. I also like making an impression, I guess.” Photo: @clancycoop
“I feel like I try to illustrate myself as much as possible through my clothes,” says Abujebarah. “That’s why I have a Friday the 13th T-shirt. That’s my thing. Horror movies are my thing.” Photo: @clancycoop
Abujebarah’s family has ties to the Middle East, and she has incorporated some of that into her style. “Sometimes I wear head wraps and I think it’s really pretty. I like gaudy jewelry,” says Abujebarah. “I don’t necessarily want to be completely Middle Eastern–inspired, but I also don’t want to be completely Western-inspired, so I kind of like to mix both sometimes.” Photo: @clancycoop
“I work at The Coffee Shop a lot of the time. I go to school for journalism. I’m a communications major. I’m writing for SLUG, so all those things take up a lot of my time,” says Abujebarah. Photo: @clancycoop
Speaking of mixing musical interests that influence her fashion, Abujebarah says, “I like all ranges of music, I guess. I like metal, indie, goth, punk, everything alternative—but I also like hip-hop, pop and R&B … so I guess I just like mashing everything together into one.”
Photo: @clancycoop
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