Annabu of the inspiring blog Just Bu It is undeniably a trend-setter, not a follower. Winner of the recent Refinery29 & Chictopia Style Star Contest, Annabu impressed us all with her bold use of color and sick styling skills. Since then, we can’t get enough of the expert mix of vintage, DIY, high street, and designer that is Annabu’s wardrobe. While she often works and travels as a model, Annabu’s true passion is art; which she makes a consistent part of her blog, in addition to her amazing outfits. Annabu’s exposure to so many cultures paired with her artistic nature have surely contributed to a chic and eclectic personal aesthetic, the likes of which The Supermelon has yet to see. Read on to learn more about this fashion risk-taker.

How did you feel when you found out you won the Refinery29 & Chictopia Style Star Contest?!
I was super surprised. I didn’t count, but there were a lot of submissions, so I really expected someone with a cuter outfit to win, but of course I was thrilled when I found out that I won! I was happy to get a positive response to my outfits, because I’ve always been a little bit unsure if people really like them.

How would you describe your style?
It’s definitely COLORFUL. I wear lots of complementary colors. I focus more on the colors than the cut/style of clothes. It’s also very vintage. I prefer to buy vintage over designer clothes. I adore vintage clothing because usually you find more unique pieces. Haven’t we all bought a lovely H&M piece and while walking through the city we see about 10 girls with the same one? There are often awesome dresses in the vintage stores that are way too big for me, so I buy them and sew them smaller.

Sometimes, I splurge on a piece from Chloé, Chanel, Cinque, but not that often. My sneakers and jeans are usually new – I wear Acne, Diesel, Cheap Monday, and Dr. Denim jeans.

Is there a certain style philosophy that you try to live by?
Wear clothes you feel comfortable in. If you’re not in the mood to dress up, there’s always a way to wear baggy clothes in a nice way. If you like it, wear it! There will always be people who don’t like your style. Most of the stars just wear expensive designer clothes and for me this has nothing to do with style. Just because it’s expensive doesn’t mean that it’s super-cool.

What are your favorite things to wear right now? Any summer staples?
Cycling pants and short leggings! I have already cut a lot of my leggings for summer. For the evening, it’s good to have a blazer with short sleeves - I bought 4 of them in a vintage store. If it’s not too hot, I really like big boots with some cut-off Levi’s shorts. Straw hats are great for summer and look great with dresses. Also, T-shirts with shoulder pads! They are really easy to make and look very chic.

Who are your favorite designers?
Another hard question. I like Martin Margiela, Balenciaga, Gareth Pugh, Viktor & Rolf, Undercover, C.Neeon, Paule Ka, Melk Zda, Sommer, Sandra Backlund, Jean-Pierre Braganza…I think in every collection of every designer, there are one or two pieces I like.

Who or what inspires you fashion-wise?
Photos of architecture, nature, and art inspire me; and of course fashion photos. I like magazines like INDIE/WAD/Sleek/Qvest. I also read blogs, but I prefer reading magazines or photography books and I can make collages with them.

Do you have any fashion icons or favorite eras?
In terms of eras, I like the romantic outfits of the belle époque, the hair in the 20s, the glamour in the 30s and also the women’s suits, the prints and materials of the 60s/70s, plus the disco dresses from the 70s, last but not least: I love the cuts of the 80s and 90s, though not necessarily the colors.

“A little bit of everything” seems to be a good way to describe your style. Where are your favorite places to shop?
Vintage shops and flea markets! When I’m planning to travel somewhere, the first thing I do is Google vintage shops there. I also shop on eBay, because some stuff is hard to find here. There are also some great little shops in Hamburg, Berlin, and Munich I really like (anyone who wants to go there, e-mail me). And, of course I have lots of clothes from H&M, Topshop, and American Apparel.

Besides shopping, how to you spend your free time?
Making collages, drawing, sewing clothes, hanging out with friends, staying home with my family, and eating pizza. I really love going to the movies or to exhibitions. On weekends, I like to go out and dance. I also like going to all the little flea markets. When there’s a flea market in the morning, I stay in the night before so that I can be the first one there. When I’m traveling and I’m not in castings, I love to walk around the city by myself with no specific destination, with my camera and headphones and some good tunes – I love that.

The music player on Just Bu It has some great tunes. What are you listening to lately?
I always listen to N.E.R.D. – I’ve seen them in concert three times; they’re a fantastic band and some of the lyrics are pretty good. My taste of music is diversified. A few days ago, I was in Berlin, visiting a friend and we listened to Fink and The Whitest Boy alive…great bands!

I also started to listen to old school hip-hop again, like A Tribe Called Quest and Arrested Development. My favorite artists at the moment are Mos Def, The Kooks, Phoenix, Flying Lotus, Lykke Li, Vampire Weekend, and Beach House.

Tell us about your art.
I’ve been drawing since I was 9. I had a great art teacher in school who pushed me. What I love most is making collages/photo montages. It’s the best way for me to express myself and create different moods, illusions or send messages to the viewer. When I make them, my whole room is covered with paper. I really want to learn how to do it on the computer.

Are you more passionate about art or fashion? Do you feel that they go hand-in-hand?
Right now, art. It’s partly because I’m trying to apply to art school and I have to make a portfolio - so I have to make a lot of time for art. I hope that I can start to study fashion design in October. Ultimately, I want to do fashion, but still keep on making art. Otherwise, I think I would get bored. I also want to express my creativity through photography. I had a Polaroid camera which I loved, but it broke so I decided it was time to buy an SLR and be cool and modern.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Sitting in my apartment in a big, big crowded city with my little cat Matilda next to me on the couch, watching T.V.

To visit Annabu’s blog, go to justbuit.blogspot.com.