When in Madrid…post about Madrileñas! Since Dona has been in Spain this week on a crazy European book and speaking tour, we thought this was exactly the right time to debut one particular wonderful lady we met this summer. We met Dana when she was an intern and loved her effortless yet chic style. As Dona walked around Madrid for the last 30 hours, she realized this is precisely what everyone in this city embodies as well. The focus on clean lines, solid colors in highly flattering, luxurious fabrics is almost an obsession in Madrid. There is precisely zero sloppy street style to be seen! We shouldn’t be surprised, seeing as Spain is the birthplace of our favorite brands for un-basic basics such as Zara, Mango, Camper and for fun prints, Desigual and Cuesto.
So how did a native Madrileña like Dana end up in Seattle? Read on to find out!
Tell us a little about you.
I am a proud madrileña (fancy for born and raised in Madrid, Spain), with Bulgarian parents who somehow ended up in the middle of cornfields and cows at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
I have loved art since I can remember and wanted to be a painter/artist/graphic designer/architect for most of my life. Somehow, I ended up studying Computer Science and loved it although I dream of retiring and buying a small shop (with turquoise walls) and selling homemade sweets, lots of loose leaf tea and used books.
Tell us about what you’re wearing.
I am wearing a dress from Loft, which means very little since basically everything I own is from there. I love solid colors, among which olive greens and teals are my favorite. Same as with prints, I tend to prefer simple accessories so when I bought this necklace I had to wait for around 4 months to build the courage to wear it outside. However, I can’t live without my Michael Kors’ watch and my purse from Asos :)
How did your style evolve to what it is now?
In Spain, everyone is really into fashion (Like really. Like grocery-shopping-really) so I feel like coming to college made me give a lot less damns about it. I really like outfits I can wear both in the States and back at home and look “nice and presentable but not a try hard” in both, which happens to be very hard. (Toms, Rainbow sandals, that black basic NorthFace that every girl (including me) has… are huge no-no’s in Spain, unless you are going hiking? Maybe a nature expedition far away from cameras?)
That being said, dresses make the cut for summer, plus they are super comfy. Living in Illinois during the winter I basically can say I have mastered the ski outfit…
As for style, I really love (and bleed) preppy and office appropriate outfits but I sometimes enjoy the boho outfits, graphic/music band t-shirts and a pair of Nikes.
As I said before, I dream about Loft clothes (probably because they send way too many newsletters with good sales I always end up reading before deleting). Apart from that probably my mother is my main style icon, she taught me some good lessons about clothes quality and what items you should always have as a wardrobe staple(moms are always the best).
Any advice for a young person thinking about getting into a STEM field?
Believe in yourself and remind yourself every day how kickass you are (fake it, till you make it). If you wake up every morning believing it, it will show in the confidence you do things, remind you that you should speak your mind and will also help other believe in you and your ideas.
Sometimes, this field might feel like it’s not made for you and be intimidating. Having that trust in yourself is the one thing (in my opinion, of course :) ) that can really save you in days like that.
What is the best way (if any) for people to follow you on social media?
https://instagram.com/dnicolaeva & goodreads.com/dnicolaeva
Believing in how kick-ass you are and reminding yourself of it every morning is pretty much the motto we live by here at Fibonacci Sequins. There is room for ALL kinds of people in STEM and since every single industry is currently being disrupted by STEM, that diversity of thought and experience is more important than ever before. We loved meeting Dana and getting her outlook on style, STEM and confidence. We are very excited to see how this artistic Madrileña combines her love of art with her passion for computer science.
Love,
Dona & Beth