Tanya Monaghan, "The Kayagirl", is a local stylist here in the Southbay. Kaya means home in Zulu. Kayagirl or "homegirl" is a tribute to Tanya's roots in South Africa, and connects them to her home in California. Kayagirl is a style-bridge between the local boutiques and the Southbay customer.
Tanya will be at Beach & Beverly Thursday, March 3rd; 5pm - 8pm hand selecting, styling and sharing her favorite looks for all our our Beach Babes.
B&B: How would you describe the Beach & Beverly woman?
TANYA: The Beach & Beverly woman exudes California effortless style. I would describe this style as the perfect mix of beach meets street with a touch of feminine bohemian flare. She wants to look and feel good in what she wears, but also be comfortable.
B&B: What are your favorite go-to brands?
TANYA: I have long been drawn to all things bohemian so I naturally gravitate to lines which embody this feel. I have loved Cleobella since it’s inception. I love their overall bohemian aesthetic and the beautiful exotic prints they incorporate into their collections. I am also a huge fan of Blue Life. Wearing their clothes makes me feel like I am on an exotic island somewhere.
B&B: Your go-to t-shirt?
TANYA: My go-to t-shirt is by LNA. I love their deconstructed styles. I own quite a few of them and I wear them for all occasion dressing. I love throwing one on with a pair of leather pants and heels for a night out, or with a pair of boyfriend jeans or a skirt for daytime. Sometimes I even throw one on when I work out as they look cool, feel comfortable and wash well.
B&B: What are your favorite trends for Spring?
TANYA: From what I saw of Spring '16 runways from New York to London and Milan to Paris, one of my favorite trends for Spring 2016 is the “cold shoulder” trend. We have seen open, off-the-shoulder neckline this past spring summer, but this season, designers took it a step further with very intentional cutouts meant to highlight just the shoulder. It’s a new understated sexy look which I love. Another trend I saw a lot of was “lingerie by day”. We have seen a lot of lingerie making a statement from last season, such as pretty bralettes intentionally peeking out from under open blouses and dresses or under transparent tops. This season, the trend is now moving forward to actual slips or slip-dresses. They can be worn as is for a summer breezy look or draped on top of tees or dressed down with sneakers and a denim jacket. It’s definitely a fun look to play with. Another trend which is so good, tried and true that it always seems to cycle back is “stripes”. This season they are prolific and will be seen in every which way: horizontal, vertical, diagonal, bold, and in variations of color, width and materials. If you are scared of all over stripes, start with something basic like a tank or T-shirt and tuck it into a high wasted denim. There is something so clean and bold about wearing stripes, it makes me feel confident.
B&B: What inspired you to be a part of the fashion world?
TANYA: I have always loved fashion. I remember at the age of 9 cutting up my mother’s blue floral bed sheets and stapling a dress together. I was so mad when my mom said I couldn’t wear it to school. By the time I was a teenager, my mom let me design my own prom dresses. I loved putting my own personal signature on items that I owned. Although I loved fashion, I ended up gravitating towards graphic design as a career as it was the time of the “internet boom” and I thought it would be a more stable career path. Years later, whilst working as a graphic designer for GQ Magazine in Cape Town, South Africa and expressing interest in fashion, I was offered the perfect opportunity to segue into the fashion arena by assisting an English fashion stylist for a fashion shoot. It was this little window which opened my eyes to a whole new world which I then passionately pursued as a career. I worked really hard (sometimes for free) and took every job that came my way. A couple years later, I landed my dream job as fashion editor of Glamour Magazine for South Africa and the rest is history! I absolutely love what I do, fashion is a part of who I am and I can’t imagine doing anything else.
You can find her at:
https://www.facebook.com/thekayagirl
1 comment
Tanya, sensational article. I’ve known you for quite some time, yet never knew the"history" of your trajectory!
Bravo and continued success. A simple dress made from floral bed linens put together with staples obviously did the trick!!
Well done!