#EXCLUSIVE: SHADU speaks with L’Officiel Arabia

Tanja Beljanski: Within a short time, you have changed dramatically and started teaching girls how to dress stylishly. How did this idea come and what inspired you to realize it?

Shadu: I have always been a giant fan of fashion, beautiful things and style. But there were times when I just had no money to look stylish. But then, when my finances became more or less robust, I had nobody to advise me what I was doing wrong. I mean, you can dress yourself in mass market clothes, and look like a million bucks. In my videos with changing clothes and different looks, I show how you can nicely combine different outfits. A girl can just go to the store and put together this particular look, because I always reveal where I got this or that thing from. I also shoot shopping vlogs where I tell what is worth buying this season, and what is better not to pay attention to, regardless of whether it is trendy or not.

 

“You can dress yourself in mass market clothes, and look like a million bucks.”

 

TB: You are a singer and a blogger. What is the priority for you though?

Shadu: Music will always come first. For I am a singer, a songwriter, and only then a blogger. But this does not mean blogging is less important to me. I've been such a sucker for blogging and doing fashion that it finally became my job! You know, I have always dreamed of dressing beautifully; to look fashionable, to dress like Hollywood stars. So I always get a kick out of shooting fashion videos with beautiful looks which gives me a great deal of pleasure.

TB: You are not tall, we know it was difficult for you at first to find clothes. What about now?

Shadu: The problem of short human stature is relevant as ever! Unfortunately, brands sew on an average human height — 170 centimeters. I think it’s a huge mistake! Not many people have ideal parameters. Not all people are thin, not all people are tall. Most of the girls have completely non-model looking measurements. I often get messages from subscribers; they want to buy a dress, but it might be too long, or by contrast, very short. I believe, in the future brands should introduce a height grid in addition to the size grid. It will make it easier for girls with non-model measurements to dress beautifully. As for my height, I always try to skillfully swim between flaws, to highlight the advantages of my figure. Moreover, I do not think short height is a disadvantage. I love my height, I love being a little girl even at 31! I feel comfortable being this tall. When I want to get taller, I wear my favorite Versace heels.

 

“In the future brands should introduce a height grid in addition to the size grid.”

 

TB: Has a short stature ever been a problem for you? Do you feel any discomfort? Or is it a motivation for you?

Shadu: As a child, I just hated my height. Firstly, I always had a lot of questions. Why are all the children so much taller than me? I didn't like that I was different. I was humiliated, some classmates used to call me names for my small stature. Uh, sometimes children can be too cruel. Therefore, I dreamed of growing up and becoming tall. The miracle has not happened, but what happened is that I have changed my attitude to who I am and how I look. I have fully accepted myself and my height. Everything I can change and improve — I change and improve.

“I was humiliated, some classmates used to call me names for my small stature.”

 

TB: Shooting fashion videos probably takes a lot of time. How much? And what is the feedback from your fans?

Shadu: Yes, shooting videos sometimes takes a huge amount of time! Before you shoot a video, you come up with an idea, you make cool creative images, then shoot it all, then edit it, sometimes add effects or graphics. If these are conversational videos, like jazz, or you yourself, then it still takes time to write the script. It turns out one video might take you a few days. But it's all worth it. At the end I get surreal feedback from my subscribers.

 

TB: Which of your videos is dear to you, and why?

Shadu: My favorite video is “Dressing up like Karl Lagerfeld”. In this video, I tell you how you can create an image of maestro Lagerfeld from things you bought at the mall. Why is this my favorite video? Firstly, because I adore Lagerfeld's style, and I am also a huge fan of Lagerfeld himself as a creator, as a designer. I love talking videos like “Dressing up like Karl Lagerfeld” because I can mix so perfectly fashion and humor in them.

TB: What is the situation with fashion? Do you follow fashion trends or do you still create your own trends?

Shadu: It depends on the mood, on inspiration. I don't think all the trends dictated by fashion houses are successful. If there is a trend that I don't like, I will never use it. Rather, I wouldn’t hesitate to speak out on the fact that it is ugly, not fashionable, and even gross. Sometimes I would create something of my own and combine things in an unconventional way. My subscribers really like it. They would pick it up and send me pictures of themselves wearing the same style.

 

TB: Have you thought about opening your own clothing line, or have there been suggestions from famous designers to use their clothes on you?

Shadu: That’s a very common question. I have worked and am working with many Ukrainian designers. I never planned to open my own clothing brand. But now that fashion and style have become a permanent fixture in my life with thousands of girls writing to me and thanking me for helping them look stylish without spending a lot of money, yes. I think I just have to do it in the future. These will be super stylish things. The brand will definitely be very affordable, and it will no doubt contain not only size charts, but also height charts.

 

TB: For you, the niche of fashion is ... describe I in your own words.

Shadu: For me, fashion, shopping, style is something I can't live without! This is a real big part of me!

 

 

IG: @ offi_shadu

Tik-tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kseniya.shadu?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

Photographer: Mykhailo Fedorak @michael_fedorak

All clothes: Tailor made; in house production