Kinga Rajzak

As we wait for all of the personal-style pictures from the recent Paris, Milan, and London shows to trickle in, your WhoWhatWear.com team is content to take inspiration from past fashion weeks. After all, there are endless images of interestingly attired catwalk regulars to choose from, so finding noteworthy outfits isn't hard to do! The backstage beauty who caught our eye this month is none other than Kinga Rajzak, a raven-haired Slovakian stunner with a coolly eclectic wardrobe. While her runway days might be on hiatus—it seems she skipped the F/W 10 shows—her outfit selections are completely current, hence today's Model Off Duty story!


Rajzak's made a number of prescient fashion picks over the years, including one of the current season's biggest trends: mixed prints. She was snapped at Missoni's F/W 08 show (top row, second from left) wearing a quirky combo of spotted pants and a contrasting woven scarf with a fuzzy cream jacket and an oversized green Balenciaga bag. But that combo pales in comparison to the ultra-vivid ensemble she wore backstage at Anna Sui's F/W 09 show (top row, third from left). Rajzak wore a floor-length tie-dye dress with a zebra cardigan, resulting in a haute hippie outfit for the ages.

Of course, Rajzak doesn't always make a sartorial splash with an assortment of patterns. Sometimes she prefers a single pop of color, accented with a metallic flash. Take her outfit at Rick Owens' S/S 08 show (top row, far left) for example: though Rajzak selected a bright red dress, she layered it with simple neutrals (a white tee, brown bomber jacket, and black opaques) and finished it with her favorite gold lace-up boots. That same season, she created a somewhat similar look for the Chloe show (far right image) when she styled the boots with black basics, a cream vest, and a sparkly purple top.

But since our MOD's a mix master, sometimes she ditches the bold patterns and bright separates and settles on a color that's super au courant today: taupe. The model has shown off variations on this necessary neutral over the years, starting at the Dries Van Noten S/S 09 show (bottom row, second from left). On that occasion, Rajzak went for a body-con maxi dress and tonal leather jacket in the muted hue. During the subsequent show season at Roberto Cavalli (bottom row, far left), she simply picked an oversized taupe tee, which she wore with thrashed jeans, biker boots, and a blazer, all in black.

For those of you who want to emulate Rajzak's quirky closet, we've located a few pieces to help you pull off our MOD's style. To get your mixed-print fix, try a psychedelic frock like Mink Pink's Tie Dye Jersey Maxi Dress ($111) or Love Milly's Tulip Skirt Dip Dye Denim Dress ($60) with J. Crew's Vintage Zebra-Stripe Cardigan ($88). If a floor-length frock is too much commitment, you can always swap it out for a top, like the L'Agence Tie Dye Henley Caftan ($324), which has the same relaxed vibe but is a subtler piece. If you would like to pull off Rajzak's bright-and-black ensembles, try a saturated red dress like Shipley & Halmos' Fermi Dress ($445) or Elizabeth and James' Evans Tee Dress ($245) in Red Coral or a sparkly top such as Gryphon's Vein Sequin Top ($370) or DKNY's Sequin Tank ($125). Simply add your favorite black accents and some metallic lace-up combat boots, perhaps a pair of Dr. Martens 1460 8 Eye Boots ($120) will do the trick? As for our taupe tips, try the ASOS Lightweight Scoop Neck Maxi Dress ($44) in Khaki or the Penumbra Knot Back Dress ($235) and Dolce Vita's Emmy Leather Jacket ($550)! Whatever you pick, with Rajzak as your wardrobe muse, you're sure to get amazing results!