NEW! Madison Mannequin: LA Imports

Guest blogger Alexandra Graves is an intern here at Madison Magazine and my eye on the streets for all things chic, eccentric or otherwise inspirational. So check back weekly for the latest “Madison Mannequin.” Lex will be conducting all interviews and providing commentary for this special weekly segment.

Stacy Sterling flew in from Los Angeles to visit her sister, but she brought a lot of style with her. Sterling, twenty-nine, designs jewelry that can be found in her sister’s boutique, Sukara Sterling, on State Street. She does more than sell style, however—she lives it, which was evident in her thinking-outside-of-the-flip-flop look.

“It started with the boots,” Sterling said of her outfit, so it’s no accident that I noticed them first. “I choose one piece that I really feel like wearing, then elaborate on that. I have a lot to choose from because I’m really into fashion.”

So into fashion, in fact, that after graduating pre-med from UW–Oshkosh, Sterling followed the urge to explore her creative side all the way to Los Angeles, where she has lived, designed and shopped for the past seven years.

Sterling snagged the boots at a flea market, borrowed the sash belt from a jumpsuit and wore a racerback tank as a dress. She pulled it all together with a roomy sweater from Honey Punch and a scarf from—where else?—Sukara Sterling.

So how does Madison’s style stack up to the ever-current Los Angeles?

“When students are here, there’s more risk taking,” Sterling said. “They’re not afraid to be the first to wear something.”