Look of the Week: Emma Rothkopf ’15

Major: English and Fine Arts
Favorite Magazine: Harper’s Bazaar
Favorite Celebrity: Miranda Kerr
Favorite Website: Pinterest
Favorite Store(s): Aritizia, Free People, and any good department store
Favorite Store near Amherst: Ode
Favorite Item of Clothing: A dress
Last purchase: Sherpa jacket
Dream Brand: Chanel
Most comfortable outfit: Leggings and a giant sweater and hat

Although junior Emma Rothkopf’s women’s soccer après sport apparel may seem omnipresent, this junior midfielder’s true fashion sense is inspired by her other passion — a deep and refined love of art which continues to grow through her art classes as a Fine Arts and English double major. Or maybe it is Rothkopf’s personal style that inspires her artistic eye. Indeed their overlapping interest is clear — as a recipient of the Lane Fellowship for creative artists in the library, Rothkopf used her passion for art, fashion and nature to sew a collection of simple canvas dresses that were inspired by old books in Amherst archives. She says, “… with pages of pictures of hand-drawn mammals and butterflies and insects, for example. Then I was inspired by those images and I got to make whatever I want. So I decided to make dresses and paint them with those images.”

Rothkopf defines her personal style as comfortable and artsy. She believes her more naturalistic style is in part due to her upbringing in a rural Massachusetts town of only 6,000 people. As a child, Rothkopf loved the woods, perhaps explaining the earthy elements of her style. One gets the sense that the same eye that decorates her canvases also cultivates her style. After some hesitation Rothkopf notes, “I look at some magazines. Like Harper’s Bazaar. I definitely like Pinterest a lot. Just to gather my thoughts. Obviously, Miranda Kerr is awesome, but I do not know if we even have a similar style or anything. I just think that she is cool. And wears cool things. Obviously because she is a super famous fashion model.” Rothkopf continues, “I just got the Kate Moss book, which is pretty sweet. I found $60 worth of Barnes & Nobles gift certificates from childhood laying around my house and I was like, ‘yep I know what I am going to get.’”

Rothkopf is practical when it comes to what she needs and how best to spend her money. For example, she dreams about the day when she will bring herself to splurge on a nice bag. “That is something that I would splurge on in the future when I make lots of money … I do not need one now, but after college I’ll need one, and I’ll splurge on that for sure.”

While in college, especially at parties, Rothkopf tries to stay away from the tight-dress look. “It just is not comfortable,” she says. And besides, she prefers to “leave a little to the imagination. I would rather wear a bag than a tight dress.” She then pauses, giggles and then confesses, “Although I am wearing a tight black dress tonight. When worst comes to worst, go all black.”

Rather than conforming, Rothkopf has grown to take risks and sometimes stand out, even if it means taking flack from her friends. There are two fashion risks that Rothkopf enjoys: “I like hats. Like beanies. But also I like real hats with brims. But they are sometimes hard to get away with. And people sometimes make fun of me, but it’s fine.” And the second? “Long dresses. I feel like they are hard to wear in normal life, like to class. But it can be done.”

When it comes to her favorite items of clothing, Rothkopf does not necessarily value all new clothing. She emphasizes the importance of mixing the old with the new. Detailing her favorite items, Rothkopf says, “One of my favorite pairs of jeans that I got in like eighth grade. It is unclear why they still fit.” Still another must-have: “Boots. Lots of boots. I love boots. I just got a pair of knee high boots and I like them a lot. They are plain black suede. But for every day, I like ankle to mid. I cannot wait until it is warm so I can wear my knee high boots with little dresses.” As a tribute to her more sentimental side, she says, “I have my dad’s old jean jacket. I will keep that forever for sure.”

Aside from just the sentimental tinge, Rothkopf’s family, specifically her mother, has been a great source of her fashion inspiration. Rothkopf explains, “My mom keeps everything—from high school on. She always told me stories about a special peacoat that she bought from Urban Outfitters when it just opened and she was living in Cambridge. It is a plain peacoat, but it has a very stylish flair.” She adds, “I am pretty into the period when my mom grew-up, 60s-70s style. And she has all of that clothing for me to explore.”

“Clothes should tell a story. That is why fashion is cool. The superficial parts of fashion are not what are cool,” Rothkopf says. “I mean do not get me wrong, it is so much fun to go to Bloomingdales, but at the same time, I would so much rather go rummage around in my attic for something cool.”