About Face.

**CNK Closets** **heads to the Windy City to meet** **@styleisaweapon** **and her incredible collection.**

There are fashion lovers, and then there are fashion lovers, and @styleisaweapon is definitely the latter. We already knew that the Chicago–based collector has incredible personal style—just take a quick glance at her Instagram, wherein she drops everything from Jumpsuits, Gucci waist pouches, and work-ready attire all paired with her beloved AJ 1. But, it wasn’t until she welcomed us into her space that we actually understood the scale of her passion for clothing, sneakers, and accessories.

For anyone who occasionally stares into the depths of their closet without a scrap of inspiration, let Style (that's what we're referring to her by, BTW) be your new fashion spirit guide. That whole "don't match" thing is virtually thrown out the window as Style's knack for pairing the perfect High Court Purple AJ 1 with a blazer that seems straight from the same color swatch, gives us a pretty big dose of fashion inspo. All it takes is a herculean amount of personal style.

Style is, essentially, one of the most known and unknown sneakerheads in the sneaker community. While her 25K+ following gravitates towards her colorful collection and perfectly paired fits, nobody (aside from her close friends and family) could spot her on the street. And that, to be honest, is the way she likes it. She's not big on names or showing her face but, she loves the shoes, the community, and the style that brings it all back to her user name of choice - style is indeed a weapon.

Click through to discover more about why the AJ1 is her favorite ever, her take on the perfect closet (hint: color codes are King) —and how she developed her signature style.

STYLE, IN PRIVATE

“I’ve pretty much stayed anonymous except for those whom I’ve been friends for years and people I’ve known before I made my IG public. Now, I have a network of sneaker friends and shooters through the sneaker game but, believe it or not, off the Gram I’m really just a very laid back person. Funny, silly, and just very private.”

WHERE I’M FROM: THE CHI

“[I’m from] Chicago, the city MJ was playing in at the peak of his career. In my honest opinion, his story is the heart of the sneaker culture that we know today. Back when I was a little girl in the Philippines, I grew up in an era where saying “NBA” meant “Chicago Bulls” and the Chicago Bulls are Michael Jordan. Basketball was big in the Philippines, almost every guy in our family plays, so I would say my natural love for sports and my boyish/sporty nature are greatly influenced by that.”

DRESS FOR SUCCESS…AND MOM LIFE

Fit and silhouette are always very important to me. When the shoe fits it’s very likely I’ll be buying it in every color. I know that’s kind of boring for some but, I find it simple and more practical to stick to what works as it allows me to make dressing less complicated. I’m a working mom and really don’t have a lot of time to spare thinking what to wear. My style goes from sporty to preppy so sneakers fit into my daily life.

JORDAN OVER EVERYTHING

Somebody jokingly said, ‘I didn’t find the AJ1 life. it found me.’ That’s somewhat true. I think it was like a match made in heaven, like finding your one true love after so many others. LOL.

In my honest opinion, AJ1 is the most iconic sneaker. The history behind it made me fall so hard for it. It has tons of colorways that allow me to play with colors and textures that suit my mood. most people would probably be shocked to find that I’m not a big fan of red and have strong affinity for blue yet, I have tons of reds in my collection. This is only because I’m a collector and have been [waiting] for years for older colorways like the “Chicago” and the “Breds.”

COLOR COORDINATE

“I think a “perfect” sneaker closet is really subjective to the person but, I would say any sneaker closet that represents the collector and the story behind the collector is perfect. On the technical side, for a big collection, it would always be nice to have a sneaker room where you can organize, display, and easily find your sneaks. It’s a challenge for big collectors like me, especially because I like to keep my boxes.

I organize my collection by grouping [my sneakers] together based on colors. Red, blue, grey, multi-colored, etc. By doing this, I can easily narrow down which group of boxes I should I be looking at [when I’m looking for a pair to wear.]”

PERSONAL STYLE 101

“When I buy stuff, I usually stick to clean, basic, classic, and practical. I think I represent the majority of hardworking moms and women who want to dress with less fussing. Stylish and not dated but, still easy to put together. I can’t imagine myself a working mom, or a career woman for that matter, spending a lot of time putting together a complicated fit. It would just be an added stress to so many things we juggle.

I also only buy things that fit my frame, my style, and my lifestyle. I don’t like spending on stuff that won’t last and things that are just trendy. I like the idea of recreating timeless classics - I really dig that.”

COLLECTOR STATUS

I started collecting in March 2017. March 2019 will be my second full year. Some say in such a short span I’ve accumulated and built a good collection with a variety of years, colorways, collabs, GS options, and ladies drops. I now have at least 100 AJ 1 Highs and and few AJ 1 Lows.

COLOR POP

“I wouldn’t really call myself a photographer or shooter but I would say I’m a little artistic. LOL. I have my own style that i want to express. I like the thought of making colors pop from a plain black background and bringing the focus on the subject, so I used to take pics using black backgrounds and my iPhone to shoot and edit. My page was like a blank black canvas and I used my sneakers as my colors. For two years as my collection and my page grew, so did my influence to fellow sneaker collectors. Thus, I felt compelled to incorporate fits to allow my audience to appreciate the sneaker, not just as art but as an essential item in the arsenal for daily wear.”

PICK THREE:

“Oh my gosh! So hard! Probably my “Chicago”, “Royals”, and “Shadows.”

Inside the Closet of a Faceless Sneaker Queen