Click below to listen to: Rebel of the Underground by Tupac

When I first moved to LA I had dreams of styling commercials for a living and, after a few weeks, I landed my first job as an assistant. I loved it. After all, styling is telling a story through a character’s appearance. I’d been reading the human stories I saw on the streets all around me for years, paying attention and figuring out who folks were by the way they presented themselves. Since then, I’ve traveled many career paths, yet I am still telling tales via fashion. And now, with the launch of PKIA, I am able to share these with you!

In our first page I’d like drop on you what I’ve chosen and why, starting with this awesome rayon/silk tunic from LUX sold at Urban Outfitters . I love tunics because of their versatility, they can be rocked at the beach, with jeans (Juicy Couture Leggings Jeans are my faves at the moment), a classic pair of black linen shorts (from forever 21!) and my favorite, a “vintage” Quechua Skirt.

The Quechua folks live high in the Andes Mountains of South America. They are said to be direct decedents of the Inca. In fact, to tie in a bit of pop culture with some beats of the past, the Quechua folks have a “Tupac” of their own. This Tupac was not a rapper, but the last Incan rebel to be caught by the Spanish Conquistadors. They beheaded him and hung his head in the town square as a reminder to any other would-be rebels. However his devoted followers did not scare easily. They took his decapitated head and buried it, telling the tale that when his body grows back and joins his head, he will return and the Inca civilization will regain its power!

As for this skirt, my rebel husband brought it back for me from his journey to Peru last spring. It was a family heirloom, over 70 years old, and passed down from mother to daughter. I too will cherish it, passing it down to my girls. After I rock it for a few years that is!