Dress from Serpico Boutique, price upon request. Cowboy style, chain necklace from Funksion Boutique.

When I first get a glance of Drea and saw her short, black bob as she approached my car the day of the shoot, I could tell there was a hint of optimism underneath her unapologetically cynical demeanor. She is exactly what you would expect from a Libra who cites Debbie Harry as one of her inspirations. Drea oozes punk rock rebelliousness and is quite the alternative fashionista in her back-in-fashion patent leather Doc Martens, which we actually ended up using for part of our photo shoot that day.  Elizabeth Aguirre, Lifestyle Photo Lab Contributor

Jarrah Dequien, Photographer


T-shirt and skirt from Funkshion Boutique.

 

Drea’s ease in conversation suggests she has always been a mellow, laid back person and her background seems to reinforce that notion. She speaks comfortably about her time spent on The Glow in the Dark Tour and Chicago’s music scene.  A true Midwestern gal, Drea has spent time living in St. Louis, where she was born, Milwaukee, where she spent her adolescence, and Chicago, where she has been residing since 18. She completely lacks the self-centeredness most New Yorkers tend to develop and the forced optimism that many from the West Coast often bring to the table. Not to discredit talent from either of those coasts, but Midwesterners are just different, generally speaking.


 

For Drea, being one half of the group He Say She Say (she plays front woman to Million Dollar Mano’s DJ/Production) definitely comes with perks, one of which is being an exclusive member of an “all boys club” as the down- to-earth singer puts it. Tattoos cover a great deal of Drea’s body, further reinforcing her tomboy swag. This is no good girl gone bad. The reason being her air of authenticity, it is unlikely that the label heads over at 1st&15th, (label heads meaning the one and only Lupe Fiasco) have prepackaged one ounce of Drea’s, or He Say She Say’s for that matter, character. Her style is all her own. 

T-shirt and jeans from Funkshion Boutique. The artist's own shoes.
 

Drea proved to be a hip chick who knows fashion well exclaiming “your eye shadow and shirt CANNOT match” while I was styling her for the shoot we did at The Hard Rock Hotel on Michigan Avenue at the ungodly time of 5 A.M. She showed an affinity for fashion and dissected the clothes, which we found at Serpico and Funkshion, (two opposite ends of the fashion spectrum) letting us know what she liked and didn’t. We found a way to toughen up the demure black gown from Serpico with hot black boots from Khamryn B. Shoes and Accessories and a multiple chain necklace from Funkshion. We also were sure to throw in a fun and flirty purple Tutu combined with a bright yellow tee and her own Doc Martens cementing Drea’s punk-rock steez. 

Shooting the indie princess turned out to be more successful than we’d imagined possible. Her innate fashion sense coupled with her uniqueness and likeability made the time go by fast. Drea’s personality is a direct reflection of the type of music she makes: upbeat, fun, danceable tracks with a dark and cutting edge.  



We would like to extend a special thank you to Tenasha Wilcoxon of the Hard Rock Hotel for her apt attention and dedication to the success of the photo shoot.


Shoes from Khamryn B. Shoes and Accessories.


Hard Rock Hotel Rob.

 

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Coat from Funkshion. Shoes from Khamryn B. Shoes and Accessories.