(Photo: Jake Chessum)

What are you doing today?
I’m just leaving my art-history class, going home to Nolita to take a nap. But now I met you and I’m doing yoga in the park.

That’s quite a backbend.
I did gymnastics when I was growing up, and now I try to do yoga as much as I can. I do, like, power yoga. I like the more complicated poses. I’m very flexible.

Do you like living in Nolita?
I love it because it’s very youthful but not as dirty as, say, the East Village.

Tell me about your style.
I don’t like to be grouped with a type of music or a certain look, but I do like to be put together. I really like different color schemes, like semi-neutrals versus very saturated. I think you need a balance between intense and subdued in order to be taken even slightly seriously. And I think it’s fun how you can manipulate responses with what you wear. I’m really interested in how what you wear can totally activate your day. That’s usually what I’m thinking about when I get dressed, what kind of experience I’m looking for that day.

What reaction are you looking for today?
Well, I usually fall asleep in art-history class, so I thought that maybe if I wore my most energetic pants I’d stay awake. It totally worked.

But what reactions do you get from other people?
Usually people think I’m either crazy or androgynous. I also get a lot of “Hey, kudos for being the only person who would wear that.”

Related:

• Archive: “Look Book”
• Articles by Amy Larocca
• Table of Contents: Dec 11, 2006 issue of New York | Subscribe!