I open Denitsa’s Instagram profile and I see elegance, I smell a warm frothy cappuccino, I feel the sea breeze and the scent of freshly picked flowers. Who is she? A stylish, 27-year-old woman with a special appreciation of everything beautiful (including Audrey Hepburn). Beauty as a state of mind. She sees it as a way of expressing oneself, as well as something only you can see. And as for her personal style – she thinks it is the signature of each person that stays much longer after you are no longer around. We met on a sunny February morning for this sweet conversation. In order to fully enjoy it, might I suggest you play this playlist whilst you read?
Your Style Is a Way to Express What You Find Beautiful
Denitsa started using Instagram around 7 years ago. For me, it has always been a quick escape from reality, a light whiff of aesthetics, dream destinations, and art.
She has dreamed of studying fashion or art in Milan for many years. I learned the language, I even submitted my documents, but at the last moment, I had to stay in Bulgaria and not follow my dream. Her other passion is psychology. I wasn’t doubting for too long what I’d study at university. It was a really pleasant period full of inspiration for me. Now I’m fully devoted to the subject and am planning a Master’s degree in Philosophy and psychoanalysis. Also, a few weeks ago I graduated as a prenatal psychologist from the East European Institute of Psychoanalysis in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Her Love for Fashion
Denny is among those ladies that do not take the temporary fashion trends into account when buying clothes. Her clothes mainly consist of items that she uses for more than one season. She loves adding classics that never go out of fashion. Just as Ralph Lauren shares in his biographical film “I’m not a fan of fashion”. I have quite a number of classic pieces of clothing – one of which is the trenchcoat. It’s a few years old, I bought it when my previous one was starting to get too small for me. Nonetheless, there isn’t much of a difference between the two (even though they have been bought a few years apart). Now I remember that I give the old one a second chance by cutting its sleeves off and it became a trench dress inspired by Meghan Markle. Another must-have piece for Denny is the white button-down.
From Audrey to Denny
The relation between Audrey Hepburn and Denitsa Todorova is visible the second you see Denny’s username on Instagram (@fromaudreytodenny). She sees Audrey as a fashion icon that has influenced her personal style throughout the years. She heard about her for the first time when she was six. Back then I remembered this fine woman who effortlessly wore her black dress and diamond earrings. This image has stayed with me ever since.
If you look closely, you will notice the apparent resemblance between the two – not only when it comes to clothes. Denny owes this to the fact that when you truly admire someone, you subconsciously try to recreate how they talk, move and look. From her style, I often borrow the simple elegance, expressed in ballet shoes, a black dress, and capri pants (pants with a length almost covering the calf – author’s note). An even more interesting fact is that Denny was born on June 20th, 1993, and Audrey died on January 20 that year.
Many people have highly appreciated Audrey Hepburn’s style when she was alive. She was a muse of the French designer Hubert de Givenchy. If she was alive today, perhaps there wouldn’t be any difference in her style and behaviour. She would still be an example for timelessness, she’d be of great inspiration to fashion houses like Givenchy, Dior, or Chanel. Denny is in love with the actress’s ease, lack of unnecessary vanity, and pose. She’s a little shy, wary, moderate in every action. She also likes Grace Kelly because of their similar qualities. The movie Grace of Monaco, starring Nicole Kidman, was also discussed (if you haven’t seen it, we highly recommend it). It’s about Kelly’s life after becoming Princess of Monaco, as well as the end of her acting career.
Denitsa has a great love for retro films because they are the spiritualization of the vanishing glory and values we often long for. Her favorite one with Audrey Hepburn is Sabrina (1954) directed by Billy Wilder. This love story is a classic that grabs me every time. There, for the first time, Givenchy created outfits for Audrey’s screen image.
“I love searching for inspiration – be it a nice book, black and white movie, or an exhibition in a gallery.”
She is a fan of the Bulgarian magazine L’europeo – especially its small connection to current events and that whenever she opens it, she can learn something new.
The book she reads vary in topics – from prenatal psychology, Deepak Chopra, to fiction, for which she always tries to find the time. She is often gets inspired by nature – by its colors, by everything that awakens her senses.
And since we are now forced to pay more attention to our imagination, I asked her: If you could now choose a drink, a book, and a destination to blend into the perfect frame, what would they be? A cold glass of prosecco, Mimi Torrison’s book on old Italian cuisine, and a view of the Amalfi Coast. Romantic, isn’t it?
Denny loves traveling by car (especially to Italy). She feels best when she avoids tourist attractions, but merges with the locals and feels the real energy of the city. On our last trip, my husband and I left Sofia and after 14 hours we found ourselves in Verona. Then followed Bergamo, Milan, and on the way back we stopped through Belgrade. I have long dreamed of visiting an exhibition of Marina Abramovich and when that happened I was not happy!
Her mother, who is an artist, also has a hand in her attitude towards art. Denitsa says she has set a goal to visit at least one exhibition for the period of three months (something I also plan to do). Because I want to be aware of what’s going on. But art is everywhere – not just in exhibitions.
And she, just like all of us, longs for the moment when she will be able to visit her favorite coffee shop again, sip a delicious cappuccino, and admire how people are slowly returning to their normal lifestyles.
Take a look at Denitsa’s Instagram profile here.
Read the rest of the interviews on the blog here.
