Every now and then I manage to join in with the SIA Style Challenge (Style Imitating Art), and it always ends up being such a fun little creative exercise. If you’ve never heard of it, SIA is a bi-weekly style challenge where one piece of artwork is chosen and participants create an outfit inspired by it.
The SIA style challenge is hosted by Shelbee on the Edge, Marsha in the Middle and 14 Shades of Grey, and they take turns choosing the artwork that inspires everyone’s outfits. It’s always interesting to see the different styles of art they pick because each one sparks completely different interpretations.
It’s one of those things that really makes you look at your wardrobe differently. Instead of just thinking what should I wear today? you start asking how can I translate that painting into clothes? Sometimes it’s obvious. Other times… not so much!
I often miss the challenge for various reasons (life has a habit of getting in the way), but whenever I can join in, I do. It’s such a lovely mix of fashion, creativity and art appreciation.
In fact, the last time I took part was back in November (eek, that long ago!!!) when I created a Fauvist-inspired outfit for everyday wear. Even funnier, I realised when looking back that I was actually wearing a Frida Kahlo T-shirt in that post — so it feels like a slightly unexpected full-circle moment for this challenge!
This week’s artwork was chosen by Shelbee and it’s “Frida Kahlo and Her Pet Deer Granizo” by Katherine Quinn.
The Inspiration
What I loved about this illustration straight away was the slightly whimsical, storybook feel. Frida is shown holding her pet deer, surrounded by plants and flowers, wearing her iconic floral headpiece and simple yet striking clothing.
The colours are quite earthy and natural — greens, warm browns, soft creams — with those little pops of red from the flowers. It’s very Frida, but also very playful.
There’s also something quite gentle about it. The deer feels calm and protected in her arms, which gives the whole image a peaceful, nurturing energy.
My Interpretation
I’ll be honest — I struggled a little with this one at first! The artwork is beautiful but translating it into something from my wardrobe took a bit of thinking.
In the end I focused on the spirit and colours of the piece rather than trying to copy it too literally.
Here’s what I came up with:
- A navy blue dress (from Vinted) as the base
- A multicoloured crochet cardigan (from Vinted) to bring in those earthy, natural tones
- A pearl necklace for a simple statement piece
- Little red roses in my hair as a nod to Frida’s iconic floral crowns
- Red lipstick, because it felt very on theme
- Blue/grey cowboy boots (from Vinted) to finish it off
And of course… I needed an animal!
The artwork has the adorable deer Granizo, but unfortunately I don’t happen to have one of those wandering around the house. So instead I held a little owl (a fun Christmas gift from my bestie!). Not quite the same thing, but it adds that slightly whimsical animal companion vibe.
I also attempted a photo holding my cat, Myrtle, but she made it very clear that being part of a fashion shoot was not on her agenda that day. 😆
To make matters even more chaotic, my camera decided to start playing up, so I ended up filming a short video and grabbing a screenshot instead. Not ideal, but sometimes you just have to roll with it!
Why I Love the SIA Style Challenge
What I enjoy most about the SIA style challenge is that it pushes you creatively. It’s easy to get stuck wearing the same combinations over and over again, but using artwork as inspiration makes you think in a completely different way.
You start noticing colours, shapes, textures and moods in the art and figuring out how those elements might translate into clothing.
It’s also just a really lovely way to connect fashion with creativity. Clothes can absolutely be a form of art — and this challenge is a perfect reminder of that.
If you’d like to see more interpretations of this artwork, pop over to Shelbee’s blog tomorrow where she gathers everyone’s outfits together. It’s always fascinating to see how differently people interpret the same piece of art.
And if you’ve never tried Style Imitating Art before, I genuinely recommend giving it a go. You might be surprised at what you come up with when you start looking at your wardrobe through a more creative lens.
