Watching “America’s Next Top Model” with her grandma, an admiration for the industry in her heart, Eleanor Rose Dawson-Moore decided at a young age, with full confidence, that she was going to be a model.
As Dawson-Moore grew older, reading fashion magazines and experimenting with her style, she wondered if modeling was a pipe dream or a passion she could turn into a reality. Thankfully, the latter came true with the help of her best friend, Maia Christina. Christina’s modeling experience and expertise, combined with Dawson-Moore’s determination and enthusiasm, landed her a job at Void Studios in Denver for a hair show.
The audition took place the day before Dawson-Moore’s 20th birthday. Was her success a stroke of luck? Fate? Although both reasons could be true, the real answer is her hard work and genuine interest. The cards weren’t necessarily in Dawson-Moore’s favor. Being below the average model height and having unique features, she faced intense scrutiny from casting directors. Despite these challenges, she put herself out there and walked the runway with her head held high and eyes straight forward.
“Not everyone is going to want to pick you for a project or gravitate towards you… it’s a good safe setting to lean into that discomfort and realize you’re still a hot commodity,” Dawson-Moore said.
Through professional photoshoots and walking at shows, Dawson-Moore’s modeling career has evolved, but more importantly, so have her daily fashion choices. Now a sophomore at the University of Colorado Boulder, she’s known around campus for her iconic outfits, especially her statement pieces. Betsey Johnson, Isaac Mizrahi and Project Runway serve as a few of her big fashion inspirations.
As a little girl, Dawson-Moore set specific fashion rules for herself: no white after Labor Day, no neon, no animal print, etc. As a young woman, these rules are no longer as concrete or abided by. Instead, Dawson-Moore trusts her gut when it comes to clothing. The design part of clothes has shaped her taste, drawing her towards fun closet pieces. While shopping, she has a strong sense of what she likes and dislikes, taking home clothes with little hesitation.
Admittedly, Dawson-Moore’s budget constraints and respect for sustainability in fashion push her to be strategic about what she buys. She thrifts more often than not, upcycles her clothes and finds ways to style pieces she may have forgotten about. When picking out clothing, she makes sure it’s fashionable and practical, something she’ll get many uses out of.
Queerness plays a key role in Dawson-Moore’s ever-changing style. When she came out, she dressed more masculinely, donning flannels and keeping her hair short to fit into one queer woman archetype. She assumed her gender expression and sexuality had to be very in line with one another based on her experiences growing up and the media. Now, more comfortable with the fluidity of her identity, she dresses high-femme, which she believes is truly authentic to herself.
Even through all the shifts it’s taken, the most consistent part of her style is her love for statement pieces. She’s always been obsessed with jackets, big belts, shoes and purses. Her main goal is to have fun with what she wears, sometimes worrying she’s having too much.
“I think every outfit needs to make a statement, and it can make multiple,” Dawson-Moore said.
Aside from playful, bold pieces, Dawson-Moore also focuses on her color palette and favorite clothes. She prefers to wear pinks, peaches and reds, specifically burgundy, due to its classy and versatile nature. As for clothes, some of her closet staples include her pink fluffy jacket from Etsy and her Betsey Johnson phone purse. Both items are chill without having to be nonchalant. They make a statement that can be interpreted in multiple ways.
For those afraid to experiment with their style, Dawson-Moore suggests asking yourself what you liked to wear as a kid. If your parents dressed you, were there days they put you in a shirt that you absolutely hated? Try and pay attention to what little you wanted then and ask yourself if those things still have the opportunity to cultivate joy for you. Despite seeming simple, fashion requires a lot of introspection, according to Dawson-Moore. People need to get to know themselves more.
“What little things light up their day and can those things be incorporated into an outfit? If you’re dressing in a way that makes you happy, you’re doing it right,” Dawson-Moore said.