Dariel Dearlove in one of her own pin-up dresses. Image supplied.
Fashion has certainly taken a turn for the feminine again over the past decade and even more so with the vintage-inspired revival of the pin-up look which has been adopted by lots of modern women. Dariel Dearlove (real name Hanna Wain) is one such pin-up who looks like she has stepped out of the 1950s but is very much a woman of 2017. Dariel has been competing in pin-up pageants for the past couple of years and makes her own clothes both for her everyday wear and to compete in.
She recently won Miss Kumeu and is in the running for Miss Viva Las Vegas in the USA in April which is a big deal and was won by another New Zealander Miss Victory Violet in 2015. We were curious to find out more about what inspires Dariel, how she goes about being a modern pin-up and what her style tips are.
How did you first get involved in pin-up style and what attracted you to it?
For me, I have been drawn to the vintage era as far back as I can remember – the music, the icons, the cars, and of course the style! I see my involvement in pin-up and my style as more of an evolution rather then being a particular moment so over time I have become more and more engaged in the social side of things and have gained more confidence in expressing my style.
How would you describe your personal style and how you present yourself?
I love to have fun with my outfits so my wardrobe (well… room!) is full of bright colours, novelty prints and fluffy petticoats! There is also a definite trend for dresses with a full skirt and fitted, minimal fuss bodices. I can easily count on one hand the number of black or completely fitted dresses I own! In fact, it was only very recently that I made my first plain black dress.
You do such a beautiful job of making your own clothes, how did you get into sewing and where do you get your outfit ideas from?
Well, my mother is a very good sewer and I remember watching her when I was very young and being gifted a toy sewing machine at age 6 which is where it all started. Whilst my mum is a very knowledgeable sewer, I decided to teach myself (I think I was quite a willful, difficult to teach child perhaps!), refining my skills as I go and using Google or YouTube if I get stuck on something particularly tricky.
In terms of outfit design or inspiration, it can come from any number of things but I guess my “go to” is Google images. I can quite easily spend hours scrolling through images of things places, and people searching for those special images that give me a light bulb moment.
Clearly you know a great deal about pin-up style, what are your tips for people who want to embrace the pin up look?
My best advice is to think about what it is you love about the style and to make it your own, be open to your own interpretation and you will create something that reflects you and your own personal style.
Your day job at a quarry doesn’t seem like an interesting choice for a pin-up girl, how do you adapt your style for your job?
Being a modern pin-up is all about being able to take what you love about the vintage era and mixing it with modern advantages. I love being around heavy machinery as much as I love winged eyeliner and fluffy petticoats, which is not something I could have ever been able to combine if I lived in the 40s and 50s! However, I am very lucky in my workplace to have the flexibility in my job position that allows me to wear what I like when I am in the office and only wear protective clothing when I am out on site (even then I keep the eyeliner flicks and crimson lips tho!) The only thing that I play down at work is the hairstyling, in the weekend its all about victory rolls and hair flowers but that tends not to work so well under a hard hat! So it is just a simple wave or a Dita bun during the working week for me.
What’s your beauty routine and how long do you spend styling yourself in the morning?
My day starts at 5am when I am up to get ready for work by 6am, I spend around 30 minutes of that time on my makeup, 10 on hair and 10 on outfit to be out the door at 5.50am. To streamline this routine, I make sure to organise my outfits the night before – laid out and ready to wear the following morning. With my makeup, I have had the same routine for a very long time so I am rather speedy at it! It is always foundation, eyebrows, eyeliner, false lashes, eyeshadow, blusher and a swipe of red lippy so there really is not too much corner cutting in that department.
What have been the highlights of your pin-up journey so far and do you have a favourite moment that stands out above the rest?
My biggest highlight has definitely been the social aspect, I have loved getting to know so many amazing people that are involved in the pin-up community. It really is a community that is very supportive with a definite focus on building each other up rather than tearing others down.
If I had to pick a specific occasion though, it would be winning my first ever pinup pageant “Miss Hibiscus Vintage”, this was my first real exposure to the social side of things and I was just completely blown away by how kind and supportive everyone was, it really was a very special day.
Where do you see yourself heading from here and do you have any goals you’re working to achieve in future?
I have a few pageants coming up in NZ that I am looking forward to and hope to do well in but my primary focus at the moment is on gathering enough votes to represent NZ in the Miss Viva Las Vegas pageant. It is on my mind all day and all night at the moment! I have barely slept a wink since it was announced I had made it through to the voting round!.
Finish this sentence – You would never catch me wearing…
Camo print! I want to stand out not blend in! Haha!
You can vote for Dariel Dearlove in the Miss Viva Las Vegas pageant here.
Images supplied.