Corridor40

When visiting Anaïs Vandenbosch’s blog, The Time is Grey, it’s not likely one would peg her a former anime junkie, architecture student and shy girl from Belgium. Having followed her heart and moved from Europe to Asia nearly five years ago, Anaïs now resides in one of the world’s fashion capitals, Tokyo, and works for American Apparel as a visual merchandiser and brand adviser. When Anaïs isn’t busy advising fashion giants about the next “it” clothing item, she can be found filling her blog with fun and thoughtful posts and chic photos of her self-styled outfits, plus timeless music to match. A relative newcomer to the blogosphere, Anaïs talks to Corridor40 about her inspirations, her biggest vices and her initial apprehensions about starting a fashion blog.

C40. What inspired you to start your own style blog?

AV. To be honest, I’m a very new face in the blogging world. It took a very long time to start The Time is Grey because I had a very bad image of  blogs in my head. They seemed to be like a window into one’s private life, or entire existence. And maybe that is, you know, even for myself, a way to exist.

C40. When you’re not blogging what are you doing?

AV. At the moment, I’m starting a nice project of an online magazine with a very dynamic team of creatives here in Tokyo—a group of artists, writers and photographers that are trying, in a way, to give something new to the world. It’s also directly connected with my job at American Apparel.

C40. What is your biggest vice?

AV. I guess shopping. And food; any kind of food!

C40. What blogs do you stalk? List your top three favorites.

AV. Our Paper Moon, The Glamourai and My Precious Confessions.

C40. How has your personal style evolved since starting The Time Is Grey?

AV. My style has definitely evolved. I think Jean-Paul Sartre was right, “Your existence is not without the eyes of the other.” And, to be able to get so many critics, good or not, forced me to be more honest with myself, to be faithful to what I am.

C40. What inspires you? What designers, models and magazines inspire your blog and personal style?

AV. The street inspires me most of all. Also, the music I listen to or the books I read. I’m not a magazine reader because no one, so far, has satisfied my fashion needs completely. I’m obsessed with international politics, so I guess that also has a big influence on my mood, then on my style. But, in names of designers, my references are Coco Chanel, Miu Miu, Dries Van Noten and Burberry. In names of people, Audrey Hepburn and M.I.A.  I think models are boring; the style they get is easy. I prefer timeless charisma.

C40. What advice do you have for aspiring bloggers?

AV. Don’t try to be popular. Just be yourself as you are.

C40. If you could sum up your style in three words, what would they be?

AV. Grey. Nude. Infinity.

C40. What did you want to be when you grew up?

AV. I was born in a very peaceful place, Bruxelles. I wanted to change the world, to make it better. I wanted to be an architect. As an adult, I somehow discovered that American Apparel was more in the mood of revolution than the architecture world.

C40. What was your favorite childhood outfit?

AV. The girly dress that I never had. My mom liked jeans on me.

Images via Anais Vandenbosch