By day Sara Camposarcone is a full-time fashion marketer for the Canadian brand Cake Worthy, and a full-time lover of clothes (preferably layered and colourful). By night, Camposarcone is a content producer for her personal TikTok (@saracampz) and Instagram (@saracamposarcone) accounts, which feature shots of her eclectic, maximalist outfits.
Camposarcone’s unique clothing style has garnered a lot of attention, landing her almost 400,000 followers on TikTok and six million likes. Camposarcone has been featured in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, The New York Times, Refinery29 and more. She’s included in the Globe and Mail’s Canada Best Dressed list of 2022.
We caught up with Camposarcone to go shopping with her at one of her favourite vintage stores in Toronto.
Why did you pick Mama Loves You Vintage as your favourite T.O. shop?Â
Well, I shop here a lot online through their Instagram and everything that they post is so beautiful. I’d say that my favourite eras for shopping are ’60s, ’70s, ’80s – I like the ’90s too, but I find they have a lot of older vintage here, which I love.
What has it felt like to be receiving so much media attention recently?Â
It’s been great, I mean I love it, but it’s definitely different for me – a lot happens at once. TikTok specifically is interesting to me because you can grow pretty quickly once you get something going. I have a few collaborations coming up that I’m really excited for, which I can’t quite share yet. I actually recently signed with a management company to help with collaborations, brand deals, media coverage and hopefully some fashion week stuff.
I loved seeing your New York Fashion Week content this year. How many times have you been?
Just this last time I went – and it was crazy! I was only there for four days but I packed as much in as possible. I was Uber-ing around everywhere trying to fit everything in. I also got to meet up with a lot of my friends through TikTok and Instagram who I hadn’t met yet. We had a dress up hangout, and I got to try on my friends’ clothes. I got invited to a few shows also, through [local internet friends]. I did a few interviews and meetups as well. Just being there while there was so much going on was just the best thing.
I bet! I saw you featured on the Instagram account @thepeoplegallery_ which features interviews with fashionable New Yorkers on the street.
Yeah, he just came up to me on the street. It was really cool because obviously I started following him after, and he gets so many cool people on his page. I love Instagrams and TikTok pages like that – seeing what people are wearing is so cool.
Did you go with anybody on your trip to New York?
I went with my sister. It was actually my birthday weekend so we made a whole trip out of it. I was like, “Okay, we need to plan a trip back immediately!” I love New York even more now than when I went 10 years ago. I’ve always loved fashion but I wasn’t as much about producing content back then. To the extent where I’m able to appreciate fashion and street style now, it amplifies the New York experience so much.
Speaking of your sister @hancampz, she produces fashion content as well!
Yeah it’s really cool because I feel like she’s come out of her shell even more so since I’ve started posting more content. And I think her content really resonates with the younger generation – she’s only two years younger than me (she’s 24 and I just turned 26).
So, what do you look for when you go thrifting – are there any staples you’re on the watch for, or anything you’re seeking right now?Â
I always have the things that I love in mind when I’m thrifting – like I love a good puffy sleeve, anything with a special neckline because I feel like that really adds detail to an outfit. Generally I look for things that are unique and colourful – patchwork I love, anything with beading. I’m just all about the details.
You mentioned observing that your sister’s style is growing in confidence. What advice would you give to somebody who’s trying to establish their personal style?
I always tell people that shopping second-hand or vintage is a lot different than shopping fast fashion. I feel like it’s a whole other world where you’re really fed the current trends, and feel dictated to dress a certain way. That’s how stores style their mannequins and those are the clothes that are in right now. I suggest to people, walk into a local thrift store and browse through everything on the rack. Really think about what you’re drawn to, and what you actually like. That’s how I figured out my own style too, by shopping at my local Value Village and picking up a bunch of random stuff that spoke to me, then going from there to building outfits.
It’s good to know that you have staple pieces that are versatile too. I never buy anything that I can’t automatically associate with a few outfits in my closet. Even online shopping: I do a lot of searching on Poshmark, Ebay, and others, even to gain inspiration and check out brands I might want to keep up with. I really love Pinterest for inspiration. I always tell younger people who ask how to get into styling yourself – PINTEREST. It uses keywords, so I tell people to try searching by era, or trends you’re interested in. Ultimately, figuring out your personal style takes time. It has taken me years to build a wardrobe in which I really feel like I love everything I have. Now when I put together an outfit, even if it’s a little bit mismatched, I love it because I love all its components.
What would you consider your favourite pieces in your wardrobe?Â
I’m a big sucker for vintage designer bag – so I’ll say most of my bags are the pieces I’ll keep forever. But in terms of pieces I’ve found thrifting, one time I found a 1980s Gunne Sax dress for $5 [pictured in the lead image], it was silver with lace all around the neckline. [These vintage dresses can range between $75 and $400 on Ebay and Etsy, though Camposarcone noted her find at well above $500 after researching]. I’ve only worn it a few times but I know I’ll probably keep it forever because it’s one of my favorites. They get a few of that brand in this store actually.
How would you describe your personal style?
I would describe it as colourful most of the time – I do love black and white but I’m mostly attracted to colour. I like to pull a lot of inspiration from my childhood keepsakes so I find I dress very youthful, and fun. There’s a lot of pattern clashing and mismatching.
Another aspect of your fashion branding is sustainability. What information do you hope to share with your audience about sustainable fashion choices?Â
Again, I will always say that shopping second hand is a way to reduce your consumer style. Recently I’ve also been doing a lot of clothing swaps, which is a cool way to recycle unworn pieces. I’ve been participating in a swap over Instagram with some of my friends from the U.S., and we’ve been sending each other different items from our own closets. We pick out items for each other that we think suit our respective styles, and then we select our favourites [from the mailed selection]. This way we get to try new things without having to buy anything.
I saw that you also started a business, can you tell us about that?
Yeah! I started a side business making resin jewelry at the start of COVID, and have kept it up ever since. I sell them online from my website as well as in a local store called Landing & Co. My jewelry is all inspired by fun, playful things from my childhood, like candy or gummy bears! They’re all handmade by me and each one is unique. I really love being able to express my creativity and ideas through clothing, but I also love to create things with my own hands.
As someone with over 44,000 followers on Instagram and over 350,000 on TikTok, what advice do you have for growing a social following?
The number one thing I have always [prioritized] is staying genuine. I almost don’t really like the word “influencer.” I love feeling like I’m inspiring people but I never want to feel like I’m pushing products that I don’t believe in or clothes that I wouldn’t wear myself. I love sharing creative designers that I find, and I’m always impressed by what they’re doing in terms of sustainability. As for advice: be true to yourself and stay active.
