@cea.ras is the London Streetwear Fan You Won't Catch in YEEZYs
#GramGen is a series profiling the most radical characters in youth culture, who continue to shape trend behavior and spark controversy through their avant fashion sense and candid social media personalities.
Meet Ceara Maya, aka @cea.ras. Born and raised in North London, the 17-year-old streetwear fan is currently in her sixth form (UK equivalent of high school) studying history, politics and chemistry. With her tomboy style and "don't fuck with me" demeanor, Ceara is paving the way for young, streetwear-loving girls who are often overshadowed or objectified by their male counterparts.
We caught up with Ceara to find out more about her taste for boys' clothing, how people treat her in the streetwear community and why she hates YEEZYs so much.
How old are you?
I'm 17.
Where are you from and where do you live currently?
I'm from North London, I was born here and I've lived here all my life.
What is your occupation?
I'm in my first year of sixth form studying history, politics and chemistry. I do not have a proper job at the moment, but I do modeling for small brands here and there.
How long have you been collecting streetwear?
Two years I think, I'm not 100 percent sure. One of the first pieces I bought was the Lions FW09 Supreme shirt, and it is still one of my favorite pieces.
What are your favorite brands at the moment?
I don't really have a favorite brand, usually with releases I REALLY like about five things and then pretty indifferent about the rest. But my go-to brands are usually just Supreme, Stone Island and Gosha, but recently I've been really into a few more high-end brands as well, like Dior.
How would you describe your style?
Streetwear boys clothes basically. Simple hoodies and big tees with Air Max and Dickies, or sometimes if I wanna spice it up a bit I'll wear a girl's Gucci top with some cargos or something. Generally just your average hype-y teenage boy look...you'll never catch me in skinny jeans or YEEZYs though.
How much do you spend on clothes a month?
It completely depends on the month. If I've had no work and haven't sold anything much than probably only the £50 I get for pocket money (but usually that just goes towards food). Recently though I've been very lucky and have been working with lots of amazing people, which has meant that I've had a lot more money to spend and last month I reckon I spent around £500.
What’s the most you’ve ever spent on a piece of clothing?
I never actually spend too much money on one piece because I don't buy that much on resale. I think probably the Supreme roses sherpa which I got for £210 which is way more than what I wanted to spend but it was the only size small I could find.
How do you afford everything you buy?
Modeling, reselling and market research jobs mainly, but if someone emails me asking if I want to be involved in something creative that pays, I'm always down.
Do you prefer quality over quantity or quantity over quality?
Quality over quantity. I would prefer a few fire pieces that I love but cost a bit more than just a bunch of stuff that's kinda nice.
Do you get a lot of private messages on Instagram? How do you respond to the haters and weirdos?
I get quite a lot of DMs hahaha. Usually they're actually really nice people saying they like my style and stuff so I try to reply to everyone, and when I get hate it's dumb stuff like "Your eyebrow slit is stupid" and once someone said "Bitch got one Gosha tee and she thinks she Hollywood," so I made it my bio.
Do you think that people in the streetwear community treat you differently because you are a girl?
Not really, no. Most of my friends, and especially the ones I've made through the community, are boys, but they just treat me the same as everyone else. When I first started wearing streetwear I was actually kinda scared about what people would think and a lot of my friends and stuff commented on it, but now they're starting to buy what I was wearing two years ago, so I don't really care.
Are there any women in the industry who you look up to?
I'm not gonna say any names, but there are many women I don't know personally but know of who are doing things in fashion and the creative industry that I hope to also do one day. They help me keep my ambitions high.
What do you see yourself doing in a few years? What career ambitions do you have?
I have no idea. I'm guessing I will be at uni, probably studying politics. I do always want to be involved in the industry though, and I would be more than happy to have a creative job as an adult. At the moment I'm kinda just seeing how things go, I don't want to force anything.
What do you love and hate the most about fashion right now?
Well I hate YEEZYs for some reason. It's not even a specific aspect of them, I just don't like them at all. I also don't like skinny jeans – again I don't really have a reason, I just think they're a bit boring. The thing I love about fashion at the moment is that ugly things are becoming so ugly, they're nice. Satin Kappa tracksuits for example. Ugly style is my favorite style.
For more Gram-savvy youngsters, check out the kid who was recently called out by A$AP Bari for wearing a pair of VLONE AF1s.
