Imagine a closet bursting with pink ruffles and everything nice—that's where Anastasia Souris's fashion journey began, a far cry from the denim devotee she is today. From the high-strung world of Victoria's Secret and Michael Kors PR, where she learned the art of spinning narratives and navigating fashion's frenzied pace, Anastasia has emerged as The Denim Curator, a storyteller weaving tales of timeless style. Forget fleeting trends; she’s rewriting the rules, one perfectly worn-in pair of jeans at a time. Denim Edit invites you to explore the soul of denim, to discover its hidden histories, and unlock its transformative power.

But Anastasia isn't simply a curator of the past; she's a visionary shaping the future. Against a backdrop of disposable trends and digital mirages, she elevates the beauty of well-made pieces and the classic appeal of vintage treasures. What is primary to clothing is connection, the discovery of your authentic voice through the language of denim. Buckle up as Anastasia reveals the secrets behind her style evolution, challenges the very notion of fashion "rules," and teases her upcoming collaborations that promise to redefine our relationship with this iconic fabric.

If we rated your childhood closet, would we find any early hints of your future as the denim curator, or are there some fashion choices you'd rather forget?

I feel early me was pink and sparkles and ruffles and all the things. Yeah, my parents let me kind of have free will with what I wanted to wear, and I feel I got all of my experimenting out, and now I've landed on what's me.

You've worked with some of the biggest names in fashion PR, from Victoria's Secret to Michael Kors. What's the wildest or most unexpected lesson you've learned behind the scenes?

To roll with the punches. I know that sounds cliche, but it is so fast-paced and ever-changing, and the people don't know what the final product is supposed to be, they only see what is presented to them. And you just kind of have to be nimble, be quick and be willing to make something out of what you thought could be disastrous or a bad situation, and you make the most of it. And I feel it's a good lesson in life. We have a vision and sometimes it doesn't go as planned. You just gotta keep it moving, yeah?

‍PR gave you a behind the scenes look at branding and storytelling. How has that shaped the way you present yourself and your work today?

My love for branding and storytelling is so distinct in me, from the moment I learned about it, I loved the idea of creating something that people could connect to. I feel really lucky that I get to do that with myself instead of with a brand now, but to me, in this world of making a digital footprint, connection is everything. You have to connect with someone otherwise, what are we building? What do you have? I carried that with me, from what I learned, and it naturally fits into what I do now. I genuinely want to connect with people, and I’m able to take the tools I got from working in the industry and apply them to myself, and it's been amazing. I love what I do.

Your series with denim edit has taken off. What was the biggest challenge in launching it and what's been the most rewarding moment so far?

I can speak to the most rewarding moments so far, and that's just hearing from my audience and my community how much they appreciate seeing new ways to style pieces that are so classic. I feel at the end of the day, we're just girls. We want to be inspired. We want to know what to wear, myself included. Yes, I do this. But there are moments where I'm just staring at my closet like I have nothing. I don't know what to wear, I have these jeans, how do I style them? They feel dated, how can we freshen them up? To know that other girls are with me on that journey and appreciate the styling approach. To go outside the box, to try different cuts that they may not have previously thought they could pull off. And it's fun. I think the challenge would be just hoping this is something that resonates with people. We're kind of in this together, and I feel my long love for denim has helped create this little self-proclaimed expert.

What’s one common denim “rule” you think people should break immediately?

I don't really follow “rules”. To be honest, I'm not even thinking of them. I know a lot of people have very mixed emotions about pairing denim with denim, and that it needs to be the exact same color, or needs to match perfectly. And I get a lot of feedback on that, saying well, what if it's not the same? Personally, I love when it doesn't match. I think it's amazing. I think it's cooler. I think it's more interesting. So I feel the rule to break is to not have rules anymore. Just put things together, experiment and see what you feel comfortable in, see what you like, and create your own vibe. I don't style in a world of rules anymore.

What do you think it is about denim that creates such a deep connection with fashion lovers?

It's timeless and ageless. It's universal. We all have a pair of denim. Personal style can be intimidating, especially for someone who might feel they don't know what that is for themselves yet, but we can all start with a pair of jeans. They're never going to go out of style. You're never going to see a time in which we're not wearing jeans. It's stood the test of time. It's the one thing we can fall back on, and I appreciate that. As someone who knows their personal style, I feel lucky and I can lean into it but even when I’m feeling lost or don’t know what to wear, I can always reach for a pair of denim. It’s always gonna look put together, it’s always gonna look styled in some way or another. It’s an everlasting piece for everyone.

You have some exciting collaborations coming up—can you share more about your partnerships with brands and vintage reselling platforms?

We're still in the works of finalizing what that looks like, so I will leave you to stay tuned. It's really exciting, and I feel it's like my two loves coming together. I love vintage. I just think everyone should have at least one or two incredible vintage pieces in their closet. It's sustainable, it's affordable, it brings me joy. So the combination of curating this vintage edit alongside denim is just like a perfect marriage in my world, let alone  vintage denim, which to me, is like the creme de la creme. If you can get your hands on a pair of vintage denim, it might take you years to find it, but once you do, it'll stay with you forever.

The resale market is growing rapidly, and vintage denim is more coveted than ever. How do you see this shift impacting both sustainability and the way we value fashion?

I see such a shift in sustainable fashion. Even from retailers themselves, like a Reformation, finding brands that really put that emphasis on sustainability and resale and kind of even creating their own edits of vintage, vintage on their sites. I think it's amazing. It’s a win-win. Not only are we checking the boxes of eliminating as much waste as we can, and reusing our pieces, it's just genuinely so much better. A vintage piece is broken into perfection. It fits perfectly and it's just amazing. The joy of the hunt, of finding that perfect piece is just… I see such a shift in people appreciating that even with sites like The RealReal, showing your one-of-a-kind finds. I see it picking up even more, especially with denim. Like I said, it might take time to find that perfect pair, but once you do, it's the Holy Grail piece in your closet. I think it's the coolest thing when you meet someone, you see something that they're wearing and they've worn it a million times, it becomes a part of them. I love it when people have pieces in their closet that they can talk about. When people have that connection to their clothing, it just makes it even sweeter.

What’s a denim trend from the past that deserves a major comeback—and one you’d gladly leave behind forever?

I'm gonna choose to leave barrel jeans behind. I appreciate the people who can pull them off but I can't get behind it, and I'm sorry I just gotta leave it behind. What I want to see come back, and what I feel is starting to come back is a boot cut or a mini flare. Such a flattering moment. Why did we stop wearing that? Everyone looks like they're eight feet tall. You get it in a dark wash and you literally look like a skyscraper. It's amazing. They're just incredible and timeless. It's very Jean Birkin button-down shirt-esque. I want to see more of that. I want to see more people wearing that.

‍Denim has been a symbol of rebellion, workwear, luxury, and everything in-between. What do you think its next cultural evolution will be?

I feel it's not going to if it hasn't already. It's no longer gonna put into the box of work wear. I think we're gonna see it everywhere. We're going to see it in places where going out to a nice restaurant, and wearing denim is almost taboo. It's not what you wear; you "have" to dress up, you know? I think, again, going back to these rules, we live in a culture of expression, and yeah, maybe it's rooted in rebellion, and it's now just kind of solidified its stance. I don't see a world in which it's meant for one thing, and that's where it belongs. Being able to wear and dress it up, or dress it down, or style it to your personal style the way you want to is going to be common. It's not going to be a "moment." I even think about the Super Bowl and Kendrick Lamar and his jeans. The way it became such a moment, we were obsessed with the fact that he was wearing those jeans. That energy created a moment, and I feel I see it carrying on into all aspects of where we go and what we do, and it's no longer gonna have an old purpose.

Many people struggle to find their “perfect” pair of jeans. What’s one mindset shift you’d encourage when it comes to shopping for denim?

Worry less about trends and what's being pushed at you, and more about how you feel it fits your body. We all have a different shape. I'm 5’3, I cannot wear the same jeans as someone who's 5’10. As much as I want to, it's not going to work for me. I need to find what proportionally fits me right. We get so caught up in what we're not wearing anymore, what we're not doing anymore. It's such a limiting mindset You don't need to think that way, especially with denim. It's so personal, it has to fit you perfectly. You have to feel comfortable in it and confident in it, and worry about the trends with accessories or something. Just find what you like and what you feel good in.

With AI and digital fashion on the rise, do you think craftsmanship and timeless pieces like denim will hold their place, or will fashion become more disposable?

I don't see it going anywhere. I think of Levi's and the fact that it's been around for what, 150 years, or something insane. We live in a completely different world than when they came around, and yet we found use for them, and I think they're here to stay. I'm gonna stand by that. I think, as much as the pendulum swings in one way of trends and consumerism and all this, it feels so heightened right now that I can see people kind of just getting back to the basics. I don't see it going anywhere.

Model: Anastasia Souris

Photographer: Alexa Rae Vitug

Makeup Artist: Caitlin Gordon