My friend Genevieve is an international style icon. At least in my eyes (and the eyes of those who know her), she is.

We met while living in Argentina. I moved into a shared international house and lo-and-behold another Californian already inhibited the space — Gen!

Through her, I discovered new Argentine boutiques and designers. Despite our tiny budgets and limited Spanish vocabulary, she managed to find and buy a small stock of beautiful clothing and accessories.

Shortly after moving back to the states, she studied fashion in New York City at FIT. She met a man, fell in love, and moved with him back to Colombia where she has dipped her toe into the fashion industry.

I asked her for the deets on life and style in Colombia, plus the lowdown on this saucy red dress, below. 💃

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On what she’s doing in Colombia:

“I’m in Colombia for LOVE! I met my now fiancé in New York City back in June 2015. He left Colombia after graduating to study English, and I went to the city for a month to take a course on product styling at FIT. I was staying with a good friend in Brooklyn, and during my second weekend I met Santi out one night by chance. There is more to the story…but that’s pretty much it.”

On what she’s wearing:

“This was at Santi’s brother’s wedding, which is why we look so put together.

I actually found the dress on sale at Nordstrom’s online. My sister and her partner were going to be visiting Colombia before the wedding, so I knew they’d be able to bring it for me. It’s always a risk buying online, but I have a pretty easy fit and I know what style and cut is good for my body type.”

On her accessories:

“Once I had the dress, I knew I didn’t want to over accessorize it, since the color was so loud. The earrings I got from a fashion accessory store that has a ton of options to choose from at affordable price points. I found the bag at a Colombian artisan shop. They only had it in orange, so I requested it in black and the shop contacted the artisan to make it as a special order.”

On her personal style:

“I really like to have fun with fashion! I’m not afraid to try out different trends, but for everyday wear my style is much more relaxed and classic.”

On choosing what to wear:

“I like to be comfortable in the city. I walk here a lot, and the weather is always warm, so you can’t really do a lot of layering. I think that’s one of the things I miss about the Bay Area, is being able to wear jackets, boots, and scarves.”

On Colombian street style:

“It’s interesting and SUPER varied. A lot of Colombians love brand names, so you’ll see a lot of branded merchandise. The designer fashion here is very colorful and oftentimes feminine.”

On what piece of clothing brings her the most JOY:

That’s a hard question! But if I had to choose one item in my wardrobe, it’d be a printed pineapple dress that I bought in NYC. I was wearing it the night I met Santi, so it has sentimental value. : )