Meet Anastasia Sagalovich | Fashion Designer, The Gothic Redhead behind Snarkeez!

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anastasia Sagalovich and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anastasia, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I had been in the fashion industry for years before I started Snarkeez. This was mainly during what I would call the “me, myself, and I” age. Everyone wanted to be a celebrity, the Kardashians were queens of the castle, and little girls everywhere were being taught to “glam” so they can find a rich sugar daddy instead of learning to appreciate themselves, and become strong, professional women.

I did a lot of design work for and with noted celebrities while living in Miami, most notably Charlotte McKinnon, Joey Rolon, Ivy Queen, and KC and the Sunshine Band, and I genuinely had a lot of fun, but to me, it all felt the same. It wasn’t me, and it definitely wasn’t my style. I was never given the freedom to do what I wanted to do, and whenever I tried, I was told it wasn’t a good idea, and I was “too conservative”; mind you, I was being told that by women who I mentioned in the first paragraph, so I never took them seriously.

I was depressed, jaded, and wanted to stop doing fashion altogether. It really was my husband who one day took my Etsy page I used to sell little handmade things I did on the side, bought the domain, and made Snarkeez from the ground up. It became a way for me to vent my frustration, and do some really creative stuff. It was a space where an outcast like me can express myself, and then a beautiful thing happened……..other outcasts found us. I finally got my passion back, and I can’t wait to see where this scrappy little outcast fashion company goes next.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Our aesthetic is summed up in our slogan, “For the Deviant and Defiant”. My husband and I have been outcasts and rebels for most of our lives. We understand how it feels to not follow the mainstream and what it’s like to be bullied and threatened for not going along with the trend and being different.

What we created was purely out of angst and depression, it was just meant to be an outlet for us to express ourselves. We had no idea it would get recognized, and appreciated around the world by other people who are as tired and frustrated as we are. In a way, the Snarkeez aesthetic is dark, yet somehow, it became a light for others.

We design for goths, punks, geeks, pagans, gamers, rebels, and anything in between. Anyone who is tired and jaded with the world will find a home here. Snarkeez gave me an outlet to express myself, and our goal is for other outcasts to find an outlet with us as well. The world today is tired and jaded, and we believe we offer not just a change in scenery, but the start of a cultural underground and a safe haven for those who feel persecuted and left out.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We just moved to Charlotte, but I can give you the best spots here, in Charleston, SC, and in Miami, FL, since we live there before. So, in Charlotte, I would recommend any of the art museums, also, the many parks as well. My favorite in particular is The Green. It’s between some residential buildings, and looks like an enchanted pathway with interactive modern art pieces. Great for photos as well. For food, my absolute favorite would be The Hill which is close to where I live in Mint Hill, NC. If you’re into that old fashioned, Cheers style bar theme, this is the place to go to. The atmosphere gives you the “warm and fuzzies”, and the food is amazing. The people are so friendly there, I even became friends with the owner, David Andrews.

When it comes to Charleston, I would highly recommend their Gothic cathedrals, cemeteries, and abandoned places. I’ve done quite a bit of photoshoots there, and there is no shortage of these places. For the punks, the graffiti walls, and places like The Purple Buffalo, Tin Roof, and the Royal American. Those are the venues where you will find the best up and coming punk bands, like Anergy, Abrevity, Caustic Casanova, and Blue Ricky. In fact, I’m friends with most of those band members to this day.

Of course, I can’t leave out Miami, where it all began. The Wynwood Art District is number 1 on places I would like to revisit. Everyone goes there for Art Basel, but hear me out, it’s so much better to visit on the off seasons, Make the right connections there, and you get access to all the concerts, art exhibits, and warehouse rave parties. When Snarkeez first began, this is where we got so much love and support. We were even invited to HalloWyn for Halloween in 2018, and it was so much fun!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Well, first thing’s first. My first shoutout definitely goes to my husband, Rudy Narace. Thanks for putting up with years of driving me to fashion shows, photoshoots, and events. Most importantly, thank you for helping me put together something that rekindled my love for what I consider my calling and what I do best.

My second shoutout goes to someone who taught me everything I know today. One day in 2014, in a fashion boutique called Funky Sexy Couture in Miami Beach, I walked in and spoke to the person who would become my guiding light, and someone who would launch my career path. Someone who I will always consider my older brother and my best friend. To Joey Rolon, thank you for everything, and I hope you like what your little sister has done with what you gave her.

My third shoutout goes to the city of Charlotte, NC, and the team at Charlotte Seen, particularly Rita Miles, and Kristin Walker. When we first moved to Charlotte, NC, it wasn’t even three weeks later when Charlotte Seen contacted us to be at Charlotte Fashion Week. That was a blast, and we met so many cool and interesting people there. In fact, we were brought to this magazine’s attention by Sophia Mateo, one of our models from that night, so shoutout to her too. We promise to really bring it in 2022, so stay tuned.

Website: www.snarkeez.com

Instagram: @snarkeez @anastasiasagal

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasia-sagalovich-889b1229/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anastasia.sagalovich

Other: https://www.pinterest.com/snarkeez/_created/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/rudy-narace-12a44364/

Image Credits
Photo Credits: Xavier Agnelli, Jasmine Thompson, Rudy Narace