City Style: Aliya Astaphan the Designer-Loving Starlet

West Hollywood has a style all its own. I am on a mission to document the fashion in Weho and to find out how living in the famed city influences what you wear (or not).

Meet Aliya Astaphan, a free-spirited actress living in West Hollywood. I stopped Astaphan on Sunset Plaza Drive as she was walking down the street to chat about being a performer in a city where everyone wants to be famous. Astaphan told Patch how to stand out for the right reasons in West Hollywood. 

What are you wearing?

A Under.ligne/doo.ri leather jacket, Blue Moon (Planet Blue's line) leopard dress, random bangles from everywhere, David Yurman gold rings and a vintage ring from my mom. My shoes are Steve Madden sandals. And then my purse is Balenciaga and sunglasses are Tom Ford. 

How would you describe or define your style?

I tend to always be comfortable—sometimes bohemian, but always luxurious. I lean toward quality and timeless pieces, not focused on trend as much as style. Right now I love leopard, and every day, I usually wear jeans or leggings and a T-shirt with a leather jacket and boots. No matter what, I always have a fabulous purse and usually fabulous shoes, but recently I’ve discovered that Steven by Steve Madden isn't so bad.

Do you think actresses in Weho have a certain look and if so, how do you stand out?

Most lean toward being trendy and they also sometimes sacrifice quality to stay on trend. I stand out because I might not always be shopping, but instead of buying the latest trends every week at Forever 21, I'll buy something new once a month that is pricier, but will last me forever. I look at my wardrobe as a collection. It's full of collectors pieces that I want to keep and wear forever.

How do you think the city influences our style?

Being surrounded by Hollywood glamour—even if I'm just going down to the cafe by my apartment in jeans—makes me add my accessories and fabulous purse to give a little touch of glamour.

What are your favorite shopping spots?

I am a sucker for department stores on Wilshire: Neimans, Saks, Barneys New York. I also love Planet Blue, Madison and Diavolina.

What is the last best thing you bought?

I have been needing a black leather jacket for ages and I have had a blue Mike and Chris and green suede S.W.O.R.D, but no black. So, I went to the Barneys warehouse sale last week and I wasn't even looking for it, but found my under.ligne/doo.ri leather jacket at an amazing price, and I've basically worn it every day since!