During recent meetings I have been asked about my favorite apps and why I use particular sites over others. A New York Times article categorized shopping websites and apps into five different groups: Virtual Closets, Scrapbookers, Critics, Social Shoppers and Stylists. All of which caused me to reflect upon how I am tailoring my digital media to meet my shopping needs and wants. A common thread between all the platforms I frequent is convenience and ease of use. Shopping should be fun and easy, never a chore in my opinion.

Thinking about my personal shopping habits, how they were derived and which platforms I currently use takes me back to my youth and hours spent at the mall. I was the girl who ditched school to go shopping at a bigger mall out of town and my devotion to fashion was worth the risk. My gift of the gab got me voted “Most Social” in high school and I still throw a great party. Therefore, it makes complete and total sense (to me at least) that I am a “social shopper” with a love of social commerce and shopping parties. Shopping directly from a feed of products, designers and retailers hand-selected by the ultimate customer, me, and having digital friends share in potential purchases is all part of the fun.

Layout has long been an interest of mine - in my youth I "scrapbooked" sticker albums, and a rotating collage of posters, pictures, and magazine clippings adorned my bedroom walls. Sites such as Fancy and Pinterest made me realize I am not alone in my digital hobby. Filtering through the endless amount of content available on the Internet, and organizing my favorite finds into concise collections for others to discover new items and cull inspiration from, is a perfect form of self-expression. Curating finds and searching products based on shared taste allows me to indulge my love of presentation while seeking out the newest, latest and greatest content before the masses catch on.

Since my shopping habits started forming at a young age, I am curious to see how the 12 to 17-years-old demographic will shop a decade or two down the line, and how web applications will complement or alter their habits. The fashion cycle is increasingly faster with more apps and sites popping up to capture spending dollars. Companies are constantly challenged with higher consumer expectations to not only deliver, but also to evolve and enhance existing platforms, as well as create new features and technology to dazzle buyers in hopes of making a sale. Whether shopping brick-and-mortar, making purchases online, via Facebook or mobile devices, consumers have a variety of options to choose from. Do the virtual platforms you use mirror your real-life shopping habits? Chances are if I can easily browse the goods, socialize and shop, that's where I'll be. After all, once a mallrat, always a mallrat.

Stylist, costume designer, power shopper- Serena Duffin spreads her style in whichever city she lands. Duffin brings her love of vintage to the masses with the e-commerce launch of Modern Gypsy, a site catering "to fashionable women who don't want to see themselves coming offering one-of-a-kind vintage pieces styled with a fresh, modern twist". As a fellow vintage enthusiast and fan of Serena's personal style, Superstylin* asked the modern gypsy a few questions about her latest project.

The eclectic style of Modern Gypsy mirrors your personal style mix of high, low, on trend and vintage. How has your multifaceted fashion background including fashion styling, costume design for television and film, visual merchandising and wholesale experience contributed to your latest venture into e-commerce?

It was a very natural next step for me. I have been doing fashion styling as a hobby for over 10 years and by the time that I moved back to Los Angeles it was time to start thinking about an actual career for myself. So I did what everyone in LA does and threw myself into film! While working on projects I found myself thrifting more and more in search of amazing character pieces. I found character pieces all right- my character! I ended up shopping more for myself than for the films that I was working on. I outgrew my closet, my guest bedroom closet and the hallway. I was busting at the seams. Something had to be done. With my diverse and broad fashion industry background, the obvious next step for me was to finally launch Modern Gypsy. She had been a dream of mine since I quit my day job a few years back and became a bit of a gypsy myself!

My background in fashion manufacturing gave me the structure to create the growing business that I have today. It is great fun for me because I get to (finally) use all of my technical skills plus my creative side gets satisfied as well. It's the best of both worlds for me.

How did your love affair with vintage clothing begin?

Images of my glamorous mother and auntie in Colorado as hippies have always shaped my fashion ideals. They lived in a huge army tent with chandeliers and persian rugs, wore beautiful silk chiffon gowns and drank from crystal goblets. The images are so romanticized in my mind. As a young girl my mom used to take me to the mall and have me feel all of the different fabrics that were hanging on the racks at Dillards and guess what they were. I would tear out editorial pages of magazines and cover my walls in them. I would try on everything in my mom's closet while she was at work. Neighbors would donate their old Wmagazines to me and I would treasure them as if they were gold.

In junior high l I started really paying attention to what I was wearing. I had the advantage of coming out to Los Angeles each summer and shopping for my back-to-school clothes. Without the eyes of West Texas upon me, I was able to create looks for myself that were truly different from what the rest of my classmates were wearing. With a need to stay different, I started thrifting. I still love the thrill of the hunt and the excitement when I find something truly amazing and one-of-a-kind.

In the several years I have known you, you have lived in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin and New York. You are the embodiment of a modern gypsy. In one word, describe each city's style to you.

San Francisco- Young, Los Angeles- Carefree, Austin- Relaxed and New York- Cheeky.

When looking into a crystal ball, what does the future hold for Modern Gypsy?

I would love to play around with production and get back in the saddle with designing fashion. Additionally, we will be growing our e-commerce business by adding new merchants to merchandise with the one-of-a-kind finds that we already carry. I am really excited for the future of Modern Gypsy and I look forward to really expanding the brand into a lifestyle.

{Images Courtesy of Modern Gypsy}