In the second part of our #FAJOgirls series, I continue to introduce you to my team.

Now that you’ve virtually met our Social Media Editor, Lacey Ward, here is the story of our Reporter Darina Granik!

During a recent photoshoot, Darina and I chatted about just a few of her favourite things.

1) What do you enjoy the most about working at FAJO?

FAJO has given me amazing opportunities to meet and write about interesting people in the fashion industry, attend fascinating events, and experience exclusive previews and access to the products that haven’t been launched yet.

It was funny, when I was recently shopping in Istanbul Duty Free and a sales associate was describing advantages of one of their newest mascaras. I humbly told her: “I know”. She was pushy, “Oh no, it has these and those features.” So I said, “I know, I have written all about it in an article a few months ago.” Thanks to FAJO, many of my dreams are coming true.

2) Why did you choose to work in the creative industry?

I’ve dreamt of being a journalist since I was 11. At first, my dream was to work on MTV, so I could meet Britney Spears and host the Red Carpet of VMAs. I think that MTV now is not what it used to be.

So when I turned 16, I wanted to be a fashion journalist or researcher, as this field has always fascinated me. I did not train professionally in journalism, but I studied Cultural Studies and Fashion.

3) Which hashtag would best describe your personality?

This is a tough one… It could be #UntamedCuriousMind. For as long as I can remember myself, I’ve been very curious and knowledge-hungry. I always have to find out the core of a problem or phenomenon, why and how something exists. I love discovering new cultures and countries, people and their stories. Despite a Russian saying, that my Granny used to say to me, “Curious Varvara had her nose torn off” (“curiousity killed the cat”), my nose is still big and I am proud of it!

Or #GorgeousCurlyHair. Lately, when giving somebody my number, I would write this down instead of my last name, because after events or parties, people might forget who I was and what my name is, but they never forget the hair. Lady Gaga had a song, called “I am my hair”, and I can relate to that. It’s very representative of who I am.

4) How would you describe your style?

In 2012, one of my professors once called me “a lady of colours”, because I would always wear bright colours: fuchsia, pink, neon yellow, royal blue, carrot orange. Colour-blocking used to be my favourite trend.

For one of the school projects, I made a colour wheel of my own photos, because I had items of any colour. But as I grow older, my wardrobe gets more toned down.

Travels inspire my sense of style — for example, I got lots of neutral garments after a family trip to Scandinavia. However, for nights out and formal events, I prefer LBDs. I like little black dresses with a twist, like an interesting cut-out, fringe or detailing. You can never go wrong with that.

On a daily basis, I wear colourful button-down shirts with sweaters and jeans; it’s a bit menswear-inspired, but colours and patterns bring out feminine elements.

Ballet flats are my favourite shoes, as I walk a lot in downtown Toronto. Yet, I can never ignore a beautiful pair of high heels for a night out!

5) Tell us about your biggest fashion or beauty catastrophe.

Dying my hair. That was the biggest mistake of my life.

My hair is fair, but when I was 18, I decided that it should be blonder. So I went to the salon in August, had it died, but it turned to be yellow. And as my skin is fair, I looked washed-out. My dry hair got even drier, so it looked like a loofah. Then it got more and more yellow. But as the hair would grow, my roots seemed to be of a weird ash-grayish tone.

I went to another salon in October, and the stylist died it back to my natural shade. However, as I washed the hair, the colour would wash out and go back to the weird shade of straw.

In February, my stylist and I decided to dye it dark brown, so that it stay darker if it washed out. But she didn’t touch up my roots, so I had weird light roots and dark hair…  Truly, a catastrophe.

By next summer, my natural colour came back, more or less. It took quite a while to grow it out, and I have never dyed it again. Now, I only squeeze fresh lemon in the summer onto my hair, so it gets slightly faded under the sun.

6) What is the most unusual item in your closet? What is the story behind it?

That would probably be the dress from a British brand AQ/AQ. I have it in a gorgeous pastel “Tiffany” blue shade, it is very short, but fully covered, with statement shoulder pads and long sleeves that reach the floor. I got it in the AQ/AQ boutique on Carnaby Street in London, in the summer of 2014.

I love its very regal look. I wore it to two weddings and one photoshoot.

7) What is your favourite item of clothing?

Little Black Dresses. They are elegant, smart and sexy.

8) What is your favourite accessory and why?

I love statement earrings. As my hair is my “accessory”, earrings are what always catches the eye, and decorates both the face and the hair.

9) We can never catch you wearing ______?

Anything that shows off a bare belly, unless we are on a beach. Because I don’t have a six-pack and it’s not 2001.

10) Who is the most memorable person you ever met?

Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary of Denmark.

I was reporting for FAJO last September when she and her husband, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Frederik, came to Toronto to support Danish Business Delegation that was signing contracts with officials to enter the Canadian market.

She is the future Queen of Denmark, and a very beautiful and elegant lady. She is called “the original Kate Middleton”, a middle-class woman, who married her Prince Charming. She is also an embodiment of any girl’s dream to become a princess — a fairy tale coming to life.

That was a very exciting experience: you don’t meet real princesses on a regular basis. We also had an opportunity to meet and greet. We shook hands with the Princess, curtseyed and introduced ourselves.

Unfortunately, there are no photos of me shaking hands with HRH Crown Princess to show to my future children. But I have a lot of photos of her, while she was gracefully checking out the booths of representatives of the Danish Fashion Industry!

Follow Darina on Instagram.