This year, Klarna partnered with GAY TIMES to inspire and engage members of the LGBTQ+ community to discover their self-expression and enhance their shopping experiences.
Together, we interviewed five content creators about their style, attitude and personality and how this is expressed through their aesthetic.
Each influencer was specifically chosen to represent one of five shopping personality types: Hypebeast, Festival Lover, ‘That’ Girl, Gamer and Accessories Master.
The series aimed to highlight the power of the Klarna app as a discovery and shopping tool for any shopper when looking to express their personality. Each content creator curated their own in-app collection for consumers to browse and take inspiration from.
London-based model, DJ and festival veteran Simone Murphy discussed her history in the festival circuit, being inspired by women such as Peggy Gou, Alexa Chung and Jameela Jamil and her favourite shopping feature on the Klarna app.
Nominating the CO2 tracker, Simone said: “I think especially when you’re shopping online it’s easy to get carried away and forget that these products are being packaged and shipped to you and they don’t just show up at your door so it’s nice to have that little reminder so that you can manage what you’re doing.”
(Shop Simone’s curated festival in-app collection here.)
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Signed to the trailblazing trans-led modelling agency, Wimp, Maxine said “knowing your value” and ‘cultivating your own energy’ is the key to being ‘That Girl’.
“A big part of it to me is investing time back into yourself and that can look like anything. I’ve realised how much easier I find it to make that time for myself now I’m single again,” she explained. “Getting back out to queer nightlife has been one of my saviours.
“It always presents a space or a moment to step out of my comfort zone style-wise or level up my makeup.”
(Shop Maxine’s *That Girl* collection here.)
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Sakuta, a fashion blogger and self-confessed hypebeast, is changing the face of streetwear. In their editorial, Sakuta revealed how they become involved in hype culture, why their favourite ever purchase is the Nike Sacai LD Waffle and their favourite retailers on the Klarna app.
“I love that I can buy items on Klarna with END. END stores stock loads of brands I love, the benefit being that even if a brand isn’t on Klarna yet, I can buy the items through the END. I shop there a little bit and there’s always items I’m interested in,” they said.
“END does sneaker raffles too, so I can participate in those. The store is always up to date with the latest seasons and drops of staple brands mid-high end brands.”
(Shop Sukuta’s Hypebeast collection here.)
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Content creator and gamer Emma, who plays everything from Tomb Raider to Demon’s Souls and streams it to her loyal followers, discussed how “gaming fashion is always suitable” and why her biggest inspiration is Elz the Witch.
As for her favourite feature, Emma told GAY TIMES: “For gaming, getting notifications when prices drop is super useful.
‘It’s a feature I get the most benefit from. Games and equipment for streaming can be quite pricey, so it’s great to get notified when a game in my backlog has come down in price so I can swoop in and grab it, although that doesn’t help with the problem of having no time to play them all. Everyone loves a delivery tracker too.
“It makes you feel like a kid on Christmas – waiting underneath the letterbox for the postman to deliver a new game is a feeling like no other.”
(Shop Emma’s Gamer collection here.)
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We also spoke with filmmaker Yelita Ali about her experiences with accessories, why Harper from Wizards of Waverly Place is her “original style icon” and her advice for any budding accessory masters.
“A good hat or hair band can really elevate a look. It creates incredible detail,” said Yelita. “You can also get cool waist beads or anklets. There are so many different types of accessories. Broaden your horizons!”
(Shop Yelita’s Accessory collection in the Klarna app here.)
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You can shop the full GAY TIMES x Klarna collection here.