beacon's shopping budget challenge with berta amelinaite

model, photographer, and dj berta amelinaite exemplifies the versatility of a true creative chameleon. while her style remains fluid and ever-evolving, she has recently embraced a passion for minimalism, focusing on rich fabrics and garment structure—an approach she showcased during our shopping budget challenge.

 describe your style...

my style is versatile, sometimes i feel like a chameleon.

i use my personal style as an outlet to experiment and put looks together that can be wildly different but in some ways still sorta have my touch to them. i don't take it too seriously anymore.

however, since i've gotten more involved in designing myself, I’ve started to gravitate towards more of a minimal approach and have tapped into some great basics like; long skirts, cropped blazers, oversized fits/functional pieces, and i have been more focused on the fabric itself. 

 what inspires your style?

i think I find inspiration all around me. in music. my friends. in the world. in how people move in a space. in flowers and nature. in old hollywood glam and new york's streets.  i think my style is also pretty flexible and fluid so my inspiration evolves too but i see beauty in everything.  

what was the inspiration behind this look?

this look came together because i came across this dress while browsing at the beacon’s greenpoint store…some scheming and collabing with my friend aya @ayatariqmua (she’s literally incredible!). we decided to create this smoky 90s glam look to go along with the dress and these karl lagerfield pumps (also from beacon’s).

what’s your shopping strategy at beacon’s closet?

i try to have something specific in mind before I go into beacon’s or any thrift store. like maybe we are looking for pants, or white tops, etc…sometimes when I don’t shop that way, it leads to overwhelm while in the store and decision fatigue or panic shopping. also if I’m styling for a shoot (whether I’m modeling or shooting it) i’ll moodboard beforehand. so at least i’ll catch a vibe and see what could fit from what i find. 

how did you first get interested in fashion?

probably when i raided my mom’s closet and tried to walk in her size 10 shoes when i was 5…but my interest in fashion stemmed from growing up in lithuania and being in a culture where we didn’t go outside unless we were ready to be outside (no sweatpants allowed). and since we were on a budget I often had to make it work with $10. when I was 10 i started volunteering to help at my local market in exchange for a few pieces of clothes so very humble beginnings…

earliest fashion memory?

when my mom was making her wedding dress and i was hanging out and watching it all come together. she made it all by recycling curtain and sheet fabric. 

what or who is currently influencing your style?

i think if i had to say one thing, it would be shapes and how garments flow and fit…i’m learning the power of nontraditional cuts and how a fit can be changed based on fabric. 

 what are you currently excited by in fashion?

i think we are seeing a shift in the industry within fashion at the moment. we are more open to finding the unique style that resonates with us individually and doing it our way, and there are many designers that have created their own vibe in the space. 

what is the most special thing in your closet? is there more than one?

so many honestly…the most special would have to be the pieces i crochet or sew myself…another favorite is this bedazzled sequin bra top that my mom hand-sewed in the 90s and it’s like 3 decades old. and my isabel marant bomber that I thrifted from beacon’s last year which is very cozy.

vintage dress $39.95, karl lagerfeld shoes $59.95

total $99.90

you can find more from berta at bertastudio.com and on instagram at @bertainnyc 

makeup by aya tariq @ayatariqmua