Renārs Zeltiņš: It’s very hard to make a good impression the second time around

On 21 September, Akropole shopping and entertainment centre hosted Fashion talks. For six hours well-known Latvian stylists, fashion experts and celebrities discussed and shared their experience of fashion, style and its importance, as well as appraising the latest fashion trends and their incorporation into your daily wardrobe. Among the participations in Akropole Fashion talks was celebrity showman Renārs Zeltiņš, who shared his advice on style and revealed why appropriate style is the key to success in professional and personal life.

“Style really is your business card. Once upon a time, after an initial conversation, a person would always leave his business card. Of course, this is also done nowadays, but in today’s world, when casting your eyes upon a person for the first time, his chosen style and body language tell you the most about him, only after that we get to know the person’s personality. It is very hard to make a good first impression the second time around, therefore, you need to be confident about what you’re wearing. This is already a part of the key to success,” says Renārs Zeltiņš.

During the Fashion talks at Akropole, Renārs revealed that when it comes to style, he keeps it simple. “One of my favourite theses since childhood has been that simplicity is brilliant. Simplicity has power, and it also proves that you don't need a lot of money to look good and stylish.” In Renārs' experience, you can go into Zara store and buy a T-shirt for EUR 7, and you can buy trousers at a second-hand store for next to nothing. All that's left is to choose your shoes and your simple, but effective style is ready!

The abiding impact and the results in professional life that can be derived from simple, yet effective style, are wonderfully exemplified by Hollywood actors. James Dean and Steve McQueen regularly wore white T-shirts, pants and simple shoes. By keeping the style pure and complementing it with a charismatic personality, victory is assured. And not without a reason – decades have passed, but Dean and McQueen remain icons of style and professionalism. Nowadays, however, the well-known hooded sweater or hoodie has become a symbol of simple style. Virgil Abloh, one of the world's most successful fashion designers, has even gone as far as claiming that the hoodie has become the modern jacket. Today, even for serious meetings, businessmen are swapping their fine suits for comfortable and practical hoodies.

Although simplicity in style and appearance is great, it is not enough – a person’s attitude and personality also matter. Therefore, Renārs Zeltiņš gave the visitors of Akropole Fashion talks some advice that will benefit both men and women:

• Knowledge is stylish. If you’re hungry for knowledge, want to discover the world and you strive for success, you’re stylish.
• Manners and politeness are stylish. It’s stylish to offer somebody your seat, to be gallant, to observe etiquette and table culture.
• To set you phone aside is stylish. “I recently took a trip on which I lost my phone charger. This was the best thing that could have happened. No stories, no Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or Google. Of course, at first it’s a bit disconcerting that you don’t have your phone in your hand, but if you spend your days together with your loved one, the time spent together assumes a completely different quality. All that posting of stories, long pieces of text on social media – these things consume a lot of time, and if your loved ones are at your side, it’s a bit strange if you’re glued to your phones. Maintaining a balance and putting your phone aside is stylish,” reveals Renārs.
• Travelling is stylish, because travel expands our range of vision. You discover other cultures and learn new skills. You don’t necessarily have to travel far, the main thing is to start a journey, which helps you to extract yourself from the whirlpool of daily life and carries you off into another world. 
• Exercising is stylish. It’s important to focus not only on your spiritual health, but also to keep your body as a temple and maintain a good shape.
• If you go out anywhere, your main ornament is and always will be your smile. “You can wear whatever you like, but if you’re sad, grey and miserable, which is a common trait of people in Latvia, you won’t achieve the result you desire. In Spain or Italy people will approach you and simply greet you, whereas over here, they’ll think that you’ve lost your mind. Smiling and enjoying life is worth it and very stylish!” asserts Renārs.
• If you’re ever in doubt about what to wear to an event, choose red. You can’t go wrong.
• Remember that clothes are only clothes. “As values change, sooner or later people reach this conclusion. I used to follow and dress like my heroes such as David Beckham, now I’m just me and I choose to dress simply. There are much more important things in life than clothing like family, health, and quality and enjoyment of life.”

Although Fashion talks at Akropole have ended, the autumn campaign dedicated to new and diverse clothing, shoes and accessories is still taking place at the shopping and entertainment centre – until 20 October, shoppers, who spend at least EUR 50 at Akropole, have the chance to win a gift card – each worth EUR 111 – or a trip to one of Europe’s fashion capitals: London, Milan or Paris!

For more detailed information, please contact:

Lauma Laube,

Akropole Rīga Communication Consultant,

Fox Consulting Communication Agency

Phone: 29285760

E-mail: [email protected]

www.akropoleriga.lv