The Person Behind: @requiemroses

Meet Sophia, the girl boss who single-handedly runs @requiemroses, one of Instagram’s most influential vintage inspired accounts with close to 60k followers. In this casual interview we chat about the impacts of running an account and her passion for music.

“To have the opportunity to empower not only myself but other people through music would be my definition of happiness.”

Fiona: How old are you?

Sophia: I’m 16 years old.

Fiona: When and why did you start your Instagram account and how has your content changed since you first started?

Sophia: I first started my account mid-September in 2016. My account has changed a Lot since then – my captions used to be a personal blog as well as a way to share the movies I love. I used to post screen caption pics instead of my current content.

F: How would you describe your account to an outsider?

Sophia: I guess my account could be described as vintage vomit, I just post an array of movies and music related pictures – it’s like a self-published magazine featuring my interests.

F: What’s the story behind your username?

Sophia: My username used to be something completely different, I used to be called “dead.rabbit.hope” after this wonderful song by The Shoe. One day I decided to change it so I sat down with my brother to brainstorm. I love roses and definitely wanted to incorporate them but I also loved the way certain words sound: requiem is one of my favourite words because it’s uncommon but beautiful. I decided to put them together and the erst is history.

F: One thing that initially drew me to your account is the fact that you sometimes post a short bio or some random facts about the person you uploaded a picture of. What does your selection process look like?

Sophia: Whenever I post I usually post about a certain person or movie that has impacted my thoughts that day, I often learn new things or watch new films which inspire me and urge me to share them with others. When I select a photo I spend my insomnia laced nights searching for my favourites. I love finding rare or unique people, I could probably say that I have seen every Liv Tyler pic you can find. When I look for fast I will read through interviews and websites about cast & film.

F: As a young individual who has a rather large following, how has running your account affected you? What about all of the online negativity you surely also have to face?

Sophia: Since starting this account I have had my fair share of negativity online which I shan’t dwell on but in a way it has matured me and helped me become resilient to negative comments. The negativity has hardened me for the better I would say, now I can laugh when someone tries to drag me down.

F: One thing many might not be aware of is that you are actually an excellent singer. Do you plan to work in the music industry one day?

Sophia: I would absolutely love to work on music in the future! It’s one of my dreams to sing and create art, I have been writing ever since I was a young child. To have the opportunity to empower not only myself but other people through music would be my definition of happiness.

F: What’s the most rewarding aspect of interacting with a community?

Sophia: The most rewarding thing about the vintage community has to be the individuality of everyone, I’m so grateful to be able to talk to so many like-minded people, without this account I could have never met my best friend!

F: Okay I’m going to ask you a series of short questions now:

James, Heath, Leo or Johnny?

James!

Coffee or tea?

Coffee, clack with two sugars.

80’s or 90’s music?

80’s of course

Morning or night?

Night!

You favourite 90’s movie is….?

I can’t answer that I would never forgive myself oh my… but it’s between Girl interrupted, Leon, American Beauty and every Tarantino movie ever.

A music battle: Guns N’ Roses vs. Led Zeppelin – who would win?

Oh my gosh I love both bands greatly but in skill Led Zeppelin, they are the true gods of rock.

F: Any message / advice you would like to give to your followers?

Sophia: I would just love to say thank you. I really mean it, I’m so grateful for everyone and don’t be afraid to dm me any time. If there is one thing I’ve learned it’s that you should look after yourself because you are the only one who’s going to be there for you, so don’t be too harsh on and love yourself please.

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★ A big thank you goes out to Sophia, who took the time to answer these questions mid-exam season. Her account has been a great source for me to find new films, so if you’re interested, definitely pay a visit! ★

Click here to visit @requiemroses on Instagram!

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About this series:

Season two of The Person Behind revolves around fellow creatives and their individual experiences with social media and self-expression. This season aims to emphasize feminism and outdated social constructs and underline the significance of raising awareness and spreading the word.

IF YOU WANT TO BE FEATURED ON THE PERSON BEHIND, CONTACT ME HERE.

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Ps. Happy Valentine’s Day everybody! I wish all of you who are celebrating a fantastic rest of the day. And if you’re a single pringle like me, get yourself a giant box of ice cream or do something fun with your friends (preferably something with ice cream involved).