Back in her “O.C.” glory days, Mischa Barton was often referred to as an upcoming style icon given her unique way of using apparently mismatched items in a single outfit, and actually getting fashion watchers and critics to sing her praise, a thing that few other female celebrities could or can do. Today, though, the industry is no longer that keen on Mischa’s style, frequently branding it as too “nutty” to be nice – but she’s not the one to change because of criticism, as she reveals in a new interview cited by The Times of India.

According to the actress, whose hobo meets oldie style still inspires many teenagers and not only, she is what she wears, meaning fashion is not for her just a means of attracting attention, but rather of expressing her own personality. People find it very easy to criticize, especially Americans, Mischa believes, which is why she will not let herself be brought down by their negativity – she grew up with fashion and plans on growing old with her unique style as well.

“I grew up with pictures of Marianne Faithfull and Anita Pallenberg on my wall, they have always been my style. I am a weird replica of the 70s! But it is cool to see that it is back on trend.” the star says, hinting at the trends that are now making a glorious comeback (headbands, hippie-inspired clothes, floral and geometric patterns, oldie cuts, and so on and so forth).

In the same interview, the actress also says that she has found from experience that people in Great Britain, for instance, tend to be more open-minded than Americans, who are always rushing to categorize a star by the clothes they wear. In this sense, she for one eludes most categories because her look is a mix of more styles, which, in turn, prompts people in the US to label her a fashion nutjob at best.

“What is nice about fashion in Britain is that you get to be more eccentric and a bit more yourself. In the States they don’t like it when you look too different. It is about experimenting by mixing and matching to develop your own look. You should try to wear something that embodies your sense of style. I think it is bad to wear head to toe all one look.” Mischa concludes by saying.