Though this blog doesn't even begin to convey it, I spend a lot of time studying fashion (well, in between doing college work and work-work. You know how it is!). Fashion plays such a huge role in my life today, I might as well personify it with a name and face. Anyway, it was only when I was about 11 years-old that Teen Vogue debuted and I received one of those free subscriptions from buying something out of a Juniors catalog.
I clearly remember being a complete spaz and going to my mom's bedroom in the evening, when she's trying to sleep, and just showing her page after page of this life-changing magazine I'd started receiving. I had never seen anyone wear pink and blue and purple all in one outfit; I'd never seen anyone wear a tweed blazer with eight perfectly placed pins and a graphic tee underneath.
Even after my epiphany, I only was really interested in improving my own closet - I never thought about fashion or clothes or shoes or whatever being anything but that. It took me a long time to realize that maybe I was kind of good at this, and maybe I should focus more on fashion and not go to college and major in something that is only appealing because it's accessible and pays well.
The truth is, pursuing a career in fashion isn't very accessible and, for paying NYC rent higher than your Pierre Hardys and working 14 hour days, doesn't pay well. But with all those years of reading Teen Vogue and, even when preoccupied with high school classes and boy chasing, always having an instinct of when Fashion Week was, a seed has been growing and I am happy to follow it.
As a result, I haven't went a day in a long long time without reading some book about breaking into the fashion industry, catching up on magazines, catching all the news on fashion blogs, studying an editorial spread, finding a new designer, whatever.
But every once in a while, a really great opportunity comes along that kind of brings all that stuff to life. For me, this year, that's Teen Vogue Fashion University. I've never attended, but I'm super-excited and hope that I'm chosen to be one of 500 girls to brush elbows with Prabal, Olivier, Nicole (yes, as in Richie), and more. They've had seminars where guests can ask the editors questions, hear how the most relevant designers got their start, tour the Teen Vogue offices (!!), and participate in DIY projects. They also have private shopping events and freebies along the way.
It's a perfect opportunity for anyone pursuing fashion, and my 11 year-old self would've probably stopped breathing if she knew about this.
Fashion U is held in October, and all acceptance notifications are received by September. Fingers crossed 'till then!
For more information,
click here.
