Check out this great post she has on Fashion Bloggers, which of course mentions the now-famous names Gevinson and BryanBoy! Millennial Fashion Bloggers Making An Impact | Millennial Marketing

You can also find her blog link on my blog roll…….

Dara Adeeyo

So while I was on Facebook this morning, my friend and former Seventeen intern, Dara Adeeyo‘s facebook status caught my attention….

DARA ADEEYO just renewed her blog’s domain. Holla to owning a website! Sort of…8 hours ago

Here we see a first hand look at how much value GenYers put on blogging and how blogs are truly used as a way of establishing some sort of individuality, creative outlet, and a way to communicate with others.

I spoke with Dara about fashion blogging. She had a lot of great insight to share…

Q. What do you think about young teens and 20-year-olds using BLOGS to break into the fashion industry?

A.I think it’s great! As a blogger myself, I love seeing Bloggers get a foot into the door of the fashion industry with their blogs. However, as a writer and journalism student, I can appreciate but also find annoying bloggers who only post photos of their daily outfits. I find that most of the time, these type of Bloggers just want to gain celebrity. That’s just my personal opinion.

Q. As fashion week just passed, there has recently been a lot of press discussing teen fashion blogging and certain bloggers like “BryanBoy” and Tavi Gevinson who used their blogs to catch the eye of high fashion designers like Rodarte and Marc Jacobs. They got to enjoy a lot of special privileges that most of us “fashionistas” can only dream of. Have you heard anything about this? How does it make you feel?



A. I’ve heard of this and think it’s a once in a life time opportunity for many of these Bloggers. I think it serves as great press for many of the designers, assuming the Bloggers blog about their experience. With Fashion Blogging becoming a new fad, I hope that there isn’t a competition amongst other Bloggers to get such invites. I think a lot of Fashion Bloggers forget the important of just blogging for the thrill of it and not what perks can come out of it.

Q. Do you have any personal experience with a fashion blog? If so, has it gotten you any cool inside access to the fashion world?


I’ve been a Blogger since I was 10 years old; you know, using outlets like Xanga and LiveJournal. I’ve been a Fashion Blogger since 2007. It’s called Secretista: Secretista.com. I talk about fashion and at first I used to post a lot of outfit posts with mainly pictures, but then I decide to use my blog as practice for my writing. I would like to think my blog helped me get my internship at TeenVogue.com. They were impressed by my love for the Internet and also loved that I was a Blogger. Also, some designers like Brian Reyes randomly put me on their email list, so I get the inside scoop on what they are up to.

Q. I know that you have been interning at Teen Vogue, can you describe your most exciting experience having to do with the fashion world and why? (it would be awesome if this experience had any connection to your ability to blog/work for the teen vogue website/etc)



A: Interning at Seventeen and Teen Vogue has made me realize how much I love fashion. At both internships I was able to go to NY Fashion Week shows, but at my current internship at Teen Vogue, I not only went to shows, but blogged about them or helped put up blog posts about the shows. Teen Vogue also allowed me to go to events such as the G-Shock party: http://www.teenvogue.com/teamvogue/blogs/intern/2009/08/watch-out-gshock-celebrates-another-year.html. I was20also able meet Avril Lavigne and interview her about her Abbey Dawn line.

Q. Any additional comments….

A. Fashion Bloggers are being given so many opportunities! Rumi of Fashion Toast is a modeled for RVCA and is also designing a line with them(http://www.teenvogue.com/style/blogs/fashion/2009/06/a-piece-of-fashion-toast-rumi-neely-designs-for-rvca.html). Jane from Sea of Shoes collaborated with UrbanOutfitters for a shoe line and Karla from Karla’s Closet modeled for American Apparel! I’d love to have one of these opportunities, but at the same time I’m just happy being a Fashion Blogging, Teen Vogue Interning, journalism student. I just hope that girls and guys who get into Fashion Blogging, don’t do it for the possible fame, but for the true art that it is.

Jayne O'Donnell

 O’Donnell is a retail and automotive reporter for USA Today.

While I found the book very interesting, one thing that I found to be cool was how extremely in-depth the analysis of Gen Y was. However, I wanted to ask Ms.O’Donnell what she felt about teen blogging. Here is what she had to say…..

Q: Does it surprise you that teen blogging has increased and that in the fashion world more and more teens have been using blogs to get noticed/break into the industry?

“No, it doesn’t surprise me. This is a generation (Y) that is used to having their opinions heard and valued at home so blogs are another way for them to speak out, just to a larger audience. It can help both sides. Because Gen Yers are so good at ‘connecting’ and it’s so important to them, blogs become both a way for them to reach other Gen Yers and a way for fashion retailers and manufacturers to get real time reaction from young people. Hiring these young people – if they meet the other qualifications, of course — would help fashion industry officials tap into key influencers. We argue in the book that retailers and marketers who want to reach Gen Y should use their Gen Y employees whenever possible for this – whether it’s posting their favorites on websites, sending them out to connect in communities (real or virtual) or training them in good customer service so they can recommend to consumers on the sales floor whether something looks good on them or not because that would resonate far more than it would if a baby boomer was trying to do the selling.”

Thanks Jayne, your insight if very valuable!

Emily Gaynor

I recently spoke with Emily Gaynor, a junior at NYU majoring in journalism. Lucky girl that she is, Emily has interned at TeenVogue for the past three years. She recently started blogging for Teen Vogue’s Online Beauty Blog. Here is what she had to say!

Q: What do you think about young teens and 20 year olds using BLOGS to break into the fashion industry?

A: As a twenty-something who is breaking into the industry, I am an avid reader of blogs. The Internet is an amazing outlet for young people to get out their ideas and be able to earn the respect and following that they deserve. The blogosphere has recently turned out some amazing fashion blogs that are gaining reputations in well-revered fashion mediums such as magazines like Vogue.

Q: As fashion week just passed, there has recently been a lot of press discussing teen fashion blogging and certain bloggers like “BryanBoy” and Tavi Gevinson who used their blogs to catch the eye of high fashion designers like Rodarte and Marc Jacobs. They got to enjoy a lot of special privileges that most of us “fashionistas” can only dream of. Have you heard anything about this? How does it make you feel?

A: I am a huge fan of both BryanBoy and Tavi. They have made names for themselves by expressing their passions for the fashion industry and unique styles in their blogs. I also follow other stylish teens such as Julia Frakes, the adorable blogger for Paper Magazine’s FashionSchmasion blog and her own hit “BunnyBisous.” It is great when people who are my age or even younger than me are sitting next to some of the major editors at the shows because our generation is a key consumer base for the industry and the recent surge of blogs has made this business a more even playing field.

Q: Do you have any personal experience with a fashion blog? If so, has it gotten you any cool inside access to the fashion world?

This is my third year at Teen Vogue. I used to intern in Production under the senior producer and bookings editor and I have recently made the jump from behind the scenes to sharing my voice on the Teen Vogue “Beauty Blog.” This experience has given me some very exciting access into the world of fashion. I got to cover backstage at many of the shows during fashion week. I most recently covered a L’Oreal Paris event for their Color of Hope line which is a collaboration with the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. Being able to mix fashion with my studies of Journalism at NYU has provided me with an incredible peek into what I hope to do as my career.

Q: Do you have any friends/know any other teens that have used their fashion blog to get them somewhere in the industry, whether it be for an internship or getting into an event etc?

A: I recently met Julia Frakes, which was very great for me because I really respect her writing style and her appreciation for fashion and various charities around NYC. She seems to be doing it all at a very young age and I think she is an inspiration for college students who are able to manage careers and focus on school at the same time. I also have been following a young woman named Caylee who lives in Indiana and attends Indiana University. Her blog, “ifyouseekstyle,” http://ifyouseekstyle.blogspot.com/, is a collection of her outfit choices along with her fashion muses. I am from Indiana, so it is exciting to see a girl from the Midwest who is making a name for herself by simply creating outfits that are all reasonably priced and getting recognized by some major fashion websites such as “WhoWhatWear,” “Refinery29,” and “Chictopia.”

Q: I know that you have been interning at Teen Vogue, can you describe your most exciting experience having to do with the fashion world and why? (it would be awesome if this experience had any connection to your ability to blog/work for the teen vogue website/etc)

 While my internship in the Beauty Department has just really begun, I would have to say that gaining backstage access to the shows in order to cover the hair and makeup for Teen Vogue’s blog has been one of the most amazing experiences. Teen Vogue really trusts its’ interns and being able to have the freedom to write what I want and put my input into such a major influence on the industry, especially teenagers, is really mind-boggling. I am grateful for this opportunity and hope to keep up this kind of work.

Q: Recall the most awesome experience you had at this past Fashion Week in New York City.

A: The best Fashion Week memory from this past week was my trip to the tent at Bryant Park to cover backstage at Yigal Azrouel. I think he is a talented designer, who makes women exude a fierce confidence. Seeing makeup artist extraordinaire Bobbi Brown in action backstage was a really big moment for a girl like me from the middle of nowhere! I remember my mom bought me her book when I was about thirteen and I was so happy because she got me an autographed copy. Now, I just interviewed her for the Teen Vogue blog, which is something I would not have even dreamed of doing a few years ago!

Q: Any additional comments you wish to add about young people breaking into the fashion industry and blogging in general.

 A: While there are some criticisms about blogging in general, I think that blogging is a perfect supplement for the fashion world. It has created a perfect relationship, where designers are gaining so much exposure, and young people are earning respect for their responsible, yet creative coverage. I still love magazines and I think that the editorial work of magazines will never truly translate into an online phenomenon. However, in terms of writing, many of the blogs are very clever and witty, and it is nice that some of the magazines are putting a lot of time into their own blogs, because everyone is realizing that being online is the new way to go.

Julia Frakes

Photo Courtesy of Refinery29 (Another website on my blogroll to surely check out!)

Read about these two GenY rising stars of Fashion right here The Supermelon | An online publication that highlights the best in global Style, Trends, Arts, Travel, & more!

MEET RUMI NEELY!

Rumi Neely

Photo Courtesy of Fashiontoast

A native of Southern California, Neely started her blog in September of 2006. Now you can find her all over the place as the fresh face of RVCA’s Fall 09 campaign!

If that is not enough, we can expect even more great things for her in the near future. Neely will be designing pieces for RVCA as well!!!

All you fashionistas out there, don’t underestimate the power of a blog!

Be sure to visit Neely’s blog here fashiontoast

Here you go….

Photos Courtesy of BryanBoy.com

Posted in GenY Must Haves ]]> http://yimtalkingboutmygeneration.wordpress.com/2009/09/18/the-bb-bag/feed/ 1 fashionistat42 BB Bag Bryan BB BAG runway http://yimtalkingboutmygeneration.wordpress.com/2009/09/18/the-talk-at-teen-vogue/ http://yimtalkingboutmygeneration.wordpress.com/2009/09/18/the-talk-at-teen-vogue/#comments Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:20:18 +0000 fashionistat42 http://yimtalkingboutmygeneration.wordpress.com/?p=49 ]]> While perusing one of my all time favorite blogs on TeenVogue.com, I came across some more talk about teen bloggers and their access to the fashion industry. “Key Players: They’re not designers, stylists, or magazine editors–yet. The next generation of influential fashion forces is making its mark online with buzzed-about style blogs,” introduces us to more members of Gen Y who are making their presence known in among the big leaguers. (Yes, I know it is awesome!)

The Awesome BryanBoy Himself!

Photo Courtesy of BryanBoy.com

I was really struck by one newcomer, BryanBoy‘s story…

“Style blogs have grown into such an important force that even major names are logging on. When Phillipines-based BryanBoy aired a homemade video tribute to Marc Jacobs on his cheeky self-titled blog, the designer himself reached out to let Bryan know that he was an avid reader. A few days after the Marc Jacobs Fall 2008 show, Jacobs e-mailed Bryan again, to tell him he was naming one of the bags from the collection–an ostrich satchel–the “BB” in his honor.”

Talk about inspiration! Teens all over the country are really putting themselves out there. Style blogs have become an extraordinary way to express creativity and the added perk is that these teens are really getting noticed. Kudos to all!

Read the rest of the TeenVogue piece here Teen Fashion Bloggers: Industry Insider: teenvogue.com

And don’t forget to visit BryanBoy by following the link on my blogroll…

Rodarte's Collection at New York Fashion Week

Photo: Courtesy of the New York Times

In the style section of today’s New York Times, Rodarte’s designing duo, sisters, Kate and Laura Mulleavy, received praise and recognition. With today’s ailing economy, it is important for designers to bring something new and exciting to the table. When times are good and the fashion industry is booming, designers tend to get lazy, and are less likely to focus on fueling their creative thinking. Essentially, they are more likely to “play it safe”. However, today’s article, “All Eyes Shift to Creativity” states,

“The Rodarte show was one of the many hopeful auguries this week, signs that New York fashion has already started to regenerate itself through improvisation, experiment collaboration and the locally prized habit of taking risks.”

As I am sure you all remember, it was also Rodarte‘s designers that recently incorporated the inspiration they found on eighth grader Tavi Gevinson’s blog into their fashion design…. now that is something to think about!

Read the rest of the NY Times article here Fashion Diary – Fashion Week – All Eyes Shift to Creativity – NYTimes.com

ATTENTION GEN Y BLOGGERS!!!!!

I hope you were all inspired by the link I posted to Katherine Rosman’s article in the Wall Street Journal “Fashion’s Secret Helpers.” However, Rosman is not alone in picking up on this up and coming Gen Y trend.

It is extremely exciting that teens as young as 13-years old are breaking into the fashion industry by simply pouring their creative juices into blogs and websites for the world to see. Not only are big names in the fashion world noticing, but they are also reaching out and responding to the enormous talent and potential displayed by these teeny members of Generation Y.

In a recent article published in the New York Times, entitled “Young Bloggers Have Ear of Fashion Heavyweights,” author Alice Pfeiffer introduces us to a slew of other teen bloggers that have been catching the attention of fashion’s major players.

“The magazine and other fashion blogs and blog networks are helping to give young entrepreneurs an early entry into journalism and winning some of them a place in the notoriously competitive fashion industry. Other sites include TeenUgly, an American-based blog network; the blogs Style Bubble, based in London, and Childhood Flames, from the United States; and Cherry Blossom Girl, a blogger and designer from Paris.”

The article explains that this facet should come as no surprise, seeing how technology has played an enormous role in the lives of Generation Y members since they were born. Thomas Gonsorcik, the head of intelligence at the social media consultancy, Interaction London, is quoted in the article,

“Today’s teenagers never had to discover the Internet. They were almost predetermined to master the new means of media and communication in a way that is qualitatively much richer than the older generation.”

Blogging has certainly provided these youngsters with a key to the fashion industry, as some have landed spots assisting fashion designers, creating their own accessories lines for major stores, and even lending a hand with fashion magazine production. How exciting is that? I know I wouldn’t mind being in their shoes….

Read the NY Times Article Here Young, Online, and Fashion Forward – NYTimes.com

And don’t forget to visit my Blogroll for links to these awesome fashion blogs!!!