This weekend I went to New York City to attend Teen Vogue's annual Teen Vogue Fashion University! It was definitely an honor to be accepted into the program and to be able to have the opportunity to learn from such knowledgeable and experienced men and women in the fashion industry. The weekend started on Friday with a Kick-Off Event held by Express at their Madison Ave. location. While I was there I got to meet amazing girls and also Teen Vogue's VP and Publisher, Jason Wagenheim. He is a fellow GAMECOCK! It was so exciting to meet such an influential man at the magazine and to know he went to USC, too. It was a huge boost of confidence as well as meeting the Social Media Manager who is from Pittsburgh! It was definitely a kick to keep working towards my goals and shows that if you work hard enough you really can live your dreams. (corny, yes, but true!)
Jason Wagenheim
Saturday began with registration where we received our ID pass and a huge Shopbop bag full of merch and goodies!
Then we went into the Hudson Theatre for a panel led by EIC Amy Astley with Teen Vogue editors. Some of the tips that were given by the crew:
Amy Astley said that journalism "is not a dying field." "People crave information," she said. "It's just that they're getting it in many different ways now." Have no fear aspiring journalists! As long as people want information, we will be here to give it to them in all different ways.
Teen Vogue's style features director Andrew Bevan, better known to some (Amy Astley included) by his twitter handle @bevansburg, says that "you have to be on your toes."
Information today is all about accessibility. Everyone wants it, they want it now and everyone has access to it. Social Media Manager Drew Elovitz gets info out to readers from all different social media platforms. Her role in the magazine shows how the industry is always changing with new technology. The way the magazine is perceived and displayed on social media is such a huge aspect to teenagers now and she is responsible for how they are represented and come across. They said they want to offer their girl a 360 degree point of view.
Health & Beauty Editor Elaine Welteroth said, "Build it and they will come."
Gloria Baume, Teen Vogue's fashion director, says to "take it upon yourself to do something with pride." This is something everyone can learn from: if you're passionate enough about something, keep working hard at it, stay positive, and it will happen!
Thankfully, but not surprisingly, people would still rather look at print magazines as opposed to the online version. There is something magical about the combination of photography, clothing, and story line.
I then took class with Danielle + Jodie Snyder of jewelry line Dannijo. They were sweet and funny and encouraged everyone to work hard and not give up. You never know when you will get your break! I also saw designer Thakoon Panichgul who gave advice on taking a leap of faith and going after what you believe in. (This was the overall theme of TVFU–definitely a positive environment to learn from!) He did not study fashion in college and thought this may have even been of an advantage to him later on.
Eddie Borgo told us about his path and journey of how he launched his jewelry line and gave the small class each a beautiful pair of spiked rose gold earrings! They show off how simple, chic and bold his style is. Coco Rocha talked about how she works for the better treatment of child models under the age of 18. The law was recently passed and says that child models will be granted protections from exploitation, abuse and unacceptable working conditions. You could tell how passionate and strong of a woman Coco is (and ridiculously funny, too!) and it was amazing to learn from such a role model. The founders of blogs Into the Gloss and The Coveteur were there and gave info on how to keep readers interested in a blog, how to come up with new info and how to unplug from it all when you can. (I definitely took some notes and their advice on this segment for Minnie Maus!)
http://theluxeminimalist.blogspot.com/2013/10/teen-vogue-fashion-university-day-2.html#more
Topshop held an event for us students that night at their SoHo location! I got to meet a lot of great people and snack on the delicious ice cream sundae bar and other desserts they provided while we sang along to the DJ.
Sunday we screened The Editor's Eye and then Vogue fashion editor Phyllis Posnick, who is featured in the film, gave us insight to the industry. I asked her what she thought social media was doing to the beauty and health industry and she said, "When the Kardashians are the standard of 'chic' and 'beauty' we're in big trouble." Probably one of my favorite quotes of the weekend. She is so smart and blunt. I really wanted her to have a hand-held microphone so she could drop it on stage and walk off like the badass she is, but oh well. In my mind that is what happened.
After this, it was time for graduation! We all were awarded 'diplomas' and said our goodbyes to the great new friends we made. What a great weekend! I can't thank Teen Vogue enough for such an amazing opportunity and I can't wait to see what happens next for me!
Until next time my few, but faithful, readers
Alana Fuscardo
