Wednesday, March 18, 2015

City Dreams a Reality; Teen Vogue Fashion University

 This past weekend I had the insane opportunity to travel to New York City for Teen Vogue Fashion University. Fashion University is a 3 day event hosted by Teen Vogue where you attend fashion, editorial, or business seminars by some of the top people in the industry. Around 500 students from all over the country, even a few international students, are selected to attend. I choose the editorial/social "major" and was able to hear some amazing individuals speak, learning unforgettable lessons. The Teen Vogue headquarters are located in One World Trade Center, so classes were up on the 34th and 64th floors...a completely breathtaking view of the city.


 Friday night was a kick-off party at Express in Times Square. As soon as I walked in, Elaine Welteroth, the beauty and health editor of Teen Vogue, was standing right in front of me. Ah! She is such a sweetheart and took the time to talk to all of the girls individually. Express had a photo booth, mocktails and sweets, a lash bar, and DJ Chelsea Leyland blasting great music for all the students to enjoy. Seeing everyone dressed in different outfits, expressing themselves uniquely, was so cool in itself. The editors of Teen Vogue were all walking around mingling with us, answering questions, and it seemed everyone was having a fabulous time, myself included!




















 After a short sleep (how does one possibly get enough sleep in the greatest city in the world) it was time for a full day of classes. We each received an Express tote bag filled with goodies. Each room had huge full length windows that were fogged up from the rain. It seemed as if I was floating in the clouds in the best dream possible. I can't get over how incredible it is that those who work at Teen Vogue get to go to work every day with an unreal view of the city, doing what they love! The following are the seminars I attended on Saturday:
Michelle Phan, beauty youtuber who recently launched her own makeup brand
Black Frame, a PR agency who works with Kenzo and Rodarte-just to name a couple
Kristen Joy Watts, the art and fashion director of Instagram (loved her!)
Aliza Licht, DKNY PR girl who told us all about the launch of the Cara Delevingne collaboration
A panel of Teen Vogue Editors, lead by Editor-in-Chief Amy Astley
Mickey Rapkin, the writer of Pitch Perfect
Each speaker had something new to be heard...notebooks and cameras were out and in full force. Jessica Simpson, Zac Posen, and ManRepeller are just a few of the other great speakers that were there, as well. I never wanted the day to end. Being surrounded by creative, motivating, positive individuals was so magical and I left feeling oh so inspired.








Erika Bearman, Oscar De La Renta PR Girl, was the keynote speaker on Sunday morning. She is stunning and full of wonderful, empowering words. We received Oscar De La Renta perfume and pink bengals, ooh la la! As we were leaving the seminar, a certificate was given to us and we had officially graduated from Fashion U. After heading back to the higher level floors to take more pictures (when you're in a room full of bloggers, photographers, and fashionistas, pictures are constant!), Teen Vogue Fashion University had come to an end. Thank you to Teen Vogue for hosting such a wonderful event that I will never, ever forget. Meeting people with the same interests as me from all over the country, while learning about the industry from influential leaders (IN NYC!), is an experience like no other. I write this post with the biggest smile on my face and already want to be back reliving every second.






 "Indulge and purse your passions." -Amy Astley, Editor-in-Chief of Teen Vogue

"Don't compare yourself to other people. Whether it's freckles, curly hair, or curves, find what makes you stand out and accentuate it. Confidence will turn heads quicker than any lipstick." -Elaine Welteroth, Beauty and Health Director at Teen Vogue

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