The fashion world has been turned upside down by the overwhelming rise in popularity of bloggers and vloggers in the last few years. Girls across the country are taking to their computers to share their love of everything from fashion to decorating tips to beauty advice, and they are turning their hobby into a career. Magazines, clothing brands and celebrities are taking note of fashion’s new power players that are poised to upset even the most influential stars with their outlook on the hottest topics of today.
Blogging became popular after pre-teen wunderkind Tavi Gevinson took the fashion world by storm with the creation of her fashion blog, “Style Rookie” in 2008. At the time of the site’s inception, Gevinson was just 11 years-old, and was able to get her voice heard, not just because her story was unique, but because her vision was. She was able to mix designer clothing from Miu Miu and Betsey Johnson with eclectic thrift store pieces and items from affordable retailers like Forever 21.
She attracted the attention of the “The New York Times” who profiled her at age 12, and legendary “Vogue” editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, whom she met at Fashion Week. Sitting in spots typically reserved for the fashion elite, the newcomer was seated in the front row of numerous shows, where she was able to develop her love of fashion from a prime vantage point.
Fast-forward four years and the girl who became famous for her love of fashion began to drift away from the industry that she loved to pursue other interests. Now 17, Gevinson is the editor of “Rookie”, an online magazine dedicated to topics like music, technology, books, and of course, style. Because she has amassed such a huge celebrity fan following, Gevinson has been able to interview stars like Emma Watson, and has received contributions to her site from funny people Judd Apatow and Lena Dunham.
With “Style Rookie” entering their sixth year and “Rookie” their third year in production, respectively, clearly there’s no stopping Gevinson.
Another girl that has experienced similar success to Gevinson is 18 year-old YouTube vlogger and “Teen Vogue” favorite, Bethany Mota. She began her vlog at just 13 years-old as a way to escape the bullying that she was facing at school. Whenever she created her channel, “Macbarbie07”, it was strictly dedicated to fashion and beauty tips, but has since expanded to include recipes, room decorating advice, and craft projects.
Her channel now boasts 384 videos that have received millions of views, and an impressive following of over 5.1 million subscribers to her channel. Her videos show her vibrant personality, which has allowed so many girls across the country to find her advice relatable, and as a source of inspiration for starting their own channels.
Her popularity spiked the interest of popular retailer, Aeropostale, who gave her the creative freedom to design her own line to be sold in their stores across the country. Packed with affordable pieces, her line features stylish shirts, skirts, jewelry, and boots all for under $50.
To promote her line, she is now embarking on a 9-city bus tour across the country to meet with her fans and share how she transitioned from an unconfident teenager to a mini-mogul thanks to her Internet success.
While in their early teens, Tavi Gevinson and Bethany Mota followed their hearts and their dreams, and were able to turn their love of fashion into a career before they reached adulthood. They were able to captivate millions of regular girls and well-recognized forces in the industry like “Teen Vogue” and the world’s most powerful magazine editor because of their unique voices and unparalleled talent.
Although their cases may be exceptional, there are thousands of girls creating blogs and vlogs every day to share their views on the fashion industry, just waiting to be discovered. Only time will tell who the next Tavi or Bethany is, and how their story will impact the world.
