The internet is truly a place where anyone can have a voice…even if that voice is 14! Admittedly, I don’t follow the fashion world, but if you do, you may have heard of Tavi Gevinson, a 14-year-old fashion blogger. She’s so successful she was seated in a more prestigious seat than Anna Wintour (the inspiration for “The Devil Wears Prada”) at a fashion show!
What’s extra crazy is that she started blogging about fashion at 11. And now she’s showered with free clothes and speaks at conferences, and the fashion industry cares deeply what she thinks. From the Economist profile of Tavi:
Since she started at the age of 11, Miss Gevinson has built a huge following in the blogosphere, and seems likely to do the same through her conference appearances. On May 14th she stole the show at the L2 Generation Next Forum on “tomorrow’s affluent consumer”. Unlike many other child prodigies, particularly in sport, she appears genuinely self-made—her parents seemed unaware of what she was up to on her computer until the New York Times called. She has mastered the art of public relations, inviting several other bloggers to the L2 conference and networking with them after her speech. She also seems to have figured out how to dress the way she wants without paying Bergdorf prices by being inundated with free clothes and other products. As she explained at L2, for legal reasons she had to point out that she had been sent her outfit by American Apparel (Federal Trade Commission rules governing endorsements now cover bloggers).
First of all, I wish someone had snapped a picture of her parents’ faces when the NY Times called them. More importantly, her story is a reminder that the internet is changing and reshaping our world, and that you don’t have to be established (or even old enough to drive!) to be part of it!
You can check out Tavi’s blog here: Style Rookie
Via The Economist