Calling all fellow Fashionistas! My name is Hayley Bolanz and I am so excited to start my internship with CollegeFashionista! On my journey to my future in fashion, I have ultimately chosen Kent State University as my home to study fashion and journalism, with hopes of making New York City my permanent home upon graduation. With two coinciding passions, style and writing, I decided to combine both of them by majoring in magazine journalism and jumping into a double minor of fashion media and visual journalism.
Having a mother that had once went to school for fashion design and currently runs her own vintage clothing shops on Etsy, I was ultimately influenced to pursue a career in the fashion industry. I have been told countless stories growing up of how my mom was marveled for essentially up-cycling my great grandmother’s vintage clothing items and even having her own prom dress made from a Nina Ricci pattern. How is it possible to not be inspired? Since she never got to fully live out her dream and passion for fashion, it feels as if her love for style will be lived out through me as I venture my way to the Big Apple.
I am a girl with very expensive taste but very little in her bank account, yet I make it work. I’m always looking for the best deals and sometimes it’s the bargains you find that make the most show stopping pieces in a wardrobe. I don’t believe that I have a particular style; I just gravitate towards whatever I find aesthetically pleasing to the eye. That could be anything from lace to gingham, block print to floral, or even sparkles to suede. You can find anything in my closet, from a vintage silk blouse I found at the Salvation Army to a pair of calf hair, houndstooth printed pumps from Topshop.
My current obsession is any sort of bohemian, paisley printed top that I can pair with just about anything. For my look, I paired one with a simple pair of faded, dark wash jeans and strappy sandals. To take the outfit to another level, I added a bold silver statement necklace to really pull out the boho vibe. If you want to switch it up, replace the jeans with a denim skirt, zip up some peep-toe ankle booties, and you’ll be ready to hit the town with your friends for a girl’s night out.
Working in the fashion industry was something that I thought was only possible in movies, but with CollegeFashionista it all feels much more real. I can’t wait to see what the summer has in store!
