Greetings. I’m Allyson—a fast-talking dreamer from the middle of nowhere. I know how cliché that sounds. I’m currently a freshman at Kent State University studying Fashion Merchandising with a minor in Public Relations. This is my first semester interning for CollegeFashionista, and I could not be more enthralled.
Growing up I was always outspoken, never shy. Somewhere in my mother’s stash of family pictures, there are photographs of me as kid—glow-in-the-dark bifocals (I had a lazy eye and a fascination with anything flashy), bowl haircut and a gleaming smile. I was eight when my family moved from Columbus to a sleepy small town in the exact middle of Ohio, and it was hard for me to adjust. Most of the kids I went to school with were reserved and quiet. And then there was me. I was always bored and constantly spied on my older sister who had a knack for drawing intricate ball gowns and enchanting fantasy characters. I learned to draw from her and became increasingly obsessed with dressing up and finding new ways to express myself.
I find that whenever I’m intrigued by something, I obsess over it for a short time then move on. I never moved on from my interest in fashion. When I was 10, I researched apartment prices in New York City and the cost of tuition at Parson’s. I was sure I was destined to become the next Marc Jacobs. Growing up, I became more realistic about my career path in fashion. I was sure this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life as I felt a fire deep inside me whenever I thought about fashion and its influence on a generation or decade.
I’ve never felt more at home than I do here at Kent. In the short time I’ve been here, I’ve seen an incredible amount of talent and innovation. I’m blessed to walk into Rockwell Hall nearly every day and be instructed by some of the best minds in the fashion industry. My style has evolved passed glow-in-the-dark frames (yay for eye surgery!) to leather joggers paired with a black satin top and a long printed cardigan. But enough about my style.
I’m so grateful with the opportunity CollegeFashionista has presented me with. I cannot wait to capture the innovative style of the youth that roam the sidewalks of my campus. Furthermore, I’m eager to see where CollegeFashionista will take me next. As I’ve heard from my mother on multiple occasions, “It’s better to live for the next rather than the now.”
