On a thriving urban campus full of killer fashion and creative talent, Allison Wessel realized there was no outlet for Fashionistas/os to share the passion. Transforming this idea into a reality, Allison and a few friends launched the school’s current fashion club and blog —Design by Depaul. A harbor for the Depaul’s fashion community, Design by Depaul connects writers, photographers, advertising/marketing specialists and, of course, Fashionistas/os to produce a stunning piece its contributors are proud to be a part of.
Name: Allison Wessel:
Role: Editor In Chief of Design by Depaul
CollegeFashionista: What motivated you to start this club at DePaul?Â
Allison Wessel: One of the things I first noticed about DePaul, and the city of Chicago in general, was the great style of everyone on campus. I wanted to create a club for people like myself who love the world of fashion and make it a mission to capture the fashions on campus. I find a lot of my own fashion inspiration through well-known bloggers like WeWoreWhat and Kristina Bazan of Kayture, so creating a collaborative blog seemed like a perfect place to begin. I also thought the idea of a multi-person blog was unique and different, giving the audience multiple perspectives on style and fashion that other blogs don’t offer. The unique thing about DBD is that is it open to any students who want to write about fashion and specific to DePaul’s campus.
CF: Who are your personal style icons?
AW: I like to draw my style inspiration from many different celebrities, so I am always checking for street style. My biggest style icons are Kendall Jenner, Olivia Palermo and Blake Lively.
CF: How would you like fashion to continue to play into you life outside of college?
AW: I would love to break into the world of fashion after college and I am definitely working to achieve that dream. I have always wanted to work in fashion magazines, but I can also see myself working in a fashion PR firm or planning fashion events. I am really interested in all facets of the industry.
CF: Anything exciting we can expect from Design By Depaul over the course of the next few months?
AW: In Designed by DePaul we are actually planning our first fashion show on campus showcasing student designers in the Chicago area and local boutique fashions. It is on May 10 at 5:00 p.m. in Cortelyou Commons, and our members are busy working on putting the show together. We are also working on other collaborative projects and planning the launch of a quarterly magazine in addition to the blog for students on campus
Learn More: Check out Design by Depaul’s rad website here for the latest fashion and lifestyle on campus and on the runway.
