Yo! My name is Alexis O’Keefe and I a senior studying Media Communication Studies at Florida State University. Wow. Wow. Wow. I cannot believe this will be my third semester as a Style Guru for CollegeFashionista. Each semester I become increasingly thankful for the opportunity to work with such an incredible team. People frequently ask me what my favorite part of being a Style Guru is. Sure, I have a love for fashion but it’s the people I have met through CollegeFashionista that I treasure the most. At first, the thought of approaching a random Fashionista was completely intimidating. As the weeks flew by, I realized how many amazing people this position was introducing me to. Who would have known there were so many rad students on the Florida State campus?!
Personally, I grasp my style inspiration from music. When I was 12, I took my first hip-hop dance class. Dance and fashion have been my solace in times of discomfort. When I was younger, I found it difficult to be comfortable with my body. Finding things that I loved and was good at gave me immense confidence. Through hip-hop and fashion I was able to create freely and express who I was. Luckily for me, the two overlap a bit. Style is a major component of hip-hop dance and the genre of music it is created in. Urban street styles from New York and Los Angeles have had a large impact on hip-hop, and this can be observed both visually and vocally. I take these roots and I inject them into my own style. I long to emulate the styling of hip-hop fashion moguls like A$AP Rocky and Rihanna but at the end of the day, style is personal.
I was unaware of how many incredible opportunities I would be presented with when I first applied for the position last summer. Being a Style Guru is so much more than “experience” on a resume. CollegeFashionista has taught me that it is okay to be different. We should in fact embrace our differences because that’s what makes us who we are. Can you imagine if everyone had the same style? BORING. Our creativity sets us apart. I hope that as a Style Guru I can aid others in grasping and highlighting their creativity.
With each passing semester, the Florida State University CollegeFashionista team gets stronger and stronger. Why stop now?
