My job today is to capture who I am in a few paragraphs, to capture the complex intricacies of my character and put them into words. Well, let me start by saying, “Hi, my name is Gabby, and I am a freshman at Columbia.” That’s how I would typically introduce myself before continuing on to ask strangers about their passions and interests, searching for deeper connections and human understanding.
I live to create. Music, writing, art, philosophy and fashion: these are the things that propel and inspire me. In very abstract terms, one could say that my life is in pursuit of translating feelings into a tangible sense. I was always the girl, who wore whatever she wanted without fear of judgment or care of the opinion of others. If a crisp culotte jumpsuit perfectly encapsulated my mood for the day, then that’s what I would wear, regardless of the social conventions and sameness around me. Therefore, almost everyone who knows me knows of my love of fashion, and how my entire demeanor is different when I’m all dressed up.
My love for fashion began at a very early age, when I claimed responsibility for picking out my outfits every morning before kindergarten. I cannot say I always made the most coherent choices, but as long as I was beamingly happy, it did not matter that my floral dress did not match my clashing floral blazer. My style evolved tremendously as I got older, and looking back at my second grade yearbook, most of the comments were about my “cool shoes” and “pretty dresses”. My style is indefinable and rather an eclectic mix of the styles derived from the various influences and inspirations that strike me. Growing up just a 30-minute train ride outside of New York City allowed me to engage my passion for fashion in one of the largest fashion hubs in the world. I attended my first runway show when I was 13 years old, and it inspired and excited me in the most magical of ways. From that day forth, I knew fashion was something I wanted to spend my life exploring.
When I was 16 years old, I began working at an organization called Save the Garment Center (SGC), whose mission was to promote American manufacturing, and more specifically, revitalize New York City’s Garment District. Through SGC, I was able to work personally with designer Nanette Lepore and watch her inspiring creative process. These experiences helped me to garner a greater understanding of the fashion industry as a whole and have broadened my interests.
I am so excited to begin my work with CollegeFashionista and bring the cutting edge Columbia University fashion landscape to life!
