Greetings fellow Fashionista/os! My name is Hana Hong and I’m a freshman at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign majoring in News-Editorial Journalism. This is my first year as a Style Guru for CollegeFashionista and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of the family.
Being a student in the very rural corner of Urbana-Champaign, my environment is hopelessly encased in an endless expanse of cornfields. As a girl with a thirst for city life and fashion runways, this almost pastoral backdrop was not the ideal hometown. However, I’ve managed to turn this estrangement into a fuel to further spark my passion by finding multiple outlets to satisfy my fashion craving and not letting the rurality of my environment damper my personal style. It has truly taught me to be the leader of my own bandwagon and not merely dictated by others around me. Furthermore, I was pleased to discover that my campus was a hotbed of folks bleeding various cultures and ethnicities. With such a diverse audience on campus, it’s impossible to experience a day that lacks fashion insight and creativity. In this way I find that both my inspiration and inner sartorialist have been strengthened.
As a professed girl of variety, I find myself never being able to truly commit to one particular fashion genre. One day I’ll be rocking Cobain grunge, and in the next be decked out in preppy “Hilfiger-esque” attire. Regardless of my fashion choice of the day, I find myself customarily attracted to pattern, texture and color. Although I would never turn down the Chanel inspired monochrome/minimalist look, I’m not one to shy away from color-blocking or geometric prints reminiscent of Emilio Pucci. In my array of looks, I always make sure to portray a semblance of femininity and sophistication; nothing makes me feel more refined than taking advantage of some sparkle.
As a child, writing was always a sincere passion of mine. A blinking cursor on a blank Microsoft Word document was one of my greatest joys. As I grew older, I developed a particular enthusiasm in fashion design and expression. The substance of style enthralled and intrigued me in a way nothing else could. Hence, I hope to fuse my two favorite passions and adopt a career in fashion journalism. No outlet gets me as passionate as the delicate art of fashion; not only is it a powerful platform to bolster esteem and confidence, it is a means of expression to integrate personal preference into every look you sport. Fashion should not be unerringly duplicated for the sole purpose of being trendy or ostentatious. After all, it’s the diverse variety of opinions that makes the constant evolution of fashion so exciting. It’s an admirable skill to be able to take singular fashion pieces and turn them into a harmonious equilibrium that integrates originality, practicality and style.
I wholly look forward to bringing you more articles on the trends and talented Fashionistas inhabiting the walkways of Urbana-Champaign while assimilating my personal tips along the way. Stay tuned for my weekly style posts on Wednesdays this semester as I share my exclusive style oasis with all my fellow fashion fanatics.
