Dear Readers,
We have finally made it to the end of the year! Exams are over, winter break is in motion and you can hit the pause button for a minute (that is, before it all starts up again next semester).
I have spent a great deal of time reflecting on CollegeFashionista lately. From the small and large moments, our brand has reached new, unimaginable highs this year. Here is a quick recap of our 2016 in case you missed all the excitement:
We added four talented new hires to our CF HQ team– Anna Coke, Kali Concepcion, Katie Fabry, and Lucy Van Ellis. All four of these girls are former Style Gurus we couldn’t say goodbye to once they graduated. While they individually are very different, each brings a fresh, Gen Z perspective to our brand. They seamlessly transitioned from college into their roles and continue to impress me every day with their bold ideas and commitment to CF.
We grew our devoted community of Style Gurus into our biggest #GuruGang yet. Our HQ team spent a crazy amount of time diving into our Style Gurus’ social accounts. Every day we were awed by how powerful, confident and creative these students are. They continue to be the driving force of CollegeFashionista and what motives us here to build better, smarter products to educate and complement the college experience.
This year was all about serving our audience. Melissa Levin, our Editorial Director, rolled out a new internship program aimed at providing our readers with original content features showcasing our Style Gurus’ personal stories and what it means to be a Gen-Zer in today’s society. Our #OfficeHours podcast launched, hit #1 on iTunes for Fashion & Beauty, and has featured influential guests such as Jordyn Woods and Barbie Ferreira. And we are just getting started…
In October we shared our biggest secret yet—CollegeFashionista’s acquisition by Clique Media Group (CMG). To be honest, we’re still riding the high of that one. Working out of CMG’s NYC offices alongside our sister properties WhoWhatWear, MyDomaine, Byrdie, and obsessee makes us proud to be a part of this creative, super smart family of brands.
What started in 2009 as a personal blog to share the voices of college students in the Midwest has turned into a brand that empowers young people around the world. Thank you for your readership, continued support of CollegeFashionista, and for believing in us.
We promise to continue to surprise and excite you in the new year.
See ya in 2017.
