Fashionista blog connects campuses

If runway fashion and advisory blogging spawned a Big Ten hybrid, its name would be College Fashionista.

Founded by IU alumna Amy Levin, the blog offers style suggestions to students balancing hectic schedules and realistic budgets.

“Students from the West Coast can see what people are wearing in the Midwest,” Levin said. “You view different looks and cultures and alter them to fit your own style.”

Since its launch on Aug. 3, the blog has expanded both in staff and in fans. What began with six schools grew to eight, including Purdue University, Ohio State University and Northwestern University. Another eight schools will be added Sept. 14, including the University of Southern California and Western Illinois University.

Levin said she expects the blog to cover more universities in the coming months.

Social networking allows feedback from students so improvement can continue, Levin said. Several thumbs-up icons indicate “likes” across the blog’s Facebook page from more than 1,000 fans nationwide. A Twitter feed also delivers daily updates, courtesy of student bloggers called “Fashion Gurus.”

Three IU Fashion Gurus prowl campus to capture trendy streetwalkers, who they dub Fashionistas and Fashionistos, and upload their images alongside instructional text.
“I’ll be shopping or grabbing a Starbucks coffee when I see someone whose style I like, so I’ll walk up to them and ask if I can take a picture for the blog,” said senior and IU Fashion Guru Katherine Dolecki.

Dolecki, who contributes fashion opinions and advice every Monday and Tuesday, draws inspiration from Vogue to Style.com to Gossip Girl’s Blair Waldorf.

“I am honestly always looking for new things,” Dolecki said. “Fashion is everywhere, or at least it is in the world I live in. Being well dressed is a power within itself, which is why it’s important to always be looking.”

Sophomore Kelsey Finn, an IU Fashion Guru and an Indiana Daily Student reporter, writes for College Fashionista. She said the site is a good place to gather ideas from trendy designers and translate them to daily life.

“It’s college kids writing about other kids on campus,” she said. “Everything is really relatable.”

After witnessing the blog’s growth two weeks post-launch, Levin said she would like to consider it a full-scale business someday: a site constantly updated and visited, with advertising and revenue opportunities. The site can be found at http://www.collegefashionista.com/.

“The reality is more than a majority of college students cannot afford $1,000 shoes every season or an $800 coat,” she said. “This site is a place where every style is shown and students can actually have the opportunity to wear the looks of their peers. It’s realistic fashion.”