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COLLEGEFASHIONISTA NEXT: Brittany Fowler

February 18th, 2015 at 2:00am

The best and worst part of our job here at CollegeFashionista is building relationships with Style Gurus, helping them grow into awesome writers/photographers/humans and then setting them out into the real world. It is incredible because so many of our Style Gurus go on to do and achieve remarkable things post-graduation. It is equally difficult to fill the large (fashionable) shoes they leave behind once they inevitably graduate.

Brittany Fowler is a prime example of this emotional conundrum. It is no shock that after graduating from Syracuse last May, Brittany has taken NYC by storm and is working at BWR Publication Relations while also blogging in her spare time. However, I still have to actively remind myself when we are doing editorial features or campaigns that she is no longer a Style Guru because she was such a fixture of the CollegeFashionista team for nearly four years.

While we miss her contributions to the site dearly, we couldn’t be more proud of Brittany. Read on to hear more from this former Style Guru and forever member of the CollegeFashionista family about her journey, landing a job in PR and brunching her way through the Big Apple.

Once upon a time I attended Syracuse University as a magazine journalism student. My freshman year I received an email with an opportunity to join CollegeFashionista, which would allow me to combine my love of fashion and writing (and improve my photography). I applied for the position and over Christmas break an email from Amy Levin appeared in my inbox. I never imagined what a vital role CollegeFasionista would play in my college career, or my life.

I contributed as a Style Guru all four years of college and started editing sophomore year. Every week I refined my writing and photography skills while capturing street style at Syracuse. I learned about what inspired students, how they stayed fashionable during Mother Nature’s frigid moods, and how they interpreted different trends. As an editor, I got to see how styles differed throughout campuses nationwide (and in Canada!). Between what I learned in class and working for CollegeFashionista, I landed a magazine internship at Orange Coast magazine in Newport Beach, California the summer preceding my senior year.

At Orange Coast, I saw the inner workings of a publication and what goes into producing a monthly print magazine with a digital component. I had the opportunity to interview Foo Fighters’ drummer, Taylor Hawkins, at The House of Blues in Disneyland, contributed to editorial meetings headed by the Editor-in-Chief and completed many (thrilling) hours of fact checking­–all while writing and editing for CollegeFashionista.

A year later I found myself turning a tassel, wondering where the past four years went. I knew I wanted to break into the magazine industry, so I packed my bags and moved to New York City with one of my best friends. She had a job…I didn’t. Enter CollegeFashionista. About three weeks after living in the city, Amy reached out to me with a job opportunity at a PR firm working with the firm’s fashion and beauty clients. I applied, interviewed and started working the following week.

I currently work as an Account Coordinator, where I’m learning how interconnected the media industry is. My job allows me to build relationships with editors, bloggers and producers in order to get coverage for my clients. I quickly learned that PR is fast-paced and requires impeccable multi-tasking skills. Everyday I read about new trends in industries that expand beyond fashion and beauty. From coordinating events to creating pitches to blast to media outlets, no two days are the same.

When I’m not working, I’m exploring NYC (or sleeping). I indulge in delicious restaurants, spoil myself with Broadway tickets that I can’t really afford and find the best places to brunch (yes, in NYC brunch is a verb). Since my passion is still writing, I launched a lifestyle blog, ExploringInStyle.com, to document all of my adventures and experiences in the real world. I blog about everything from bars that serve flaming shots and easy recipes that even I can’t mess up, to workout routines and the best statement accessories.

As I continue to write my fairy tale, I’m beyond thrilled that CollegeFashionsta remains a main character. I’m proud and honored to be a part of the CollegeFashionista family. Cheers to living a fashionable life that ends happily ever after.

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