STYLE GURU BIO: Carly Paige Van Houten

Hello to all Fashionista/os! I am so excited to be joining the CollegeFashionista team. I’m a senior majoring in Public Relations with a concentration in fashion at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia.

My first road trip was en route to the city of Richmond and it was love at first sight. This city is the melting pot of all diversities, which brings a mix of cultural flare and divergent fads from all around. Turning every corner, you will see streets filled with sophisticated people displaying their work of art through their very own styles. Richmond’s urbanity possess many events, festivals and popular spots to look forward to visiting each year, such as RVA Fashion Week, RVA Downtown Streets festival and Belle Isle. It’s hard to miss the styles trending and creative minds that make up this fabulous and dashing city.

Ever since I can remember I have always been commended about my way of style by friends, family and even passing strangers on the streets. I have always gotten the comments, “I would have never thought to put that together,” or “only you can pull it off.” Frankly, that is not true at all. Surprisingly enough, most of my articles of clothing are from thrift stores. Searching through different vintage collections makes it more fun and exciting as to what you may stumble upon trends from past decades. With a little help of inspiration from my favorite fashion icon Joan Rivers and her team on Fashion Police, I have always wanted to share with the world what’s hot and what’s not. I love to help people declare their own style, making them feel not only comfortable but confident. I also am looking forward to sharing the art canvas of style from VCU’s current population of students. The idea of meeting young stylists with so much poise and potential feeds me with excitement to share it with the world and make their days by doing so. It’s amazing how much a compliment can boost someone’s confidence and brighten their day.

The greatest thing about the fashion world is it is filled with endless possibilities of how to turn something into a trendsetting, new and stylish look. Anyone can put together any patterns, fabrics, colors and accessories as long as they make it their own and present it with confidence. That’s what really completes a look.

I hope to showcase the best of the best amongst my fellow piers on VCU’s campus. I look forward to learning new techniques throughout this journey that I also get to share with all my followers. Stay tuned for my weekly campus and street style posts every Friday this spring semester. Fellow Rams, come find me on my travels through the streets of Richmond scouting out the future Fashionista/os.

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