STYLE GURU BIO: Kelsey Daykin

My name is Kelsey, and I’m a junior in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication studying strategic communications and digital studies. I’m excited for my second semester with CollegeFashionista, and my first semester scouting Fashionistas/os in Madison!

It took me until sophomore year of college to realize that I needed to pursue my passion for style. Before, I had always kept up with the fashion world from afar, from following my favorite bloggers on Instagram to browsing fashion publications online in between classes. But that didn’t satisfy me. Urged by my desire to get more involved on campus and meet fellow Fashionistas/os, I joined Moda Magazine, the University of Wisconsin’s first and only life and style publication. During the spring semester of my sophomore year, I joined Moda‘s Creative Team, which gave me the opportunity to collaborate with fellow team members and the Creative Director to execute fashion editorial photo shoots as well as help out with UW Fashion Week. Being on the Creative Team also exposed me to CollegeFashionista, as one of my fellow Creative Team members was a Style Guru. Thanks to her, I was able to learn about this internship, and her positive experience as a Style Guru influenced me to join the CollegeFashionista family. This year, I’m looking forward to being both a returning Style Guru and a new Creative Director Co-Chair of Moda Magazine. I believe each of these positions will give me unique insights that will help me excel at both.

As a college student, I like to mix and match different pieces to get the most use out of my clothes. For this article, I recycled a summer look and made it back-to-school ready with a simple tweak – swapping out a graphic T-shirt with a graphic crewneck sweater. For my fall look, I’m wearing a sweater by Fly Art, mesh midi skirt by Miss Finch, sandals from Forever 21 and a Bird’s Tail Designs necklace. I’ve always been intrigued by French history and Marie Antoinette, and I love that her image is paired with sassy Beyoncé lyrics on this Fly Art sweater. I got the midi skirt from a locally-owned boutique in my hometown and the necklace from a label created by my former high school English teacher. Shopping local has become more important to me, and one of my goals this year is to shop less at big chain stores and support more local shops in Madison.

Look out for my articles, which will go live on the 15th of each month. And, be sure to follow my Instagram account for sneak peeks of what I’m working on for CollegeFashionista and a look into the life of a University of Wisconsin Style Guru. Here’s to a #RAD semester!

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