STYLE GURU BIO: Mackenzie Gardner

I’m a junior pursuing a degree in media arts and design with a concentration in journalism and a minor in communications. My absolute dream would be to end up working at a major fashion publication when I graduate and living in New York City, hopefully in an apartment larger than a shoe box.

Fashion has been a major part of my life since my mom started buying me fashion magazines. I started cutting out different pictures that I loved and found inspiration from and glued them into notebooks. I have 10 or more notebooks filled with magazine cutouts—it was my absolute favorite thing to do at night. I really started being interested in fashion when I was in middle school, but I was never able to fully express myself because I had a school uniform—though, I was still named “best dressed” in high school since we had a few out-of-dress-code days. Fashion also gave me another way to express myself, when I didn’t have the courage to speak my mind.

One thing I love about fashion is that you can gain inspiration from anything. I firmly believe that fashion is a form of self-expression. Therefore, you should wear what makes you most comfortable and confident. If you enjoy your clothing, then it won’t matter what other people think of it. I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes from a fashion editor, If you look back in history of the women who are most memorable and most stylish, they were never the followers of fashion. They were the ones who were unique in their style, breakers of the rules…

For this look, I went for a tried and true all black outfit. My new favorite piece, the Jack by BB Dakota fur vest, pops against the all black outfit. Instead of black boots, I went for my Ivanka Trump plum colored booties that match my Nars lip color. To complete the look, I accessorized with a simple, long silver necklace and a Michael Kors purse.

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