Teen Vogue Fashion University 2012

I attended this convention as a veteran this year, so I had more confidence and I knew a little more about how the schedule worked… but I can’t say that I knew what to expect because there are always crazy and exciting things happening!

The weekend started off with an exclusive H&M Kick-Off Shopping event – where we got discounts, hors d’oeurves, and drinks as well as the opportunity to watch a live in-store band perform and a photo booth area where we could take photos!

Saturday is the most important day of the three-day convention, because that is when we begin our full day of seminars. At TVFU, you get the opportunity to see some of your favorite designers and notable people in fashion speak as well as the chance to tour the Teen Vogue offices.

The opening seminar was at the infamous Hudson Theater located in Times Square, and out in the lobby Teen Vogue did a heck of a job in entertaining the students as well as showering us with free goodies and chances to enter exciting contests.

There was an anti-bullying petition (white board) where all students got to sign and also a station that had full-time hairstylists and makeup artists work on your image during the day!

The first seminar is the key-note speaker, and it was extremely exciting because we got to listen to THE Grace Coddington speak. If you don’t know who she is, she is the creative director of Vogue Magazine (aka a BIG deal). She spoke about her life and how she got started in the fashion industry, where she was first a model for major magazines. She also talked about her memoir that is now in stores, and her love for cats…

This photo above is the one and only Prabal Gurung. Although he was a speaker at the convention this year, I unfortunately did not attend his seminar. But I am so lucky I got the chance to snap a quick photo of this brilliant, upcoming designer! Can’t wait for his collection to be at Target!

I was so thrilled I got to see these two. If you read my blog you know I am a HUGE fan of their jewelry. I not only got to snap a photo with them, I got to take several photos OF them as well as chit chat about normal things! It almost felt like we were good friends. Such a dynamic duo!

This is a very blurry picture, but if you cannot tell who these two are, they are a very powerful couple in the fashion industry. Ever heard of Helmut Lang? Well these two are the creative directors Michael and Nicole Colovos. Again, didn’t have the opportunity to see them but lucky enough to get a picture of them! 

I met and made a sweet friend and FIT student named Blair at the seminar and I loved her edgy New York style!

Our last seminar of the day was with all of the Teen Vogue Editors, including Editor-In-Chief Amy Astley,  Fashion Director Gloria Baume, Beauty Director Elane Welteroth, Senior Fashion News Director Jane Keltner de Valle, Accessories Director Sheena Smith and Style features Editor Andrew Bevan. 

During the Teen Vogue Editor’s seminar they each spoke about how they started in the fashion world and they explained what each of their positions withheld. The audience got to ask questions to certain editors and I really appreciated how they gave us feedback and advice on careers and internships.

My last and final seminar was on Sunday morning, and it was definitely a treat for social media gurus and bloggers like myself. The seminar was titled “Fashion In The Digital Age” where important people in the social media aspect of the fashion world gave us intriguing information and tips on how to be better and unique while using internet tools. The people who spoke at the seminar were:

It was really cool to see these people speak in a seminar because I use many of their websites for my own blog – like Polyvore for creating outfit sets and LookBook.nu to showcase some of my own style with other bloggers on the internet fashion world.

And this is me, graduating from the 2012 Teen Vogue Fashion University with my certificate in hand!