Category: Mia Mickelsen

This past week I had the pleasure of sitting down with fellow SOJC student Sydney Seymour. As the Editor in Chief of Align magazine, University of Oregon’s student run and produced fashion and lifestyle magazine, Sydney manages more than 200 students and ensures the production of a new magazine every term. I talked to her about time management, balancing life outside of school and Align, as well as what she plans on doing after graduating.

Sydney Seymour began her journey with Align over three years ago as a writer for the Dusk to Dawn issue. She quickly realized that she wanted to invest more time in the organization and joined as a writing editor her Junior year of college. Now a senior, Sydney has been with Align for nine academic terms. 

When we talked about the most important lessons Sydney has learned during her time as Editor in Chief, she emphasized the importance of teamwork and organization. “I’ve learned the importance of just staying on top of things, time management, and ensuring that you’re keeping track of multiple moving parts. I also learned the importance of collaboration, delegating tasks and leaning on other people when you can.” As a member of her team, I can attest that Sydney promotes all channel communication and ensures that everyone in the team has the support they need.

Leading a team of over 200 students is no easy feat and has come with its fair share of leadership struggles. Sydney recounts that one of her most difficult experiences as a leader was her first time overseeing arranging week. “I think the most challenging experience was probably the first time I had to be at issue arranging week. I didn’t really realize just how much time goes into arranging and producing a magazine. It was a very strenuous experience, and a very tedious experience. I learned the importance of taking breaks, and giving yourself grace. When you’re really frustrated or when you don’t feel like you can do something, it’s important to just stick with it and get through that barrier.” Sydney emphasizes the importance of taking breaks so you can produce the best work possible.

Fortunately, Sydney has not experienced many public relations crises during her time as Editor in Chief, but she did have to navigate a situation with a former student using artwork produced for the magazine for his personal zine. “There’s a graduate student who used some work that he made for us and basically created his own magazine. And there are probably some copyright issues with that. But with the help from the old editor-in-chief, we kind of like distilled the issue and we didn’t really do much about it. We just kind of let him do his thing. We tried to be the bigger person in the situation.” Align constantly is changing who works for them as the issues are produced on a term-by-term basis. By keeping an open mind with past, present, and future contributors, Sydney can mitigate any potential management problems. She also emphasised that it is important to be the bigger person when it comes to personal conflicts that arise in the magazine. 

As her time with Align comes to an end, Sydney reflected on some of her many positive memories. These include getting new issues or attending events that Align organizes. 

“My favorite memory from Align is every single time we get the issues in print. I absolutely love seeing the issue in print and just having a physical copy. I also love any event we do.
My favorite event was the Align spring market last spring term. We kind of just all got together, shopped, helped vendors sell goods, made bracelets, and had yummy drinks. It was a bunch of fun.” I can also personally attest that the spring market last year was a blast and it was amazing to uplift and empower so many student creatives here at the University of Oregon.

After graduating, Sydney hopes to continue working in the magazine industry. Her goals are to start as a writer and ultimately work her way up just like she did in Align. Our conversation was incredibly enlightening and showcases Sydney’s dedication, resilience, and passion for storytelling. 

Follow Sydney on Linkedin to learn more about her and her amazing work!

Sydney’s Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydneyseymourjournalist/

On a hot summer day in 2022 I stumbled across a poster labeled Y2K vintage flea market nailed to a telephone post outside of my favorite matcha cafe in Sellwood, Portland. The flashy colors and bold typography immediately drew me in and as someone who loves thrifting and vintage I couldn’t resist the opportunity to check out a new flea market. 

On the day of the market I picked up my friends and drove downtown to hopefully score some new closet staples. When I arrived it was better than I could even imagine. There were booths upon booths of vintage clothing, accessories, and jewelry. The air buzzed with music, conversation, and the thrill of the hunt. My friends and I spent hours digging through piles of clothing, searching for just the right piece. We all scored something unique and reflective of our personality so it was a major success. It was a major success—and easily one of the most memorable thrifting trips I’ve ever had.

Flash forward to a few months later and I was scrolling on TikTok when I stumbled across a creator that goes by the name @brookie__babe. She was showing a thrift haul of everything that she had got at the Goodwill bins that day. I was immediately hooked and I went to watch more of her videos. After spending a good hour watching all of her videos I noticed that she was always at the Y2K flea. It turns out that she is the creator of the Y2K flea. 

Her effortless style blends wardrobe basics with statement pieces to elevate her everyday outfits and is evidently influenced by the flea market she runs. In her TikToks, she thoughtfully breaks down her outfits, making it easier for viewers to learn how to source and style vintage clothing. On top of running a flea market, Brookie also owns a successful vintage store in Portland named Tantrum Vintage. This vintage store is an amalgamation of everything 90s-2010s. Stocked with pieces from her own closet the brick lines vintage store is always filled with hidden gems. 

If you’re ever in Portland, I can’t recommend visiting Tantrum Vintage enough. The vibe is always welcoming, the music is great, and you’re bound to find your next new closet staple. If you can’t make it in person, check out Brookie’s TikToks to get a sense of her style and hopefully she will inspire you like she inspired me to create some new and funky outfits.

@brookie__babe

I have always had a passion for fashion, but I also have always been acutely aware of how the fast fashion industry negatively impacts our environment. Being born and raised in Oregon I have had the immense privilege of being surrounded by the beautiful outdoors. As a lifetime skier, sailor, and swimmer I can recognize how none of those pastimes would be possible without the current environment we have. That is why I have become passionate about combining my interest in fashion with my love for the environment.

One effective and engaging way to educate people about current issues is through the use of Infographics. As humans, we are incredibly visual learners. That’s why infographics are so popular. By combining visual media with relevant data points the message becomes more effective. Below I analyze some of my favorite infographics about the fast fashion industry and its impact on the environment.

Infographic #1:

This infographic is great because it provides a visual path for readers to follow to see the lifespan of clothing in our current environment. It is a bit busy and could benefit from reducing some of the visual clutter to make the important points stand out more. The visual hierarchy of this infographic is good and by starting at the top and working its way down it creates an easy reading experience. The color story also plays a huge role in the effectiveness of the infographic. As we can see the left side of the infographic utilizes colors such as red, black, and orange to evoke a sense of unease in the reader. On the contrary, the right side of the infographic includes colors such as blue and green which remind the readers of the earth and sustainability. There is a balance between the text and the visuals but I believe it could benefit from being more simple. This would help the big facts stand out even more. In the end, the story that this infographic tells is one of hope and how we can change our current clothing practices to align with a more sustainable future. 

Infographic #2:

I love this infographic. It is simple and straight to the point, it also includes a clear call to action at the bottom. In terms of visual hierarchy, the infographic does a good job of starting with the most important information at the top and working its way down to the call to action. I do think the color choices could be more effective if the creator utilized colors such as blue and green which are associated with sustainability. This infographic is incredibly easy to read but I would consider changing the font to a sans-serif version just to make it pop a bit more. The balance of text and visuals is great and I love the use of a t-shirt and water droplets to demonstrate their message. Overall, this infographic does a great job at being simple, straight to the point, and effective. 

As I go forward and make my infographic I want to pull some inspiration from the infographics above. I love the use of contrasting colors in the first infographic to tell a story and I want to incorporate that in my infographic. I also really like how simple the second infographic is. It makes the information easy to digest and I plan on using a more simple design when creating my infographic.

Sources:

Beyond Circular Fashion – Infographic

Fashion is more than just clothing, it’s a form of self-expression, confidence, and personal identity. This past Wednesday, I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with fellow student and aspiring PR professional, Sydney McCrone. We talked about style evolution, confidence, and what personal style means to her. 

I opened our conversation with the basic question “What role does fashion play in your life?” just to get a baseline understanding of Sydney’s viewpoint towards clothing and personal style. Sydney stated that she is currently interested in fashion but this was not always the case. In fact, her friend who attends NYU and studies fashion communications was her style awakening. They bonded over reading vogue and learning about the newest fashion trends. This increased interest in fashion has given Sydney the confidence to explore her own style and discover what trends she likes the most. 

Growing up in the suburbs of Portland, where trends leaned heavily toward Lululemon, Brandy Melville, and Free People activewear, both Sydney and I experienced the challenge of stepping outside the norm when it came to style. But after coming to the University of Oregon, both Sydney and I have found a lot of freedom in our personal style. Sydney said that “As I see more people approach fashion in a different way I feel more comfortable experimenting with my own outfits.” 

After being in Eugene for two years, Sydney is not afraid to experiment with new styles. One of the ways Sydney has experimented with her style is by thrifting. This practice has not only expanded her wardrobe, but it has also deepened her appreciation for sustainable fashion. Sydney is not alone in the shift towards thrifting and sustainable fashion. Over the past ten years thrifting has grown in popularity in the United States. Capital One Shopping Research has found that “since 2018, the U.S. secondhand market has grown by 87.0%.” For Sydney, thrifting isn’t just about finding unique pieces; it’s also a way to support ethical fashion. She said that she feels like “sustainable fashion has been more of a conversation.” Her statement aligns perfectly with the current trends of the fashion industry. In fact “The average annual growth rate of the ethical fashion market is 8.3%. This could grow to 9.7% a year by 2030.” This cultural shift away from fast fashion has been embraced by Generation Z and can be seen through the popularity of secondhand fashion apps such as Depop.

I had such a wonderful time talking with Sydney about what fashion means to her. Sydney also writes blogs about the transition from having meals cooked for you at home to becoming a college student and having to learn how to cook for yourself. If you are looking for relatable and helpful content, I highly recommend that you go check out her blog posts next!

I have always been fascinated by the cyclical nature of fashion. I believe that is why I love to watch creators that specialize in vintage clothing ranging from the 1910s to the 2010s. Online it is easy to find videos of people showing their vintage 80’s and 90’s fashion, but it is hard to find people documenting the trends of the mid 2000s and early 2010s. That is why I love treasurextrove on TikTok. She makes content all about the American Apparel, indy sleaze, and tumblr era of fashion. 

In her early days Morgan was a 2010s fashion blogger and even owned a vintage store. Her passion for fashion is evident in the massive collection of vintage clothes that she manages to store in just two tiny closets. Her tiktok is an amalgamation of styling videos, fashion history, and a recounting of her days as a fashion blogger in the early 2010s. 

Morgan’s styling and clothing collection videos are her most popular and it’s easy to see why. Sitting at over 600,000 views Morgan’s most popular video showcases her vast collection of old Xhilaration tights. Ranging from mustard to teal leopard print Morgan tries on every pair to show the audience what they look like with an outfit. Another unique aspect of Morgan’s content is the fact that she still has lots of her items in original packaging including the original pricing. Included in every styling video is also a picture of her wearing the clothing item back in the 2010s. These pictures provide context to her styling choices and are a true snapshot of the fashion of the time. 

On top of creating styling videos, Morgan also creates content on fashion history. In one of my favorite videos of hers she shows her collection of early Victorian Era slip dresses that she was gifted during her time as a vintage store owner. These dresses date back to the early 1910s and even as late as the 1890s and are extremely expensive today. Some on ebay are going for as much as $1,600 on resale sites, While the dresses are too delicate to wear anymore, by preserving the clothing items Morgan is preserving a small fraction of history. 

Watching Morgan’s content is like taking a trip to the past. Whether that means learning more about Edwardian era vintage dresses or looking at past Target collections from 2010s treasurextrove has the ability to capture your attention with videos that are both entertaining and educational. I highly recommend that you check out her TikTok and take a little trip down memory lane. 

I love Youtube. The app is the world’s most popular and widely used social media platform. But, with 63.8 million creators on the app, it is hard to sift through and find Youtubers that resonate with me. Four years ago I was a high school student experiencing lockdown and remote learning for the first time. This meant that I was trying to find anything to pass the time. One day I was scrolling YouTube when I came across a video titled “Why Atonement Deserved an Oscar for Costume Design” by a creator named Mina Le. The title intrigued me and while I had never watched the movie I wanted to hear why this Youtuber thought that the movie had been snubbed for costume design. So I clicked on the video and started watching. What came next was twelve minutes of thoughtful and research based critique that brought in historical references. I was blown away by the quality of her research and the time she took to fully dissect the movie and the deeper meanings behind the costuming in it. I immediately subscribed to her channel and ever since I have watched every video that she has published. 

The reason I like Mina Le so much is because of her use of research and historical data. Whenever she approaches a video, whether it be critiquing costume design or reviewing movies, she approaches the topic with facts and logic. This can be seen in her most recent video “The Myth of the Pilates Body.” In her video, Mina discusses the creation of Pilates starting all the way back with Joseph Pilates himself. She then elaborates on the history of women’s sports and ends with discussing the culture surrounding pilates right now. While this video deviates from her traditional fashion commentary videos she approaches it with the same level of research and attention to detail as she would any other video. 

Mina Le also is a huge supporter of sustainable fashion which resonates with me deeply as someone who cares about the environment. Her most popular video titled “TikTok is Kinda Bad For Fashion” discusses how the increased speed at which trends fluctuate leads consumers to feel as if they constantly need new clothing. But, constantly buying new clothing at a standard price is not financially possible for most of the population which leads to consumers purchasing fast fashion off of sites such as Shein which is known for using unethical labor to produce garments at shockingly low prices. 

Mina continues to use her platform to inform watchers with high quality research based material on issues that are often overlooked by the mainstream media. I highly recommend that you check out a few of her videos and even subscribe to support her and her research.

I have been a fan of YouTube since middle school. What started as me watching DIY locker decoration videos soon turned into me discovering fashion and content creators who inspire me. This blog series serves as a portfolio showcasing some of the best fashion content creators out there, and YouTube was paramount to my discovery of these creators. 

Today I am going to be discussing Laini Ozark. She was one of the first fashion influencers that I subscribed to on YouTube back in high school. Hailing from Michigan, the 20-something-year-old influencer spends her days creating content for her YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, all while taking care of her young daughter. Laini started her Youtube channel over 5 years ago and has since evolved to include a diverse selection of social media apps in her content creation. 

The main focus of Laini’s videos is sustainable and affordable fashion that still fits with trends. As a college student who currently is on a pretty small clothing budget I deeply appreciate that her videos often focus on working with what you already have in your closet and not promoting buying something new everytime you feel uninspired with your clothing. Her videos range from cute outfits for the cold, to personal shopping and styling. 

One of my favorite things about Laini’s content is that all of her videos approach fashion through the lens of sustainability. The clothing industry is notorious for not having sustainable practices. Currently, 92 million tons of textile waste is produced every year. This number is only projected to grow with the rise of fast fashion. That is why it is important as a consumer to really evaluate if buying something new is always the right choice. Laini shows us that the trends and style we want can often be found at thrift stores, or on second hand websites for a fraction of the price. This promotes clothing sustainability and prevents further plastic and textile waste. 

Feeling inspired by Laini, I decided to try following one of her outfit formula videos for a week. Specifically, I chose to base my outfits off her video “outfit formulas that work everytime (new outfits without buying new clothes).” Her first outfit formula was denim on denim. I had never worn a true denim on denim look until this week and I loved it. It was simple yet chic and it used items I already had in my closet. The next outfit formula that I followed was wearing a chunky oversized knit sweater with a summer skirt. I choose to wear a long maxi skirt, oversized sweater, and boots. The combination was so comfortable and I will definitely be repeating it again. Finally, my favorite outfit formula was all black with a fun silhouette. I have a lot of black items in my wardrobe but I always shy away from wearing black on black because I feel it commonly lacks interest. But, keeping the silhouette in mind I paired a fun pair of black pinstripe trousers with a flowy boho chic black blouse and it was a hit. The outfits were put together and cute looking, and I got lots of compliments on this outfit. 

I highly recommend that you check out Laini’s Youtube, TikTok and Instagram. Her focus on sustainable trendy styles makes it easy to put together outfits using the materials you already have and will leave you wanting more tips and tricks.

https://www.youtube.com/@LainiOzark

During the first week of the new year, the United States was struck with a national tragedy. The city of Los Angeles was on fire. The Palisades fire started in the early morning of January 7th. The same day, just hours later the Eaton fire started. Late in the night, a third fire broke out, the Hurst fire. All three fires surrounded the greater Los Angeles area, threatening the lives and livelihoods of millions of citizens. The three fires burned more than 40,000 acres and destroyed 12,300 homes. Due to the severity of the fires, many people are now seeking non-profit services. 

However, in all the ash and rubble came rising a group of teen girls determined to help their community. Altadena Girls is a charity organization run by teen girls in Los Angeles for teen girls in Los Angeles. The founder, Avery Colvert, an eighth-grader from Altadena, lost her middle school in the Eaton fire. While Avery’s home was spared, many of her friends were not. Many organizations jumped to action to provide the necessities such as food and water. And while Avery and her friends were very grateful for the donations they identified some needs that were not being fulfilled. She noticed that her fellow students were mourning their favorite clothing, personal items, beauty, and hair care products. This is what inspired Avery to create Altadena Girls. The charity’s mission focuses on donating items that are not considered necessities to teens that can help them feel like themselves again. These items include clothing, shoes, makeup, skincare and more. Altadena Girls is not just a warehouse full of boxes, it is more similar to a boutique. The charity offers racks of organized new clothing and personal styling sessions, which helps the victims feel some sense of normalcy in their lives. 13-year-old Mila lost her home in the fires and was able to escape with only the pajamas she was wearing. Her aunt, Christina Soltero, brought Mila to Altadena Girls to shop around following the loss of her belongings. The shopping spree was emotional, and Mila was overjoyed to fill two IKEA bags with new clothing, makeup, skincare, and even a matching pink Stanley to the one she lost in the fire. 

Social Media has been paramount for the success of this charity. Altadena Girls Instagram made their first post on January 10th, and now they have over 50,000 followers supporting their cause. Their bright pink posts have become synonymous with the effort to restore normalcy to teens affected by the wildfires. Her passion for the cause has inspired other students, celebrities, and even large brands to come out and donate or support the fire relief efforts. Chali XCX shouted out the organization on social media, calling them “the coolest.” Ariana Grande donated boxes of makeup from her company, REM Beauty. Even the royals Harry and Megan Markle donated to Altadena Girls.  

The need for charity has grown so much that they are moving to a permanent location in downtown Pasadena. The charity will continue to serve as a support center for local teens struggling with the aftermath of the fires. This includes donations, mental health services, and homework/study spaces for students. What started as a small Instagram post by Avery to help her friends turned into one of the largest charities supporting the relief efforts of the Los Angeles fires. It truly is a story of how a community, young and old, can come together to support each other in times of need.

https://www.instagram.com/altadenagirls/?hl=en

Like any other modern young adult, I love TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and other forms of social media. What I love is the abundance of creative content creators on these apps. From musicians, painters, sculptures, and filmmakers, there is a never-ending selection of art to consume. In particular, I love fashion influencers. As someone who has always been interested in fashion, there are so many creators who specialize specifically in fashion history, creation, or trends. So for my blog topic, I will be highlighting a few of the fashion influencers that I find make an impact on their small corner of the internet. Over the next few weeks, I will be choosing different fashion creators to write about who are unique in one or more ways. As a reader, you can expect to read posts about lesser-known fashion influencers and hopefully, you can find someone new that you can take inspiration from. 

The first influencer that I am highlighting is M.T. The college-aged influencer hails from the northeast, which is made abundantly clear through the preppy inspiration in her fashion. M.T is clouded in a bit of mystery as consumers do not know her real name. With just over 200,000 followers, @thegoldcoastermt, shares her love for all things fashion and fashion history. Her style is truly unique. Blending vintage and modern pieces, M.T herself says that she is very inspired by her everyday activities. One of these activities is sailing, so the content creator often incorporates nautical touches into her everyday looks. As a whole, M.T says that she is very inspired by decades of the past, and this is abundantly clear through her use of vintage clothing, accessories, and hairstyles. 

Last week I decided to emulate some of the styles  that I love to see M.T talk about. On Friday my classes did not start until the afternoon so I decided to recreate one of M.T’s famous blowouts. The hair took me roughly 45 minutes to do, but the results were so worth it. Just like M.T says I felt “totally fabulous.” I also paired the blowout with a simple pair of vintage Levis straight leg jeans and a 80s floral grandma sweater. The combination was comfortable, put together, but still casual and cute enough for everyday wear. As a consumer, I love M.T’s refreshing take on fashion and her love for being unique. I implore you all to go check out her social pages, her comforting vibe, unique style, and vintage finds will leave you wanting to return for more. 

@thegoldcoastermt