Name: Hannah Orenstein
Year: Senior
Major: Journalism and History
Hometown: Needham, Massachusetts
HC NYU How does it feel to be a senior entering the work force? What do you see yourself doing as a longtime career?HO I started interning when I was seventeen, so I feel like I’ve been looking forward to getting a “real” job since I was in high school. Now that it’s finally time to start the job search for real, it’s a little nervewracking, but in general, I’m excited. My goal is to write for a women’s magazine or online publication after graduation.
HC NYU Last time you were featured on Her Campus NYU it was as a promotion for your site, The HBIC Project. How has the site progressed, and how do you see that as indicative for female representation in the media? Do you still find the “successful female” image to be unbalanced?
HO My co-founder Madeleine Overturf and I have continued to interview inspiring women every week, and we’ve also brought on an amazing intern, Morgan Sperry, to help with our blog and social media. Next up, Madeleine and I are heading to Providence, Rhode Island in April to speak at the Lady Project Summit, where we’re hosting a sold-out workshop called “How to Be an HBIC.” So even though Madeleine and I both have our plates full — she’s a production assistant at NBC now, and I’m an intern at Cosmopolitan.com — we’re still excited to use our site to connect with other women across the country.
Although women still have a long way to go in terms of our representation in the mainstream media, the new national focus on sexual assault on college campuses is so important. I’m glad that people are finally paying serious attention to it, and talking about ways to fix the problem. I also see more roles on TV for great female characters — like Broad City and House of Cards — which is a promising sign that things are moving in the right direction.
HC NYU Do you have any “girl-crushes” that you gain motivation from to pursue certain things? On the flip side, do you think there are any women upheld by the media you find yourself to be a sort of anti-role model?HO Of course! Girl crushes make the world go round. I once saw a tweet from the writer Hazel Cills describing a girl crush as wanting to flay a cool girl’s skin and live inside of it, which is creepy and morbid and completely accurate. A lot of my girl crushes are on other women who write and work in media: Amy Odell and the entire fantastic team at Cosmopolitan.com, Aliza Licht at DKNY, Jazmine Hughes at The Hairpin, Chelsea Fagan at The Financial Diet, and novelists Erica Jong and Molly Jong-Fast (who are mother and daughter).
I’m not a fan of calling any woman an “anti-role model.” Sure, I don’t agree with everything that every woman does, but it’s pretty cold to call them out publicly for having views that differ from mine.
HC NYU How would you define your style? Do you look towards anything (a magazine, etc.) or anyone for inspiration?HO My style is classically feminine. I love anything from the 1950s and 1960s. I wear a lot of vintage and still draw inspiration from Gossip Girl’s Blair Waldorf. My go-to pieces are skirts with nipped-in waists, white blouses, loafers and pointy-toe pumps, and anything with a fun print. Plus red lipstick always!
My favorite street style is at the Hearst Tower on 57th Street, which houses magazines including Cosmo, ELLE, and Seventeen, among others. I intern at Cosmopolitan.com and can’t get enough of watching how the other editors dress. The Hearst Café is the glammest place on the planet, which always makes lunch a treat.
HC NYU Which stores/brands do you tend to gravitate towards (if any)? What do you find constitutes a “good” piece of clothing?HO For vintage, Stella Dallas, Screaming Mimi’s, Enz’s, and Dusty Buttons are my favorites near NYU! I also am obsessed with boohoo — seriously, not just saying that, I’m wearing their red plaid pencil skirt right now and it’s insanely flattering. A “good” piece of clothing is anything that’s well-made and that makes you feel like a billion bucks, even if it’s inexpensive.
HC NYU What’s one item of clothing or accessory you absolutely cannot live without?HO I just bought a co-ordinating crop top and pencil skirt from boohoo that I’ve worn three times already. It’s a white and black gingham print, which is super trendy right now, and has an amazing fit. The matching crop top and pencil skirt look was popularized by Kim Kardashian, and I love her style.
HC NYU Tell us about your time with boohoo and what you think makes it a unique (and fashionable) brand.HO boohoo is an incredible brand for stylish college girls because it releases new collections every week, has a massive inventory of both trendy statement items and comfy basics, and is affordable on a student budget! I hate spending too much money on going-out clothes, because I know they’re not the most practical items in my wardrobe, but boohoo’s going-out clothes are hot AF and literally a fraction of the price of similar brands. Every time I wear boohoo, I always get a ton of compliments.