Meet Lauren Maxwell, Fashion Blogger and Journalism Student at ASU

What does an internship at Teen Vogue and a Life Without Tanlines have in common? Lauren Maxwell. Maxwell has rocked the online fashion world with her forever styled and always innovative blog, Life Without Tanlines. On top of that, Maxwell has interned at both Teen Vogue and Style.com, along with being featured in a magazine. Straight from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, this hardworking journalism student is making a name for herself in the world of fashion writing, one blog post at a time.       

• Name: Lauren Maxwell
• Year: Junior
• Major: Journalism major specializing in print / French minor
• Hometown: Phoenix, AZ

Q: Can you tell me a little more about your lovely blog, “Life without Tanlines“?

A: My blog Life Without Tanlines started after I found myself bored with the fashion scene in Arizona. I was so in love with the concept of blogs – the ability to read and see what others’ are doing all over the world. I decided to start in my junior year of high school and it’s kind of just blossomed into what it is now. I named it Life Without Tanlines, because I have modeled for years and I also played tennis competitively. My agency was upset I always had these gaudy tan lines from tennis so I became a bit paranoid and my family always joked I had to “live without them” so that’s where that came from. I love using my blog as a way to connect with other people, usually teenage girls, to show them that fashion comes from all over – not just the “fashion capitals” of the world.

Q: Besides having a killer blog, you also recently interned at Teen Vogue in NYC, what was that like?

A: Interning at Teen Vogue was an incredible experience. I was so fortunate to have the opportunity to work in their Fashion News Department, with the incredible senior editor, Jane Kelter de Valle. I’ve been reading Teen Vogue for as long as I can remember. I have actually built a rather extensive collection of the magazine since 2005. Last year I was featured in the magazine for their work issue for an internship I had at Style.com this summer, which I was so overjoyed about. But now after actually working for the magazine I have an entire different appreciation for the publication. My job entailed lots and lots of research. Since the department is based around lots of features, I had to try and find these interesting people, which was like finding a needle in a haystack. I was able to go out and interview some people as a scout and I also had a few chances to write.

Q: What was your favorite part of interning at Teen Vogue?

A: My favorite part of working at the magazine was truly just being around people who are impeccably dressed and are just as brilliant with their work. It made me want to branch out and try new things with my wardrobe and start some fashion history research just to get on par with some of these people.

Q: Have you always been this fashionably suave?

A: I don’t know if I would say I’ve always been fashionably suave, but I’ve always had an interest in fashion and clothing, and the industry as a whole. I love the idea of dressing up every day based off of how I feel. That’s why fashion is so incredible – you can be a new character every day. What I wear is fashionable to one person, boring to another, and maybe eve to extreme to the next, but at the end of the day I dress for myself and that’s what I think fashion should be about.

Q: Who are some of your favorite designers and where do you go to get fashion inspiration?

A: Although it’s incredibly cliché I am such a huge fan of Chanel. Coco Chanel was a genius. A revolutionary who changed how woman were able to dress, however what Karl Lagerfeld does with the brand is incredible. He constantly creates these incredible themed shows that are filled with look after look so many times a year. It’s inspiring to see how someone has so much inspiration. Currently I love the refine, elegance of Dior and what Raf Simons is doing over there. I also love Oscar De La Renta because of his forever princess-like style. I am obsessed with his ball gowns. I find I am often inspired by the past when I decide what I want to dress like now. I love old Hollywood movies like Gone With The Wind, Sunset Boulevard, and I try to interpret what I see there and infuse a more modern take for day-to-do wear.

Q: What are you looking forward to in fall fashion?

A: After working at Style.com I am even more obsessed with scrolling endlessly through all of the shows that they cover for each fashion week. I absolutely loved Prabal Gurung’s collection. The colors were incredible. I really can’t wait for the Alexander McQueen show though. Last season’s Elizabethan theme was just on another level. That isn’t just clothing that is true art. I am not much of a trend follower. I don’t buy clothing based around what I see on the runway, but obviously I will find myself naturally drawn to certain colors, shapes, and patterns or textures after I scroll through the collections. I then am able to see what shows really stood out to me, because I will subconsciously buy things based off of what I visually enjoyed after viewing the multitude of collections.

Q: Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

A: Five years from now I see myself with a master’s degree in Journalism, working at Condé Nast hopefully for Vogue. Down the road I would love to be an editor, but five years from now I will be putting in my time and effort to work towards that ultimate goal.