Year established (at SHU): 2013
Blog Site: http://www.collegefashionista.com/school/sacred_heart_university/
Social Media: Facebook: College Fashionista Twitter: @CFashionista Instagram: @collegefashionista Pinterest: CollegeFashionista
Head Style Guru: Leah Arsenault
Gurus: Mary Nealon, Sarah Palmieri, Victoria (Tori) Romano
(from left to right) Sarah Palmieri, Tori Romano, Leah Arsenault, and Mary Nealon
1. Tell us a little bit about College Fashionista. How did you all hear about the opportunity to become Campus Style Gurus at SHU?
College Fashionista is a website that allows us to display trends on our campus. I heard about this opportunity from the Career Center and decided to apply since I am a mega fashionista. (Sarah)
2. Leah, what is your mission as Head Style Guru?
As a Head Style Guru, my mission and purpose is to serve as a leader and role model for fellow Style Gurus. Other responsibilities include holding monthly meetings with other Style Gurus to monitor their internship progress and brainstorming ideas to promote the CollegeFashionista brand. Also, I must present CollegeFashionsta to at least two clubs here at Sacred Heart University (Thanks Her Campus, you are one of those clubs and have been a great help to us!). Next, I must participate in and inform fellow Style Gurus of any CollegeFashionista contests within the internship (such as goals that encourage us to reach a certain number of article views). These contests are usually met with awesome incentives– usually in the form of gifts! Lastly, at the end of the internship I must present a report summarizing the experience as Head Style Guru. While these are the four core tasks of a Head Guru, this semester there have also been specific larger projects that I have organized, such as our sponsoring of ShamROCK the Runway for Kappa Delta Sorority and our Guest Speaker Lecture Series (read on for more info on this!).
3. Will you be hosting any upcoming events on campus?
Two College Fashionista team members will be featured as guest speakers here at Sacred Heart in the future. The speakers will cover a wide range of topics including where they went to college, what they studied, what they were involved in on campus, what internships they participated in and how those internships benefitted them when applying for jobs. They will also discuss their career at CF and how they got started in the fashion industry. The other main purpose of the event is to make students aware of internship opportunities at College Fashionista. Students interested can be interviewed on the spot, or they could learn how to apply online. The date of this event is TBD, but we’re really looking forward to this lecture series!
4. What are your weekly responsibilities as Style Gurus?
Every Style Guru writes a weekly article focusing on Sacred Heart Students’ street style. If someone’s outfit catches my eye, I ask if I can take pictures and write about his or her outfit for the website. I’ve asked friends and I’ve asked students who I don’t personally know. When writing the articles, we must follow one of CollegeFashionista’s several formats like “Style Advice of the Week,” “All in the Details,” or “Style Guru Style” (in which we profile ourselves). We each have a different weekly deadline when we have to submit articles by. After they’re published on the site, we must promote them across social media channels to attract viewers. (Mary)
5. What is your favorite part about being a Campus Style Guru?
My favorite part about being a Campus Style Guru is being able to write about so many different styles. I get to explore outfits and ideas that I myself would probably never wear. So far, I’ve written about outfits that are preppy, boho, simple, glam, and more. I just love the variety! I also love seeing how someone’s personality is reflected in his or her outfit choices. Small touches like shoes, accessories, or a certain coat reflect that person’s mood or vibe on that particular day. Everyone seems to feel their best when they are wearing clothes that reflect who they are! (Mary)
6. How do you select students to be featured on your site (blog)?
Usually, on Wednesdays and Thursdays, I bring my camera to campus and scout out my next fashionista. I usually approach anyone whose outfit catches my eye. I’m very meticulous and I like to find something about their outfit that inspires me to write. Because we have to write an article every week, sometimes the fashions spotted around campus become repetitive, so I try to find one stand out accessory or piece. (Victoria)
7. Are you working on any upcoming projects?
We actually just finished a project. We recently teamed up with Kappa Delta to sponsor their ShamROCK the Runway Fashion Show. We set up a booth beside them and recruited anyone interested in applying to be a style guru next semester. We also reported the whole event for an article. The Head Style Guru, Leah, wrote an article while I took the pictures. (Victoria)
8. Have you faced any challenges as first-year gurus?
SO MANY CHALLENGES! Writing is not my strongest ability and I am getting better and better at it every week. It took some time to get my writing up to their standards, but they are willing to help and were very patient with me. (Sarah)