Just last June, best friends Sarah and Jenn from Los Angeles decided to use YouTube as a creative outlet to share their passion for fashion with the world. Over 700,000 channel views and 50,000 subscribers later, HerCampus caught up with Jenn Im, a third-year transfer at UC Davis and one of the founders of the YouTube channel Clothes Encounters (www.youtube.com/clothesencounters) – and what we found was that the story behind their channel isn’t simply one about fashion, it’s a story about friendship.
For Jenn, fashion was always an interest. “I suppose I was always pretty fashion conscious when I was younger, like most girls,” she said. “I just like the fact that I can dress around my mood. It’s the only way I really know how to express myself.”
This interest translated to watching fashion videos on YouTube. In fact, the first time Jenn, then 20, even considered making videos, was after watching clothing hauls on the website. “I was always fascinated with the concept of fashion hauls on YouTube where girls would show on camera what they had just bought at the store,” she said. “I really enjoyed having an extra pair of eyes on all my favorite stores.” So after watching fashion hauls galore, Jenn figured out what could be improved and decided to bring her own edge into the game. “Unfortunately, none of the channels would show the clothing on, so I didn’t know what the shape and silhouette was like,” she said. “I thought it was something I could bring to the table.” That realization was the seed that gave birth to Clothes Encounters.
After Jenn thought to make YouTube videos, her next thought rested on her best friend. “I wanted my best friend, Sarah, to do it with me,” she said. Their friendship is one that dates back to grade school. “We’ve gone to school together since elementary school, but became friends in the sixth grade,” Jenn recalls.
And when inspiration for videos runs dry, the two are always able to count on each other. “We just feed really well off each other. We’ll just hang out and start brainstorming for video ideas,” Jenn said. Filming has now become routine for them and Jenn cites hanging out with Sarah as her favorite part of making YouTube videos. “When we’re filming, we’re just catching up, joking around, and being dorks together. It’s become a recreational thing for us. It’s so hard to find time balancing school, work, and social lives, so filming has just become a part of our hang out sessions,” she said.
Despite it all, the YouTube stardom has not gotten to their heads. “We don’t consider ourselves famous at all. When it boils down to it, we’re still just two girls who enjoy fashion,” Jenn said.