The commute to Hollywood on November 12 was two hours from Chapman’s campus in Orange. LA traffic isn’t for the impatient, but for hungry students looking for engaging opportunities in CCI, it was well worth it.
On that day, seniors Ali Davenport and Pamela Coelho attended the Teen Vogue Summit at Goya Studios. Pam decided to go to the Summit after seeing an advertisement on Instagram. Ali had been to the event virtually in 2020, and couldn’t wait to finally attend in-person.
The Teen Vogue Summit, which began as an annual tradition in 2017, transitioned Teen Vogue from a fashion magazine to an inclusive community of activism. The three themes of the Summit, celebrate, collaborate, and create, were central to the numerous events of the day.
The day began with an introduction from Teen Vogue’s editor-in-chief, Versha Sharma, who spoke to the concept that the Summit is a place for community and collaboration, and how it was important to remember the role that youth, and youth’s power, play in making change. There were interactive events throughout the day, such as the Teen Vogue Generation Next Challenge designers, who were inspired by Legos to show their creative processes. A beauty changemaker panel discussed re-shaping the evolving beauty industry to be more inclusive and celebratory of all people. Other panelists answered questions on their careers as professionals in industries like fashion, publishing, public relations, photography, and more.
Teen Vogue is challenging the boundaries of a high-fashion magazine. As the little sister to Vogue, Teen Vogue also delves into key social issues and important voices that are influencing a generation. At the Summit, there were also panelists voicing the importance of empowerment and political organization for our future and the power of representation in the media.
Photos of the Teen Vogue Summit 2022 hosted at the Goya Studios in Los Angeles.
The first panel of the day was “Beauty Changemakers: Joy, Inclusivity, and Creativity in the Industry,” featuring conversations with ALOK, a DJ, producer, writer, and actor from Brazil who has built a career that champions inclusivity and celebrates diversity by using their platform to speak out against discrimination and violence. As well as to highlight the experiences of people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other marginalized groups. Molly Burke, a world-renowned motivational speaker, YouTuber, and author who advocates for persons dealing disabilities, and Quannah Chasinghorse, a Native American model, activist, and entrepreneur known for her work in defending Indigenous rights. She is a member of the Lakota Sioux tribe and is a descendant of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of South Dakota. She is also the founder of the Cheyenne River Youth Project, an organization that works to empower Indigenous youth by providing them with education and leadership opportunities. The panelists discussed the latest trends, new products, the future of the beauty industry, and also where they believe the industry is headed. Lastly, they covered the topic of what it means to build a brand with joy and authenticity, and how to create a space in the beauty industry that celebrates diversity and inclusion.
One of Pam’s most memorable discussions of the day was the keynote conversation with Canadian YouTuber, comedian, talk show host, and actress, Lily Singh. Sharma asked her questions about how Singh uses her platform to inspire girls and young women to be their authentic selves, and how she pushes herself to be better every day by setting goals, challenging herself to take risks, and surrounding herself with positive people who supported her vision.. Singh also talked about the importance of setting boundaries, and how she has become more comfortable saying no to things that do not align with her brand. She suggested the audience do the same, and encouraged them to know their worth. Sharma ended the conversation by asking Singh about the advice she would give her younger self, to which she replied, “I would tell my younger self that it’s okay to not be okay all the time.”
With numerous events throughout the day, Ali and Pam were able to explore their unique areas of interest. Ali, who dreams of becoming a fashion editor, enjoyed learning from industry professionals, including Teen Vogue editors and managing editors. Her favorite part of the day was a small session held by the editors, where they offered their advice to those who attended the discussion. For an hour, Ali was excited to make new contacts. Through these conversations, she recognized the importance of networking and learning from those who have experience in the fashion industry. Fashion journalism is a competitive field. Ali said that having an advantage through connections who can vouch for her skills and dedication are crucial to making the cut. In the past, she has networked through social media with industry professionals to gain advice. In the spring of 2022, Ali represented Chapman at the College Media Association Conference in New York. At the event, she learned the benefits of networking and making connections. She used these same skills at the Teen Vogue Summit, and now has editorial contacts, who she can pitch stories to and ask for advice in her journalism career.
The commute into the city was a weekly routine for Ali, who is currently a fashion editorial intern for Michele Marie PR in Beverly Hills. She went into the Summit hoping to speak with editors who might give her some clarity on how to combine her current role in PR with her passion for fashion journalism. At the end of the conference, after Ali had spoken with multiple editors on potential next steps, she bumped into a speaker from earlier in the day. Speaker, Vanessa Anderson, who founded her own PR group, unexpectedly took a few moments with Ali in a lounge area to discuss how Ali could combine her current role with her future goals. Ali said that it gave her a new point of view. She suggested that Ali write about some of the brands at her internship and pitch articles on those concepts to fashion and beauty magazines. Ali felt encouraged when Anderson said she expects to see Ali’s byline in the future. Next semester, Ali will continue her internship with Michele Marie PR in Beverly Hills and remotely with their New York office, which focuses on editorial work and publishing. The Teen Vogue Summit wasn’t only great for advice and connections. It was a place where Ali felt surrounded by creative people and energized to take on her next steps.
Ali Davenport reflects on her journey in fashion journalism and her experience at the Teen Vogue Summit in her recent YouTube video.
Teen Vogue has always been a dream company for Pam, as it exists at the intersection of the fashion business and social media, two areas she finds exciting and creative as a career path. The summit therefore presented her with the opportunity to learn more about the business side of the fashion industry. She used the day to meet members of Teen Vogue’s social media team and ask questions about branding and how the magazine is marketed and distributed. In addition they offered practical steps she could take to make her business of fashion dreams come true. Pam also used the summit as an opportunity to meet with up and coming fashion designers, bloggers, influencers, and other fashion-focused entrepreneurs, allowing her to share her vision and goals with them as a way of initiating collaborative relationships and to start building connections with potential mentors.
The summit day ended with a lecture by keynote speaker Keke Palmer, who discussed how she is using her platform to empower young people, particularly young women of color. “I was never the typical girl. I was always very outspoken, always had something to say, always very headstrong, always very opinionated. And I think that a lot of people are afraid of that,” said Palmer. Palmer closed her keynote with a call to action for the audience, urging them to use their voices to make change. “If you don’t use your voice, then you’re not going to be heard. And if you’re not heard, then you’re not going to be able to make the change that you want to see,” said Palmer.
The experience concluded with Ali and Pamela feeling inspired and empowered, with a renewed sense of determination to pursue their creative and cultural passions. They both left with an appreciation of the importance of representation, connection, and collaboration in the creative and cultural fields and invaluable connections that could help further their careers. Additionally, the Summit gave them the opportunity to learn about different career paths in fashion, media, and journalism, connect with like-minded people, and learn from the wisdom of industry professionals. Lastly, they gained confidence in their own vision and goals, and plan to use the knowledge they gained to help pursue their dreams of a career in fashion business and fashion journalism in the future.
Exploring the creative and cultural industries independently through events and projects is a great way to discover new ideas, knowledge, and skills that you can use to improve your own creative endeavors. From art galleries to music festivals and performances, there are endless opportunities to explore the creative and cultural industries all around you and it’s important to take advantage of them as they can be great resources for learning and networking that can help you to further your creative career. Therefore we encourage you to seek out these opportunities and stay up to date on our instagram page for updates on any local events and opportunities you may be interested in.
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