Freshman Finds Creative Outlet Through Fashion Blog:

By Tanvi Saran

The internet has now become an office for many providing people with opportunities and acting as a virtual employer. There is an overwhelming amount of people using the internet as a vessel to showcase their talent, such as freshman Valerie Friedman. Along with her best friend Stella Bartoletti, who is a freshman at Monte Vista, Friedman pursued her love of fashion through a youtube channel and blog. Friedman explains how her blog began: by meeting her best friend.

“We met at school on the first day of 6th grade, both out of place and not really having anyone close,” said Friedman. “It’s really nice having someone like a sister now. I started the blog with her because we both thought it would be a cool idea to inspire others through fashion, beauty, and place to explore,” said Friedman. Bartoletti is not only the co-owner of the blog and Friedman’s “other half,” but she is also the main inspiration for Friedman to take her interest in fashion seriously.

“She always looked so good and she helped me get into style,” said Friedman. “I also always really enjoyed magazines that inspired me with fashions.”

Bartoletti really hit a fashion nerve in Friedman, and now, two years since the two meant, they both have evolved eccentric and unique styles that are perfect to share through media and networking.

Freidman’s love for fashion is what puts her apart from other teenagers and is the main reason why she started the blog. She doesn’t want to be classified as any typical teenager, she wants to be classified as herself: a unique and driven young woman. Her blog provides her with a virtual space for her to express her creativity and individuality and this keeps her on her feet and busy. Her blog includes more than just fashion but also showcases memories that Friedman and Bartoletti share online: trips to Farmer’s Markets, Berkeley, picnics, and slumber parties. There are tons of pictures of what they are doing, what they buy, and what they are wearing. Aside from posts about their little trips there are blog posts about beauty favorites, fashion favorites, and their inspirations. In the future Friedman sees herself as a graduate from a college in southern California with a degree in business or marketing, and with a job in some type of fashion label. Before she goes off to college, Friedman plans on posting on her blog until she graduates from Las Lomas and beyond that, but she predicts that after her graduation there will less posts because she might be apart from Bartoletti.

Friedman’s style goes undefined and takes inspiration from movies like Clueless, 90’s fashion, Harper’s Bazaar, and Vogue.

“I don’t really have a certain style I lean towards,” said Friedman. “I’m all over the map. If I had to it would probably be minimalistic, edgy colorful, flouncy, girly, etc. All of these contradict each other so I wouldn’t really categorize myself as anyone of them and just wear what I want.”

Accommodating her changing style means that Friedman doesn’t shop from one store but collectively has formed a diverse closet. “I shop at a wide range of stores like American Apparel, H&M, Urban Outfitters, and some online stores like Missguided US.”

Friedman also goes thrift shopping to add rare pieces to her wardrobe and and to her apart from the high school crowd.

“Fashion is a huge part of our lives and I don’t know where I’d be without it,” she said. “It’s not just what clothes you put on yourself but it’s a whole new world. It has definitely made us closer because we’re so passionate about one thing together.”

Not only will it be a huge part of Friedman’s life in high school in when she grows up as well. Until then Friedman plans on posting in her blog long past her graduation at Las Lomas.

And as for being a trend follower or trend setter– Friedman is not either one. Her blog is about motivating people to wear what they like and to ignore what others might think about it.

“Having style is about what you make out of stuff, not what you copy,” she said.

By Anna M. Hoffman

In this article is about a high school freshman by the name of Valerie Fredman who followed her love for fashion through her youtube channel and fashion blog. In the article Valerie talks about why she made the blog and their inspirations for making their blog, their dreams and where they see themselves in the future, and how their blog began. When during the first day of 6th grade she met her soon to be best friend and co partner, Stella Bartoletti. Who, with the help of Valerie would become well known bloggers and youtube celebrities.

I really connected to this article, because like Valerie and Stella I draw most of my inspiration for doing this blog from my love of fashion, the internets vast knowledge and resource, and magazines like Vogue and other fashion focused magazines. And I also was very inspired by these two girls unique personalities and abilities to to be individuals and their drive and dedication to take their friendship and to work so hard to have something trully beautiful emerge out of it. So all and all these two girls truly have a deep passion for fashion.