Teen Vogue Handbook Panel Discussion and Book Signing Review

What do you get when a High End Fashion Designer, High End Magazine Editor in Chief, Beauty and Health and Social Media Editor and Blogger are in the same room? Take a guess … Powerhouse!

Fashion Designer Phillip Lim, Teen Vogue Editor in Chief Amy Astley, Teen Vogue Beauty and Health Editor Elaine Welteroth, Teen Vogue Social Media Editor Drew Elovitz and Man Repeller Blogger Leandra Medine celebrated the release of The Teen Vogue Handbook: An Insider’s Guide to Careers in Fashion ($24.99) at Tribeca’s Barnes and Noble. The new edition features the inside scoop of Teen Vogue’s staff , designers, stylists, photographers, models and others dominating the industry. This book also comes with a free one-year subscription to Teen Vogue. The room was packed with high school and college students, aspiring designers and well known publication writers etc. As the panelists stepped onto the stage, guests were given an up and close personal discussion. Amy Astley started off the discussion by not only introducing the panel, but asking a series of questions relating to their careers. Each question and answer were intriguing with a sense of humor and words of wisdom. The panelists all took lengths to get to their careers and not knowing they would end up where they are now. A lot of blood, sweat and tears were in the making including Phillip Lim who has a degree in Home Economics. Born in Thailand and raised in Orange County, California, this designer came from a town where there was no fashion sense. After graduating, he was uncertain about his degree and future. He always had a liking towards fashion and ended up interning at a fashion company. With all of the talent in the room, a page can be taken from each story.

Since it was a panel discussion, Amy decided to make it more audience interaction. Rather than the panelists doing all of the talking, the audience asked more of the questions. Leandra was the comic of the night. She highlighted her responses with funny stories. She didn’t expect for her blog Man Repeller to become an overnight success and 750,000 followers on Instagram. With the success of her blog and fan base she was able to publish her book Man Repeller: Seeking love. Finding Overalls ($25.00).

What stood out the most with this blogger is her advice on writing the way you would talk to a person. That is the technique that she has applied and used it well towards her career. As the questions became more personal, the panelists were coming out of their shells. They spoke about ways of finding your career path and taking risks. One of the most important factors was networking. In today’s society, it is about who you know and not what you know.  Some of the audience were soon to be high school and college graduates trying to figure out life. A high school junior couldn’t figure out what she wanted to do more art, photographer or fashion. She was advised that she has four years to give it time.

Elaine and Drew stretched the importance of keeping it real. Letting yourself know what you want and be who you are. Many of us work a job just to make an income and are not satisfied. If you are not happy, you have to make a change. After the discussion, Drew, Elaine and Leandra signed copies of purchased books.  You never know where life takes you and you have to keep trying until you reach your destination.