On a sunny Friday afternoon, I met Kelly in a bustling Irvings in Downtown State College. She was wearing voluminous—and enviable—wide-leg pants paired with a bohemian styled crop top, adorned with a chunky, beaded necklace and a scrunchie in her hair. It’s safe to say Kelly’s style is one that sets her apart—and made it easy for me to identify her in the crowd of coffee drinkers and bagel eaters that afternoon.
Kelly is a junior at Penn State from Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey majoring in Public Relations and minoring in Business and Italian with a passion for fashion.
She confessed her love of thrifting and Goodwill hunting, as well as DIY fashion projects that make her style one of a kind. When asked about her personal style, Kelly described her style as becoming “edgier” and “muddier” while still being chic.
“When I say chic I mean adding loafers to a really edgy outfit, stuff like that. I think street style is so big, and I’m loving it, like sneakers and hoodies and stuff like that.”
Although her fashion sense is uncanny, it isn’t even the most impressive thing about her. Kelly has more experience in the fashion industry than someone her age could even hope for. She’s involved with Fashion Society of Penn State, Delta Gamma, and has her own blog. With a current internship with a shopping app, an internship in Los Angeles already under her belt, and an acceptance to a fashion internship in Milan, Kelly sets the bar high for aspiring fashion gurus and all students her age for that matter.
Kelly reminisced about the days when she would put on fashion shows as a kid and shared crazy stories from her internship in Los Angeles, such as driving out to the desert for a photo shoot and working a party with DJ Khaled.
Fashion is important to Kelly because of the creative aspect and self-expression. She said she loves styling and putting outfits together.
“It gives people the freedom to express themselves and I guess show themselves in the most positive light, accentuate what you’re confident about and what you like about yourself,” says Kelly. “I think it just promotes confidence and lets me be seen in a way that I want to be seen.”
While it’s evident that Kelly is going places, you can find her in State College for now; just look for the girl dressed in the trendiest of ensembles that you won’t see on anyone else.
