What were you doing in the summer of your sixteenth year? Going swimming at your local pool? Serving up swirlies at the local ice cream shop? Chillin’ at the mall? Publishing your first book of collected pieces from your highly successful online magazine?
If you didn’t answer ‘yes’ to that last question, that’s probably because you aren’t Tavi Gevinson, the 16-year-old fashion blogger who started her online magazine Rookie at age fifteen. (And who’s on the cover of BUST‘s upcoming Aug/Sept issue!) While so much press has focused on her age, it’s far more important to focus on her talent. After all, that’s what helped her create the beloved blog StyleRookie, publish her online magazine, and made her the editor of her forthcoming Rookie Yearbook One. The book, which is due out in September, will feature content collected from Rookie, including articles, illustrations, how-to’s, and other stories the online magazine covered during the past year.
It’s easy to feel like crap when you think about what Tavi has accomplished so far, but she proves that it’s never too early or late to get started. Her online magazine features content from celebrities and unknown teens alike. In that respect, Rookie is about putting novices and the well-known on the same level: we’re all rookies in one way or another. The site’s writers are both fierce and sensitive, discussing the importance of battling street harassment and inspiring readers with pieces “How to Not Care What Other People Think of You.” Personal style and self-expression reigns supreme on the site, so even if you feel like a rookie, you can feel confident rocking that status.
Look out for Tavi on the cover of BUST‘s next issue, and get ready for Rookie Yearbook One to be released this fall.
