HYOIN BAE (배효인)

There seems to be very little on the internet about Hyoin Bae; the 20 year old freelance photographer who is based world-wide. Born and raised in Korea, Hyoin has journeyed her way around the world with her cameras in tow. From NewYork to Hong Kong to London, everywhere she goes she captures the life of those around her, telling stories with her images. With a no-nonsense style of work that can only be described as truthful and raw, most of Hyoin's portfolio consists of incredibly intimate portraits of her friends and those she meets on her travels but also includes various lookbooks and editorials that she's done. A true free spirit with 'sincere' and 'unaffected' tattooed on her ankles, 'less is more' on her wrist, Hyoin Bae (prouncounced hio-in-bei) is the most exciting person on my instagram feed right now and personally, I can't wait to see who or what she photographs next as her adventures continue.

Describe yourself in 3 words… 

Sincere, Unaffected and Unpredictable.

What’s your earliest memory?

 Not the earliest memory but memorable one is, when I went on a little trip to the next town with only a toy map. I was like, 7 years old. I knew the map wouldn't make sense but I just wanted to give it a try.

You've lived and travelled to so many places around the world - any favourite hangout spots?

 My favorite hangout spots are my hometown (middle of Korea), Seoul, Hong Kong, Vancouver and Stockholm.

When and how did your interest in photography begin?

 I started to take pictures with my own camera since I was 9 or 10. I've just loved to capture the moments of anything interesting and people around me.

What advice would you give to someone starting off in photography and wanting to make a career out of it?

I didn't go to college at all nor learn photography. I just learned by playing with cameras and kept doing my things whether others care or not and that's how I got all those works. What I want to say is, Where and what you do don't matter that much. the fact you do something means a lot itself because you learn something from anything and anyone in any case. nothing can be that bad in the end. Just enjoy what you're given and don't stop.

When you don't have a camera in your hand, what are you doing?

Always listening to music, watching movies, reading books, writing, taking photos with my iPhone, singing, dancing, looking at photos of dogs, watching people, chilling with family/friends...

What are your hopes for the future? 

I want to have exhibitions in as many cities as possible, going on a volunteer trip and also take photos there, have my own gallery when I'm old and I want to have a happy life with a wise and hot husband in a happy house.

And finally, what makes you happiest? 

Music, warm, sincere and nice people (like my people), gentle breeze, dogs, memories, my cameras...

Check out Hyoin Bae's tumblr!

ESTA!

Image by Jordan Nicholson

Born, raised and living in California, Francis Esteban who goes by Esta is a beat maker weaving west coast nostalgia with the kind of tempo you want to cruise to against a backdrop of blue skies. Interested in music and pretty girls with curly hair from a young age, he is now making a name for himself in the world of producing. His popularity fuelled by collaborations with upcoming rappers such as Eponym, and by constantly churning out beats to his growing cyber fan-base, Esta has recently answered a lot of prayers by dropping 'Bananas' where he throws up a load of tracks, all grippingly progressive and with a tendency to want re-playing. Find out more about him below. 

Where have you come from, and where are you going? 

I come from Southern California trying to make it all over the world. I'm just a driven fellow trying to pursue his dreams haha.

When did you start making music?

I started in '06 and didn't really get serious with it til about 2008.

How would you describe the music you're making at the moment? 

Well, I'm a single ass dude so I been on a sexy tip lately. Making some beats girls can rock to. I'm trying to make women feel sexy when they hear my music haha.

How has living in California influenced your creativity? 

It influenced it 100%. My mother is a huge fan of West Coast hip hop and my pops' favorite album is Dr. Dre's "The Chronic" haha.

What's your favourite hangout? 

Anywhere as long as it's with good company with good energy.

Name three songs you can't live without. 

Hmm, I'll mention albums because I can't narrow them down haha. Dr. Dre "The Chronic", Mos Def & Talib Kweli "Black Star", and Blu & Exile "Below The Heavens"

Is there anyone you would love to collaborate with? 

At the moment, anyone from Good Music, Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, Miguel, and Dom Kennedy.

And finally, where would you ultimately like to end up?

I'd like to end up at a place where I'm just content. Obviously I wouldn't mind being rich and what not but realistically I'd be happy just living off music and being able to do just music.

Check out his website, twitter (girls, tweet him love!), soundcloud and go buy Bananas!

JAPANESE WALLPAPER

Very little exists about Melbourne-based Gab Strum aka Japanese Wallpaper online. Only sixteen, Gab could easily be written off as just another teen doing weird things in their bedroom but if you've listened to the tunes he's created and remixed, you would agree that he is so much more than that. An emotional producer with a sensitive ear, his melodic work is ambient and understated, communicating a dreamy side of himself that feels tangible from the gentle chords and kooky vocal splicing. With talk that his first EP is soon to be released, you better sit down and take a listen.

What was your initial inspiration to start making music? How long have you been doing it?

I started playing music when I was six. My mum really encouraged me to take up classical piano lessons, and I've been learning it ever since. Japanese Wallpaper was born out of desperation on a long overseas trip, where I didn't have access to a piano for around four months. I needed a creative output that I could take with me. 

What's the music scene like in Melbourne? 

The scene here is so awesome. There are so many amazing and creative people making music here. It feels like everyone is really genuine and supportive and it's a really great thing to be a part of. 

How would you describe the music you make?

I don't really know. I'm not very good with genres. Maybe it's a mix between electronica, chill-wave and folk? It's mainly just a conglomeration of different things that I like or that are happening around me.

Where did the name Japanese Wallpaper come from?

I'm pretty sure it came from a band name generator.

Can you tell us a little about your musical influences? 

I think the Beatles are probably my biggest influences as a musician. I remember hearing Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and finding it absolutely mind-blowing, and feeling a deep urge to understand how they did it. I think more than anything else, that album really inspires me and pushes me to make better music. Lately I've also been drawing a lot of inspiration from people like Shigeto, Baths, XXYYXX and also local producers like The Townhouses, Electric Sea Spider and Thrupence.

Dream collaboration?

James Blake, definitely. 

You're part of a generation that's grown up on the internet. If it didn't exist, do you think your life would be any different?

I think it would. I don't think the whole music thing would've really happened for me without it. I've met so many amazing people just by putting some songs on soundcloud and it's really enabled me to kind of start sharing my music around a bit. Also, the whole thing with how accessible everything is now because of the internet is really amazing, like there are so many things that we wouldn't be exposed to without the internet. It makes finding new bands so easy, and it's also a pretty good time waster for when I need to do homework and stuff.

And finally, what are your hopes for the future?

Uh, I'd really love to get to a point one day where I just write and play music all the time, and kind of to life off my music as opposed to anything else. I guess, mainly just to be happy.

Check out Japanese Wallpaper on soundcloud!

OPHELIA HORTON

Photo stolen from Susie @ Stylebubble.co.uk

What were you doing when you were a young thang? I have a vivid memory of my 13 year old self forcing my friends to act like reindeers while I took on the dominating role of Santa Clause. More embarrassing than cute, and definitely something I should never mention again. Maybe it has something to do with today's technology or horse meat being sold under the guise of nutritious cheeseburgerz but teens these days seem to be a lot cooler than I could ever hope to be. Example: Ophelia Horton. Ophelia started her blog 'who's that girl?' when she was 12 and has since been called England's answer to the popular Tavi Gevison aka The Style Rookie, been featured in various press including The Evening Standard and Grazia Magazine to name but a few, and somehow between studying and just general living, Ophelia contributes to The Pulp Zine.

Admittedly I was ready to write her off as a novelty of sorts when I first heard about her, but then I actually read her blog and started following her on twitter and quickly realised she's a clever, witty girl with the most fantastical wardrobe that I would like to send back in time to myself... please. Sharing her thoughts on everything from women's rights to photos of her friends to her favourite fashion looks, her blog is a fun read, and Ophelia is someone who definitely shouldn't be overlooked. With that said, go check her blog out now!

How did you first become interested in fashion and blogging? 

As a kid I was always really opinionated and independent when it came to dressing and picking clothes (velvet tops and stripy dungarees and lots of funky/trashy 2000 pieces of course) and I remember my mum always being a bit of a diva. My mum was a big fan of the online shopping store asos and their magazine used to come into the post every month. I used to do the typical routine of ‘I like that’ or ‘don’t like that’ as a kid and I became more and more interested in it all. I found out about Topshop aged 11 years old, just before Christmas and I ended up with a list full of the boring crop tops and popular checkered shirts etc. Of course my parents refused to buy me any of them so in the next Spring, when hearing that my sister’s friend had her own vintage fashion blog, I decided it would be the perfect way to mourn over my deprivation of nice clothes and combine my obsession with topshop and my knowledge from the asos magazines to write about trends. And on from there I went.

What are your top 3 things right now? Books, movies, music, fashion stuff, whatever! 

Books? I don't really read that much anymore to be honest, which is terrible, but there is this one book that I wanted to read and I can't even remember it ugh. I remember being a huge fan of the cherub books in year six, but since then I have read little more than blogs and rookiemag etc. Music? Urrrr I just have stuff from everywhere around really; I have been listening to 'Beautiful Girls' (by Sean Kingston?) because it keeps playing at parties and is getting into my head, Imagine Dragons, Darwin Deez, Beyonce, Grimes, Charlie xcx, there's so much. Fashion stuff? ahahah I dunno, everything I guess. 

What's the best thing about being young? What's the worst? 

Ohhh youth. Pros: squeezing into places, being cute, getting in to places free? I can’t thinkkk lol. Cons: people judging you, people stereotyping you, people not taking you seriously, and many more but of course I could never forget the classic look of distain.

You've mentioned before that you're a feminist - what does the word 'feminism' mean to you? 

To me a lot of it means choice, but also equality. In a way my feminism isn't very activist but more just trying to change the little things that are 'normal' like people catcalling and stuff like that, which goes unseen because 'it's not the 1940s' ugh. I wouldn't say I'm an expert at all, I still have so much to learn but yeah I don't really know what else to say. 

What are your hopes for the future? 

To have fun??? I literally have no idea

And finally, words to live by? 

poo poo poo 

JENNY WOODS

It is one thing to point and shoot, it is a quite another to capture a compelling image but rising photographer Jenny Woods manages to do it, and do it well. Her varied portfolio boasts delightfully feminine and romantic photographs that are primarily female and often have the utmost sense of other-worldliness about them. As has been mentioned so many times before by this photographer and that photographer, we are now living in an era where digital manipulation is rife but I believe that the concept of authenticity is not completely lost, and underneath the floral overlays, the value of the moment is one that Jenny lives by. She embraces imperfection and stays true to her personal style, capturing organic moments that stem from deep inside, allowing her photographs to hold fragments of her self; her thoughts; her feelings. You won't be able to look away.

Can you tell us about your current influences and inspirations?

I feel most inspired when my heart is breaking.

Your photographs often feature flowers or some essence of nature; how important are these things to you? 

I've always been attracted to beautiful, but sad things. Flowers are some of the most beautiful beings the world has offered us, yet they die so quickly.

If you could photograph anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? 

Oh my god, Jeff Buckley! Except that I wouldn't be able to keep my hands off of him :)

  

What makes someone beautiful to you? 

Beautiful, to me, is someone who is passionate and hungry for life. Someone who radiates so much from the inside, that light shines out of their teeth and eyes. If you've never met someone like that, then you can’t possibly understand what beauty is.

  

What advice would you give to someone starting off in photography and wanting to make a career out of it? 

I’m hardly the person to give advice on that. But I've learned a lot in the past 3 years. I've grown up a lot; as an artist and person. Don’t give in to the norm. Don’t try to please everyone; you will fail. Shoot and create solely for yourself and fuck the rest. If someone tells you that you aren't good enough, let that fuel you. Get angry and make art. Never stop creating. Never take breaks. Create til your fingers aren't capable of creating, and then find a new way to keep creating. Live in a bubble. Strive to create something that is truly yours, and don’t let anyone take it away.

  

When there isn't a camera in your hand, what are you doing?

To be honest, my camera isn't in my hand very often. I try to keep my creative life and daily life separate  I work Monday through Thursday at a newspaper, which takes up a lot of my time. Sometimes I feel as if I’m two different people.

What are your plans for the fast approaching summer? 

I’m actually making my move to New York City on May 1^st! That’s the most exciting thing happening in my life right now. I booked my train ticket in February, so it’s just been a waiting game since then.

And finally, what makes you happy?

Happiness is a rare thing for me. I’m alone a lot with just my thoughts to keep me company. I think the happiest I've ever felt is roaming around New York; I don’t feel trapped when I’m there.

Check out Jenny's website here.

EMMI VARTIAINEN

Emmi Vartiainen is an illustrator and graphic designer hailing from Lahti, Southern Finland. Interested in flora, fauna, horror and all things pretty, there is an undeniable hint of macabre in Emmi's work, though it is introduced in the most soft and subtle manner. When she's not playing an earlier version of Final Fantasy or drawing a sweet family of rabbits, the 22-year-old is likely to be blurring the lines between fantasy and reality. It's not often for art to have the ability to wholly transport the viewer to another place but delicate and eerie, Emmi's illustrations do just that; always hinting at an alternate pastel reality that might just be lurking underneath the skirt of someone's Japanese sailor uniform. 

When did you start drawing? And what led you to study graphic design and illustrate on the side? 

I can't really remember when I started drawing, it was such a long time ago. Maybe when I was able to hold a pen. Maybe when I was three, or four. I feel like I've always been drawing. My education was at parts art-based, so that led me towards graphic design as I began to develop interest in visual media. I'm probably more of an illustrator, with graphic design on the side. Nowadays I'm interested in contemporary graphic design, typography and illustration. I hope to incorporate them in future works.

Your most recent illustrations are beautifully delicate and coloured, and there seems to be a lot of recurring forest animals… Who and what are your current influences? 

As I'm currently working on my graphic design thesis project, which is a children's picture book of well-known finnish wild animals, a lot of my influences come from classic children's animal literature with naturalistic illustrations. I've also been fascinated with scientific illustration for quite a while, and for example flower encyclopaedias are for me very inspiring to look at. I'm interested in drawing with accurate details but keeping an organic line to keep the picture from going too stiff.

*Note: Emmi has recently finished her thesis, Little Nature Book, which will hopefully be made available online because it looks like the cutest thing ever. 

Can you tell us about your creative process when starting a piece?

The process varies a bit depending on the style of the piece. Usually a vague image just strikes my head and I think "Hey, that'd make a nice drawing!" And I take the idea and start gathering some inspirational material to build around the idea, working towards the final image. These illustrations are usually done more freely, and are more stylized than my naturalistic illustrations. When drawing naturalistic animal or nature illustrations, it's more about observing the subject through photographs, books, videos or most ideally through real life. With these illustrations the process is about finding a suitable way to represent the subject as it would naturally appear and keeping your own style in mind while drawing the illustration.

Do you have any advice for aspiring illustrators and designers? 

Practice. Practice as much as you can, as often as you can. Preferably every day, at least a little bit. If you really want to become an illustrator or a designer, it is important not to underestimate the amount of work you must do to become good at your chosen profession. Also, practicing has no certain point that once you pass it you've honed your skill to perfection - there will always be room for improvement.

Also, get inspired, collect loads and loads of material that inspires you and your work. Look around you, and look around often. It's important not to let your mind grow dull!

If you could illustrate any book or text from any time in history, what would it be?

This is a hard one, as so many occur to my mind. Illustrating a classic animal tale like Richard Adams' Watership Down would possibly be a real challenge but really fun too. And I just love rabbits so much, so having the opportunity to provide illustrations for the tale would feel really special.

I've discovered you're a fan of video games - which are your favourites?

I certainly do love my video games! They're a great way of loosening up a bit and letting your mind get completely immersed in some otherworldly business. Games also let my slightly nerdy geeky side loose.

For serious gaming, my favourite games are the more classic Final Fantasy and Pokémon games. Out of those, my favourite games are Final Fantasy IV, VIII, IX (and XII from the slightly newer ones), and Pokémon Crystal. I love old game graphics and the simpler mechanics, and prefer playing them to playing new more complex HD games.

I also love the Silent Hill and Fatal Frame/Project Zero series, and for more casual gaming Spyro, Klonoa and other platformer classics.

If we came to visit you in Finland, where would you take us? 

Oh, I'm such a hermit I don't know any cool places, haha. The Kiasma contemporary art museum in Helsinki would probably be a great place to visit for some interesting finnish and international art exhibitions, I'd like to go there probably. 

And finally, what are your hopes for the future? 

I hope to keep on improving and producing more work. And I'll be graduating soon so the future will be open! I'm very excited for the future, as anything's possible. Someday I'd like to work as a full-time illustrator, though. That would be nice.

Check out Emmi's tumblr and deviantart! 

BEC WINNEL

Based in Australia, the completely self-taught artist Bec Winnel uses an array of mediums including coloured pencils, pastels and oils to create her completely dreamy and magically feminine portraits. From a humble beginning on the craft site Etsy to being represented by Illustration Ltd, it's clear that not only does Bec have an eye for detail and a talent for realism, but she also has the most wonderful imagination.

What is the most important life lesson you've learnt so far?

This is a bit of a sad one and one that changed my life forever... In my early 20s, I used to hang out with a group of friends that my sister and boyfriend at the time used to work with. One night he was killed in a tragic accident. He was a great guy, always happy and joking around. The funeral was beautiful and very moving but I felt really disappointed in myself for not getting to know him more when he was here. In that moment, I realised I needed to appreciate and enjoy every day I have with my friends and family because you never know when they could go. 

What woman, besides your mom or grandmother, do you find inspirational?

The first lady that comes to mind is Coco Chanel. I think of her as a liberating woman. I'm so happy she designed more comfortable clothes for women such as pants and how she shifted fashion from those constricting corsets, and for inventing red lipstick! Power to the women and to their freedom to express themselves.

What one change would you like to see happen in the future?

I'd like to see the Australian Government shift from being so greedy and looking after only the rich. I'd like to see our health care system improve and better distribution of the country's wealth to the lower income earners. 

Check out more of Bec's work here!

ALEX BORTZ

Based in Denver, Alex Bortz is an artist, photographer, and founder of the brand Now and Then US. It was during a stint in San Francisco that the 20-year-old began to photograph his daily life which mostly involved hanging out with his friends in the city. His photographs have a spontaneous, unrefined, here-and-now feel to them which may be why they tend to circulate quickly amongst online blogs as soon as he's posted them. A bit of a jack-of-all-trades, Alex - who has long been interested in streetwear - was quick to identify that there was a certain market online for individuals who had similar clothing tastes to him, and it wasn't long before he was putting together quality pieces and selling them online (a far cry from when he was selling his first designs in the school parking lot!). It seems that Alex has managed to side-step the trend treadmill that many budding designers get trapped on, and he is now forging his own path towards success.

What's the best thing about being young and living in America?

Being young in America is cool. I guess the possibilities are really endless. It's awesome seeing so many young people being creative and doing their own thing. Living here I get to have so much inspiration from other kids like me all over the country. There's so many young photographers, designers, painters, musicians, producers etc. it's really awesome to see the kind of stuff they're doing and all the other young kids that they are inspiring to follow their dreams as well. 

When did you start documenting yours and your friend's everyday life?

I moved to San Francisco when I was 18 to go to art school. I really hated it and stopped going to class after a couple weeks so I had a lot of time on my hands to do art and take photos. I wanted to start shooting more film because I was kinda bored with digital so I started buying disposable cameras and bringing them everywhere I went. I had a pretty interesting group of friends so it was always cool taking photos and documenting the shit we did in the city. Eventually my dad shipped me his old Canon AE-1 and I really enjoyed shooting with that. So I ended up carrying it around all the time and just constantly taking photos of my friends and anything exciting we did. I moved back to Denver about a year ago and reconnected with some of my high school friends who had started making videos called Flaming Shit. I immediately started spending all my time with them because I didn't have a job or go to school at the time. I continued taking tons of photos of us hanging out and skating and started to really blog and post all the photos online.

A lot of your photos on tumblr have a ridiculous amount of notes, what do you think it is people like about your work? 

 I'm not really sure what it is that people like about my work. I think my friends just have interesting personalities that show through photos and people are interested. Not only that but I think a lot of kids kinda connect with the shit we do. I guess a lot of kids connect with the type of lifestyle that I put into my photos. A lot of my photos are somewhat rebellious by nature; skateboarding, wheat pasting, etc. I guess kids like that shit.

What was the catalyst for starting your own brand - Now And Then? 

When I was in middle school I started getting really into streetwear. I remember reading The Hundreds blog and thinking how cool it would be to a part of something like that. I loved all the cool graphics that brands like Johnny Cupcakes, Freshjive, and HUF were making and it got me really into t-shirt designs. A few years later when I was a sophomore in High School, I decided to start my own brand. I started making designs in my art class on photoshop. They were terrible, but I didn't really care and I printed them anyway. Selling tees out of the back of my hatchback in the school parking lot made me realize that I could actually make money doing this and I realized that designing clothes is what I really want to do as a living.

What are your biggest influences when it comes to designing new pieces?

My biggest influences for new pieces are usually movies, music and old photographs I find. For my summer collection I'm doing a tee inspired by GG Allin that I'm really excited for. I also really like doing designs based on things that in my mind will always be cool, things that are timeless. I feel like there's always some type of fad going on in streetwear and every brand is making pieces inspired by that fad. I just don't want to do that. I want my stuff to still be cool a few years down the road.

You're into art, photography and design -  what advice would you give to someone who is afraid to follow their passions?

To someone who is afraid to follow their passions. Quit being a pussy and do what you want to do, because if you don't you'll regret it later. If you like doing something then do it all the time until you're awesome at it.

Favourite hangout spots in Denver?

I like to hang out at Writer Square, me and my friends would always skate there because they had these rad benches and then we just started kicking it there all the time. I also like The Market on Larimer, they got a cool patio and this really good sandwich with fried chicken and bacon on it. Oh and Leela's cafe, because they're open all night and there's mad hipster girls there.

And finally, where do you hope you'll be in five years? 

In five years I'll be 25. Hopefully I'll be designing clothes full time in LA. I just want to have enough money to live comfortably without having to have some job that i hate doing. I just want to be my own boss and pick my own hours. Also hopefully I'll be driving a Benz wagon. 

Check out Alex's tumblr, personal website and brand website. 

GIRL POWER! ft. Sashiko Yuen

Using pencils and watercolours, Sashiko Yuen combines all things cute and grotesque to create girls who could be the princesses of a dangerous disneyland. Magical girls you wish you could transform yourself into. Or atleast be friends with. Inspired by retro culture, street fashion and all things kitsch, Sashiko currently lives in California where she creates, works on commissions and sells fantastic pieces on her online shop. 

What's the best thing about being a woman?

The best thing about being a woman is that when I wear a bathing suit I don't have to tuck a  God damn thing in. Because if I happened to be a man you bet I'd still be absolutely fabulous, doing my thing. 

What woman, besides your mom or grandmother, do you find inspirational?

That's a really hard question for answer. Can't say I've really ever had one hero or idol at any point in my life. As a kid I thought Gwen Stefani and her pink hair were what dreams were made of. Now? Idk. I'd have to say Charmaine Olivia. For her talent, beauty, and for being so damn prolific! It's wonderful to watch her grow and change. Celia Edell (aka Ceedling) is also great to watch/listen to! Fashion wise and for what she has to say about feminism, mental health, and life. Plus she's super humble and approachable. 

What changes do you hope to see in the future?

Equal rights among genders on an international level. A better informed public about sex, gender, respect, mental health, food. What happiness really means. And y'know. World peace and all that jazz.

Check out Sashiko's website and her past YOUTH DOIN THANGS interview here

GIRL POWER! ft. Jessica Wu

Currently living and studying in New York City, Jessica Wu is a Californian native with a penchant (and talent, might I add) for all things fashion-related. Upon coming across an issue of Vogue in her aunt's house when she was 12, Jessica became determined to enter the fashion industry and hasn't stopped pursuing her dream since then. When she's not in class, the skilled eighteen-year-old works as a freelance stylist, frequently collaborating with up-and-coming photographers, designers, showrooms, and various modelling agencies. Balancing her time between studying, styling and blogging, Jessica is the epitome of a youth doin thangs. 

Where will you be in five years?

My vision and hope for the next five years is simple: to be healthy, happy, and doing something I wholeheartedly love. I'd like to be meeting and befriending even more people as time goes on and establishing great relationships, personal or career-wise. 

What woman, besides your mom or grandmother, do you find inspirational? 

I am so intrigued by Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald, the wife of one of my favorite authors of Western literature, F. Scott Fitzgerald. By reading her husband's writings and various historical documentation, my perception of Zelda is that she was a pure embodiment of the 1920s sentiment of an upbeat albeit manic way of life. I just feel as if there's so much more to her than what's already been found and established that we'll never know. Her mystery is an inspiration for me to keep reading and discovering new material, not necessarily within the confines of literature but knowledge in general. 

What one change would you like to see happen in the future?

I would love for the American fashion industry to become a leading participant in donating to charitable causes and funding humanitarian organizations throughout the world.

Check out Jessica's website and blog! 

GIRL POWER! ft. Meagan Fredette

It can be hard to keep readers interested, especially when it comes to heavy subjects such as white female models wearing Native American "couture" but Meagan Fredette of Latter Style manages to keep everyone engaged with her clever and witty writing. Whilst discussing her thoughts on cultural appropriation in fashion and music, the Chicago-based blogger also shares outfit posts showcasing some timeless vintage pieces from her wardrobe. Writing from a modern feminist's perspective, Meagan has contributed to Rookie and Portable.TV to name but a few. You can't deny that she's the type of girl you want to be best friends with. 

What is the most important life lesson you've learnt so far?

I live by this idea of borrowed hope. When you feel most most hopeless, borrow hope from the future and use it to power you through the moment in which you feel like is the end. It's never the end. You can always find hope somewhere.

What are your thoughts on femininity and feminism? Is it okay to be 'feminine' and a feminist? 

Femininity is presented in our world as lesser than, as a joke, as a less intellectual way of viewing the world. I think one of the goals of feminism should be to change attitudes about femininity so it is seen as a form of gender expression that is as valid as masculinity.

What does femininity mean to you? 

As a straight cisgender lady, I have the privilege of being able to be feminine and not have it be inexorably tied to my sexuality or gender identity. That said, I view femininity in terms of romanticism - I love those old representations of women pining away for their loves, or being head over heels in love, or sacrificing all for the sake of love. I'm aware that this form of romanticism treats women like lovelorn objects, but I think it is okay to be inspired by the romanticism and still be critical.

Check out Meagan's blog here!

GIRL POWER! ft. Denise Lai

Right now Southeast Asia is at the forefront of all that is cool, and Denise Lai, a graphic designer and the writer behind SUPERWOWOMG, is definitely one cool girl. She also gets extra cool points for being the owner of the super cute frenchie -  Sumo. Born in Singapore and raised in Hong Kong, Denise's tongue-in-cheek lifestyle blog and vibrant photos has her readers daydreaming about exploring the streets Hong Kong and even contemplating about dying their own hair electric purple. It's no surprise that she's one of Hong Kong's most influential bloggers!

What does the word feminism mean to you? 

Doing shit for yourself and not for anyone else.

What woman, besides your mom or grandmother, do you find inspirational?

I greatly look up to any female entrepreneurs who are working for themselves and who have built there small or big business from the ground up, someone like Lanie from cult women's street wear brand Hellz Bellz. I love that she reps women so hard and is not scared to fight in the street wear world which is predominantly filled with menswear brands. 

Any advice for girls aspiring to work in a role like yours? 

Don't rely on anyone to do anything for you, it's more satisfying when you manage to succeed on your own but always be thankful for any support you get.

Check out Denise's blog SUPERWOWOMG