FORM Bloggers Series: Lauren Budorick

The third FORM blogger spotlight is on Lauren Budorick, a sophomore Virginia Beach, VA who runs Lauren's Weekly Roundup every Sunday.

CS: How have you become interested in fashion and art and do you see yourself pursuing any of them in the future?

Lauren: I was always really into fashion magazines, and I love how much everything has evolved through the internet, with so many fashion and street style blogs and interactive media content. I guess I've always been a really visual person, because I've been in various art programs and classes since elementary school. I'm definitely considering pursing fashion journalism after I graduate. I'm doing a few fashion journalism internships this summer so we'll see how that goes!

CS: Your column is called "Lauren's Weekly Roundup" and it features news and interesting facts from the fashion world as well as other tidbits you find interesting. Where do you get your inspiration from and do you have an angle on presenting your finds?

Lauren: I read a lot of online fashion websites, so I collect various bits and pieces of news all week. I seriously have a giant bookmarks folder of sites I like to browse and scroll through all of them at random times. I try to write my column with kind of a funny, somewhat sarcastic tone to catch readers' interests.

CS: Where do you draw your personal inspiration from and what would you define your style to be most like? 

Lauren: I draw my inspiration from the whole world around me. My style depends on my mood and my surroundings. I find a lot of inspiration just browsing the internet, but I'm also inspired by anything around me: nature, art, architecture, music, you name it.

CS: Lastly, what is your favourite item of clothing and why?

Lauren: When my grandfather passed away a few years ago, my mom was cleaning out his closet and was about to get rid of his sweaters when I found them and told her I wanted to keep some of them. My favorite is a vintage cobalt blue Dior pullover. It's the perfect big slouchy sweater, and it's incredibly soft, so I love to wear it with shorts and sandals on spring days that are not too hot. Plus every time I wear it, it reminds me of him. He always had such classic style.

FORM Bloggers Series: Ali Bahrynian

The second FORM blogger spotlight is on Ali Bahrynian, a first-year from Los Angeles, CA, who runs the Thrifter column on Sundays.

CS: Since you're a first-year you don't have a major yet. Do you know what you would like to study or pursue after college?

Ali: I will probably be majoring is Philosophy and perhaps double-majoring in Psychology but that's all still up in the air at this point. I have always thought about going to law school so that is definitely one of the possibilities however I'm not sure if I want to practice law as a career or not. I was a theater kid and a jazz dancer all throughout my childhood, so I would definitely love to go into the entertainment business, although I would probably prefer being on the business end rather than a the performing end.

CS: What is your column called and what is your angle on it?

Ali: I write the thrifting column for the FORM blog. Thrifting is totally my passion. I was born and raised in LA, so I have been privy to some of the most amazing thrift shopping in the world, and it has become an essential part of who I am. Adjusting to the Durham thrift-shopping scene has been interesting, and it's definitely something I look forward to exploring.

CS: Where do you draw your inspiration from and what would you define your style to be most like? 

Ali: I'm the kind of girl who after finding what she likes becomes mildly obsessed with it, and this is absolutely the case with Rumi Neely who is the blogger of Fashiontoast.com. Not only do I check her blog about eight or nine times a day, but I also Google her constantly. I am also an avid reader of Cupcakesandcashmere, SeaofShoes, and Hanneli. Aside from surfing the blogosphere, I like to draw inspiration from period movies and art. The 1920s are my all-time favorites when it comes to fashion, and I like to watch scenes from Singing in the Rain if I ever need a boost of inspiration. I am also obsessed with Coco Chanel and will drool over Chanel if I ever feel blue.

CS: Lastly, what is your favourite item of clothing and why?

Ali: This is a tough one. My favorite item of clothing probably has to be my pair of classic Chanel rhinestone earrings. They are very versatile, being fit for both a glamorous night out and for livening up a dreary day's outfit. They were a gift from my grandmother and every time I wear them I feel like I am sharing in her experiences and am continuing her legacy.

FORM Bloggers Series: Dani Dawkins

Duke University's fashion scene is represented mainly by FORM which publishes FORM Magazine and the FORM blog. In collaboration with the blog, I am running a column which spotlights a different blogger every Monday.

The first blogger to be spotlighted is Dani Dawkins, a first-year from Princeton, NJ, who runs the Three-Peat column on Wednesdays

To get to know Dani better a I asked her a few questions about herself and her inspiration:

CS: Do you know what you would like to major in at Duke yet?

Dani: I am not sure yet but I intend to be pre-law and am considering majoring in Philosophy, or History, or at least a major that is writing intensive.

CS: What is your column called and what is your angle on it?

Dani: My column is called Three-Peat and focuses on maximizing one's wardrobe by using the same item in three different outfits. By learning to wear certain staple items in different ways, one does not need to have tons of clothes to be able to create unique outfits. 

CS: Lastly, where do you draw your inspiration from and what would you define your style to be most like? 

Dani: My style inspiration comes from so many different places, I read CupcakesandCashmere  as well as SeaofShoes on a daily basis and they are two of my favourite fashion blogs. In terms of personal style try to buy things that I wouldn't be ashamed to wear years from now; wearing transitive styles that I could see as being fashionable long after the trend has died out is usually my mantra. That is to say, that I really don't look at one specific person as my fashion icon, but tend to wear what I love.