Tavi Gevinson is one of the fashion blog-o-sphere’s favorite success stories. At the age of 12, the Oak Park, Illinois, native stormed the fashion scene with her blog Style Rookie, which featured her commentary on the latest trends. Reaching 30,000+ readers a day—and a cult following of celebrities—Tavi quickly began appearing at fashion shows around the world while also contributing to prominent fashion glossies like Harper s Bazaar. Since her debut, she has founded an online editorial, Rookie Magazine; appeared on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in Media list; given a TEDx talk; acted in numerous films; and even had a stint on Broadway—all before turning 18. So what have you been doing with your life? Now that fashion’s favorite wunderkind has finally graduated high school, there is room for a new teen supreme to rule the scene. Even though Gevinson has left behind some pretty big shoes to fill, we are setting our sights on four up-and-coming fashion youngsters.
Ryker Wixom, 4:
Photography is a large part of fashion blogging, giving viewers instant satisfaction through images. Therefore, social media apps such as Instagram have been a great way to rapidly expose the masses to fashion tips and trends. Such is the case with 4-year-old “mini style hacker” Ryker Wixom, who become an Instafamous trendsetter earlier this year with his blog by the same name. Inspired by celebrities and menswear editorials, Wixom models “hacked” looks at a fraction of the cost, proving even the pre-K crowd can look just as dapper as the men on the runway. His first-ever suit fitting is even documented. Since its creation in March MiniStyleHacker has gained over 130,000 followers on Instagram and garnered coverage from media outlets across the globe. Of course, Wixom’s mom, Collette, is the brains behind the blog and does most of the work, but there is little doubt that this well-dressed fashionisto is going to develop his own set of fashion-savvy rules in the years to come.
Tobias Otting, 9:
This Massachusetts native founded his blog, Junior Sartorialist, just last year but is already gaining some pretty big attention—and a one-up on Gevinson. When executive producer Tamsen Webster of TEDxCambridge spotted his blog, she encouraged the fourth-grader to consider applying for a spot. “You can look at Toby and see that there’s no gap in integrity between his idea and his passion for that idea,” Webster told The Boston Globe. “There are people of all ages who are unable to demonstrate all the pieces required to put together a TEDxCambridge talk. But there was never a question about Toby.” For his blog, Otting teams with his mom to curate each post. In order to keep his voice, she listens to his opinions on matters from fashion to ballet (grasping as much detail as possible) before helping him draft his entries. “You’re not going to tell your kids what they live or what they’re interested in, but I can be his GPS and help him get where he wants to go,” Laura Gassner Otting, his mom, said. “I push him to use his writing to get him to talk more about the things that he’s passionate about.”
Moziah Bridges, 12:
While most bloggers simply offer their personal opinions and style tips, 12-year-old Moziah Bridges is actually turning his into tangible, sellable goods. At the age of 9, Bridges—who goes by Mo—founded Mo’s Bows when he was unable to find “fun and cool” bow ties that fit his personal style. “I chose the bowtie because I couldn’t find anything that I liked and I just wanted to look good and feel good,” Bridges told Yahoo!. “So I asked my grandma if she’d teach me to sew, and then I just started wearing them every day.” The Memphis-based CEO has been designing and creating his own collection ever since. Selling the bow ties through his online store, Etsy and over a dozen luxury menswear shops, Bridges soon caught the attention of tastemakers like Oprah and even appeared in Forbes magazine as well as on The Today Show. Most recently, his work took him in front of an esteemed panel of judges on Shark Tank, a show that places budding entrepreneurs with self-made business tycoons looking to back the next great business. The judges ultimately selected another contender, but Bridges’ exposure is sure to add even more hype to his rapidly growing business.
Ophelia Horton, 14:
Ophelia Horton has been on our radar since 2012, when her blog made headlines around the world. At the age of 12 she began offering her original point of views, from fashion to feminism, on her blog who’s that girl? “At first I would just talk about trends, but as I got more interested in fashion, I got more interested in the personal style side of things,” Horton told The Daily Beast in 2012. “Kids today have so much more of a voice than they did a while back. We have feminism now, and that is something that has grown quite rapidly throughout teenage girls and I think it is really important to be a part of that.” Horton has been featured in numerous publications throughout the world, including Elle.com and Grazia magazine.
