Teen Vogue enters its Roaring 20s

Hundreds lined up outside NYA Studios in Hollywood to join the day-long Teen Vogue Summit just before the Thanksgiving holiday break commenced. With cups of complimentary Coach coffee in hand, teens and young adults alike entered the venue after 10 a.m. for a day of musical performances, live Q&A panels, career advice and giveaways.

Upon entering the venue, guests received complimentary Teen Vogue swag bags to fill with their giveaways from activations. Goodies included Buxom Cosmetics lippies from their classic ice cream cart, reflection journals and complimentary stationery.

This was the first time, in comparison to previous years, that Teen Vogue had filled the outdoor venue with a large line-up of organizations, including Microsoft, The Body Shop, Adobe, Buxom Cosmetics, Rise, the Archer School for Girls and the Waverly Street Foundation.

The National Women’s Law Center booth included a towering trivia wheel on student rights. A representative asked guests how much they knew about the topic and then guided them through the statistics and resources surrounding it, such as mental health and sex-based harassment.

“We hope that folks walk away from this having a better understanding that they have certain rights and they need to be expanded,” said representative Crystal Mojica. “We envision a future where students and all people, especially women, people of color, transgender people… all have those same equal rights as everybody else does.”

The first panel of the morning with TikTok personality Dylan Mulvaney filled every chair of the outdoor venue. Guests stood in the corners of the enormous tent as rain poured in and out. Celebrating Teen Vogue’s 20th anniversary, Mulvaney and speakers commented on the tagline, “Dream Your Future” as they inspired hundreds of fans to make their dreams come true in the media space.

After Editor-in-Chief of Teen Vogue Versha Sharma kicked off the summit, Mulvaney spoke and recognized Trans Visibility Week. TikTok influencer Ve’ondre Mitchell, who identifies with the trans community, spoke on how the anniversary inspired them after watching Mulvaney speak.

“Just talking to all the different media behind the scenes, they plan for so much… also this Trans Visibility week, which I am proud of. I hope I can speak here one day,” Mitchell said. “I’m dreaming for my future to have more trans people in the main media, especially [in] music for me.”

Between panels, guests were able to sit down one-on-one at the career corner with advisors for resume and career building. Here, Teen Vogue promoted a program called Rise, which provides young people ages 15 to 17 with resources focused on building leadership with scholarships, mentorship and networking opportunities.

Beyond the traditional career support, a glam station team did people’s makeup before they headed over to get their headshots professionally done. Their images were immediately sent to their phone for their professional endeavors.

Buxom Cosmetics promoted their plumping liner and gloss that guests left glammed in for headshots after waiting in the line of the busy glam station. Jenn Jasbi, an executive director at Orveo, spoke on their organization’s first time at the Teen Vogue Summit.

“This is a great boost of confidence for the Teen Vogue audience with activities and guests, giving the opportunity to establish yourself for your future success,” Jasbi said. “Being able to support young women and people who want to grow in their careers, I think if we have future opportunities for that, it would be very helpful.”

The former 2017 Editor-In-Chief of Teen Vogue Elaine Welteroth joined a panel toward the end of the evening, covering how to get your foot in the door of the media industry.

“I am proud of the foundation we built for Teen Vogue to represent a new generation of young people, politically active and socially aware. When I think of the future of Teen Vogue, a brand like this has never been more needed,” Welteroth said. “This world is in a very challenging place, young people need a platform that represents them, informs them, educates them, and they can trust.”

This Teen Vogue milestone of 20 years brought emerging leaders of today who will push forward for a better future. The end of the evening included a special performance by a leader, Reneé Rapp, who took a break from the leg of her “Snow” tour to make an appearance. Guests left the venue empowered in their voices, both in song and leadership.

This post was originally published on this site