Collegiate Times

In less than one year, Virginia Tech alumna Jinna Yang has transformed from a graduate who was unclear about her future, to a career woman in the fashion industry.

The previous communication major specialized in public relations but had no idea what she wanted to do with her degree, let alone her life, after graduation in spring 2010. After thinking about her interests, Yang decided to enter the blogging world. In April of her senior year, Yang’s fashion blog, GreaseAndGlamour.com, was born.

“It was a way for me to channel my interest in fashion and showcase my skills and passion and form it into an actual career,” Yang said.

With a range of interests from fashion and music to art and video, Yang saw a blog as a cohesive way to display her talents and establish a name for herself.

“Like every little girl, I loved dressing up,” Yang said, “but I didn’t start getting serious about fashion until a few years ago. There’s a difference between wanting to dress up and wanting to get involved and be successful within the fashion industry.”

Attempting to make an honest effort in turning her blog into a career, Yang left Virginia Beach for New York City. Although the move and career choice were big decisions, Yang said she was ready to take the big leap.

“I saw inspiration in other fashion bloggers and where their blogs had taken them,” she said.

Seeing the success of other like-minded bloggers gave Yang the encouragement to pursue her career.

Yang also attributes her success to the ever-evolving fashion industry and the rising blogger influence. She said trends are not only reflected in fashion blogs, but are also often started among everyday people.

“There are lots of trends being formed by the blogging community as opposed to solely by the industry giants alone,” Yang said. “It’s not just ‘Vogue’ or ‘Elle’ or the designers, it’s you and me.”

As bloggers express new ideas, the industry notices and looks to people for new trends, while taking inspiration from the streets. This symbiotic relationship has opened a niche for bloggers like Yang to establish themselves as an active part of the industry.

From a private Keri Hilson performance, to an interview with famed male model Pierre Woods, to events with designers, such as Rebecca Minkoff, Yang is literally living her dream.

However, her unconventional career choice was not the easiest to explain to her parents, who hold high standards. Yang said it took a while for them, and others, to understand her decision was not made on a whim. She said it was not until her parents saw her videos and interviews that they realized she was truly serious about what she was pursuing.

Yang said the third-party recognition she received from participating in a fashion blog contest was important to her and solidified how far she had come.

Yang was chosen as a semifinalist in the Sunglass Hut Full Time Fabulous Blogger contest by a judging panel made of up Sunglass Hut Executives and noted fashion bloggers. While Yang ultimately lost the competition, she said making the top 10 alone was a huge indicator that all her hard work was paying off.

“I’m a walking testament that following your dreams is possible and you shouldn’t be discouraged,” Yang said. “It takes a lot of hard work but it’s also about passion, about how bad you want it.”

Yang said students should not be discouraged by what they want to do with their lives.

“It’s important to figure out what you’re good at and find a way to showcase it,” Yang stated.

A version of this article appeared in the Feb 11 issue of the Collegiate Times.