Kent State fashion students are using platforms like Instagram and TikTok to cultivate creativity and make their mark on the digital stratosphere.

From sustainable fashion styling to virtual design galleries, Ranait McGuire and Emma Joffrion are giving followers a glimpse into the life of students in Kent State’s School of Fashion, both on and off campus.

McGuire is a senior fashion merchandising major from Jordan, New York, double-minoring in marketing and sustainability. She began her sustainable fashion blog, The Environista, in January 2021 and currently creates content for TikTok and Instagram.

“A lot of my content, both on the blog and my Instagram, is very outfit driven, styling driven,” McGuire said. “But on the blog, specifically, I love to do pieces on sustainability. … I have some articles on clothing, recycling, clean makeup products, clean skincare products, everything like that. Kind of just hoping it’s your one stop shop where you can find everything out about living a more sustainable lifestyle.” 

More than just a passion project, McGuire credits The Environista as a contributing factor to securing her internship position with Nuuly, a clothing rental and resale platform.

“For the field I’m interested in, [The Environista] always grabs their attention, and just shows that you’re a self-starter and really ambitious,” McGuire said. “It definitely has helped get me to where I am now.”

While McGuire’s content is meant to inspire her followers to lead a more sustainable lifestyle, she finds that the process of creating is just as inspiring. 

“I’m very grateful that I started my blog a couple of years ago and have those spaces where I can create,” McGuire said. “Overall, I think it’s just really important, as creatives, that you just always keep creating and be inspired by the things around you.”

Emma Joffrion from Shreveport, Louisiana, is a senior fashion design major, minoring in jewelry and accessories, and the style director for A Magazine.

Joffrion, a digital creator, uses Instagram like a diary to share what inspires her and bring inspiration to her followers. She has a separate account to showcase her fashion design and portfolio work.

For Joffrion, social media has long been a space for sharing unfiltered creativity.

“I started, pretty early, just posting whatever I wanted,” she said. “If you scroll to the absolute bottom of my Instagram you can see when it changes, but now, me, 22, I am jealous of my 16, 17-year-old self and the stuff I would post. I did not care. I loved my feed then.”

While her digital presence now is more curated, Joffrion is still sharing what makes her happy. From photo dumps that practice “the art of noticing” to styled shoots that celebrate the experience of girlhood, the content she creates is uniquely hers.

“I don’t really see myself as someone who’s an influencer, I think I see myself more creatively,” Joffrion said. “That’s my whole thing with design is wanting people to feel like they could express themselves creatively and comfortably. 

For Joffrion, social media is an avenue to share her passion for design with the world.

“It always makes me feel so good to share that type of happiness and love for fashion and creativity with my friends,” she said. “I love this.”

Caroline Willis is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].