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Name-dropping haute couture in your batmitzvah speech

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November 24, 2016 22:52

A gawky Jewish 13-year-old is an unlikely star of New York Fashion Week, unless Marc Jacobs has found a time machine.

But Tavi Gevinson, the fashion blogger and wunderkind, gets 1.5m hits a month on her blog Style Rookie, was Kate and Laura Mulleavy's guest of honour on the front rows of New York's catwalks, has been on the covers of Pop magazine, and been interviewed by Peaches Geldof for the cover of Love.

Not bad for the tween who describes herself as a "tiny 13-year-old dork that sits inside all day wearing awkward jackets and pretty hats".

Tavi also recently posted an extract from her barmitzvah speech on her blog, where she challenged the Nazarites choice of attire.

She wrote: "As I said earlier, the Nazarites wore just enough to keep them warm, believing that that was the wish of God. Over this past year I have become increasingly interested in clothing, and have developed a clearer understanding of the idea that clothing can be art.

"Rei Kawakubo, who many regard as the first conceptual designer and whose clothes can often inspire uncomfortable thoughts or feelings in people, is my favourite designer in the world.

"Using fashion as self-expression can go beyond wearing a shirt with a slogan, as clothing has the ability to evoke an entire feel, or atmosphere, or emotion, or world."

In my batmitzvah speech, I talked about how the ten plagues were a bit like unloading the dishwasher.

Her blog has drawn inevitable criticism about the shallowness of our fashion-obsessed teens, and how she will be exposed to the cut-throat world of fashion too young.

But you only have to look at our piece on Twiggy to see how fashion icons don't have to be car crashes. And if Tavi's batmitzvah speech is anything to go by, she's wise and mature beyond her years in a good way too.

You go Tavi!

November 24, 2016 22:52

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