By:Stacee White
The next stop was CosmoGirl-s fashion closet. It-s been a dream of mine to visit a magazine-s fashion-s closet, and I wasn-t disappointed.
We then sat down to chat. Tara said she initially planned on a career as a buyer, and studied textiles, accounting and management in college as a way to prepare for that career. She then interned as a fashion assistant at Cosmopolitan, and from there, became CosmoGirl-s fashion editor.
Tara-s main job is to choose what fashions are shown in the magazine. She said her department is so busy that she doesn-t have much time to provide input into other areas of CosmoGirl. However, when members of a particular department have an idea to improve the magazine, their opinion is definitely welcome, she said.
Tara-s job has some great perks, such as discounts on clothes and gifts. She also is regularly treated to lunch at some very nice Manhattan restaurants. These nice extras provide a balance to her extremely stressful job, she said.
When organizing fashion for a teen magazine, one might think it would be difficult selecting the clothes to feature. Tara said that-s not the case. It-s easy to find age-appropriate clothes, she said, because there are so many junior brands targeted at teens to choose from.
Tara said she is very price conscious when selecting which clothes are featured in CosmoGirl. Many girls pay for clothes with their own money, so she is always on the lookout for less-expensive fashions.
Fashions selected for celebrities featured in the magazine come from many sources, Tara said. Some celebrities come to CosmoGirl with a vision of what they want to look like, or rely on their stylists for guidance. Others, though, get ideas by perusing the magazine-s fashion closet.
Tara said it-s easy to put together an outfit for a specific celebrity who has a unique look, like singer Gwen Stefani. Gwen is the best fashion role model for today-s teens, because she has has her own individual style.
Selecting which designers to feature in the magazine can be a dilemma, she said. Tara-s personal favorites are Mui Mui and Prada, but she also praised less expensive but cooler ones like Marni, Ghost and Rebecca Taylor.
Tara said her style is feminine, but not head-to-toe. She likes to mix in jeans and satin where necessary. Tara said her favorite runway show of the New York Fashion Week (Spring 2004) was Marc Jacobs, because of the clothes and the presentation.
My trip to CosmoGirl was very exciting! I-m so glad that Tara McBratney took time from her busy schedule to talk about herself and the magazine. It was great to see how CosmoGirl works, and to meet Tara. Not only was she cool, but she loves Gwen Stefani, too!
Stacee White is a senior at Baldwin High School.
