Meet Emily Taylor

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Taylor.

Emily, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My name is Emily Anne Taylor, and I am a 21-year-old living in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. I am a soon-to-be college graduate of Arizona State University who studied journalism, fashion and digital marketing. While my journey is just getting started, I have already experienced one while discovering who I am and where I want this beautiful life to take me.

Although I live in the desert, I consider myself a city girl at heart. There’s nothing I love more than the twinkling lights and rush of excitement a city offers. I was born in Chicago, Illinois into a rambunctious Irish/Italian family who I wouldn’t trade for the world. I made my way to Phoenix at the young age of 8 with my mom, dad and older sister, Allyson. I quickly fell in love with the beautiful sunsets and breathtaking environment of this desert oasis. It was right here in State 48 that I blossomed into the woman I am today.

Throughout grade school and college, I was considered a studious fashionista. I could always be found with textbooks in my hands and heeled booties on my feet. I put everything I had into my education. As dorky as it may sound, my parents never had to tell me to do my homework…I simply love learning new things and absorbing all the knowledge this world has to offer! This same passion holds true for everything in my life, whether it’s meeting people, acquiring a skill or immersing myself within a new environment. I pride myself on genuinely getting to know people and appreciating them for their unique qualities.

In regards to fashion, I fell in love with clothes at a young age. I have been surrounded by strong, stylish women my entire life, from my mom, sister to my grandmas and aunts. I reminisce about the days when my cousins and I would sift through my aunt’s closet and pair her funkiest items from the ‘80s. We daydreamt that we ran our very own fashion design and styling firm out of our grandmother’s basement. These women taught me the importance of feeling my best and telling the world who I am. An opportune piece of wisdom I have carried with me is that clothes are not meant to impress anyone but yourself. I am a strong believer that what we wear is a window into our souls. We can tell people so much about ourselves without saying a word.

When it came time for college, I decided to combine my various passions into a career path. I am majoring in journalism and minoring in digital marketing from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. I chose this route because I knew it would allow me to continuously learn more about society and the unique individuals within it. These fields are all about getting to know your audience and creating compelling content to then share with them across platforms, from magazines to social media and beyond.

I jumped for joy when the university established a fashion program during my freshman year. I simply couldn’t pass up the opportunity to learn about my favorite industry and decided to pick it up as another minor.

I am thankful for the various opportunities I have participated in during my time at ASU. I served as president of Fashion Journalism Club, editor of State Press Magazine and have held editorial and branding internships with the Arizona Republic, Wela Creative, and Metiza Magazine. I am also in the process of creating a business model for the university’s very first student-led fashion publication. While I don’t know exactly where life will take me next, I’ll make my way there gracefully and in style.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
While I am grateful for all of my experiences, the journey to figuring out who I am was not always smooth sailing. I consider myself to be quietly confident. I may not be the most outgoing individual, but I know who I am, wear my heart on my sleeve, and fully embrace my identity. I am a kind, sensitive yet strong, and cautious yet daring woman.

I have learned to appreciate these qualities about myself; however, they have led me to situations in which people take my kindness for weakness and underestimate my willingness to stick up for what I deserve. As tough of a reality as it is to face, a part of growing up is learning that not everyone has the same heart as you and the world can be filled with a great deal of negativity. I have found myself in friendships, relationships and professional situations that are emotionally manipulative and draining. These times made me doubt my strength and question who I am. However, I’ve navigated my way through it all by standing strong in who I am and remembering the life I want to build for myself. I’ve learned to surround myself with people who have only the best intentions and the importance of trusting my gut and acknowledging red flags.

Please tell us about your work.
I am a digital marketer and strategist. This essentially means that I can dissect a brand and analyze who its audience is and who it could grow to be. I foresee a company’s potential and provide it with the tips and tricks necessary to reach its business goals. I would love to perform in-house marketing for a fashion or lifestyle brand in the future. I also plan on creating a personal blog where I can exercise my passion for writing and storytelling. I am most proud of my ability to comprehensively understand a brand and those who run it. This allows me to provide those I work with personalized advice and steps to achieve all they hope to.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memory from childhood is playing in my grandma’s basement with my cousins and sister and pretending we ran our own fashion design and styling firm. We fittingly called ourselves Taylor Studios. My grandma had my aunt’s clothes from the 1980s in her closets, and we often held fashion shows for our family dressed in the poofiest, most outrageous items we could find. This is where my love for fashion was planted!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/emily.anne.taylor
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/emily_a_taylor

Image Credit:
Tatum Flake

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