The Kids Are More Than Alright

When I was thirteen, I was just beginning to learn about fashion and considered B.C.B.G. and Max Studio couture. I remember living for these faux crocodile platforms from Guess! and falling short of breath when I received a camel hair Kate Spade bag for my Bat Mitzvah. Fashion to me back then was simply about playing dress up. For child prodigies Tavi Gevinson and Cecilia Cassini, it's a livelihood...when they're not in school.

Already solidifying a blindingly bright future for herself in the fashion industry, Tavi, who's barely fourteen and a freshman in high school, runs Style Rookie, her very own fashion blog that has one of the largest followings on the Web, and was recently recruited by BlackBook to style a fall fashion spread for its September issue.

Filled with witty remarks and reflections and gifted couture pieces from such designers as Proenza Schouler (they send her clothes all of the time), Tavi's blog is so articulate that I have to read through it with my very best thinking cap. As for her styling...it's genius. Her debut will go down in history for two reasons; number one, she executes that eerie urban-girl-in-the-woods look perfectly, and number two, she chose Christine Staub ("Real Housewife" Danielle's daughter) to model when Chloe Sevigny suddenly dropped out. Tavi knew what she was doing--I mean, every good stylist has to have a model muse. 


Cecilia is a different story. She's only eleven, has already been written up in Vogue, appeared on NBC's Today Show and sells her original designs to Fred Segal. With a line of chiffon, "non-alcoholic"cocktail dresses any little girl would die to wear, signature t-shirts and photo ops with Miley and Taylor, she's on her way to becoming little miss Marchesa.

Check out some photos of both prodigies as well as a behind-the-scenes video of Tavi working her magic on set.

(Tavi in Proenza Schouler Graffiti Pants for one of her Style Rookie posts)

(Christine Staub styled by Tavi for BlackBook)

(Christine Staub styled by Tavi for BlackBook)

Cecilia after the jump.

(Cecilia with some new designs in a photo from her blog)

(Cecilia Cassini Dresses- Photo from The Frisky)

(Cecilia in an outfit from her Boat collection also from her blog)