"It's more interesting to have just a picture of a small detail - then you can dream all the rest around it.
Because when you see the whole thing, what is there to imagine?" -Dries Van Noten
In just a few weeks, Leandra Medine, better known to the world as the author of The Man Repeller, will be graduating from Eugene Lang the New School for Liberal Arts with a major in Journalism. And for someone who is still knee-deep in books, she already has one (Stubbs and Wootton clad) foot ahead of her classmates. You see, for those of you living under a rock (or those of you who don't religiously read The New York Times), Medine captured a generation of fashion enthusiasts when she launched her website aimed at showing off her style...but there's a catch, as her blog is as real and honest as it is fashionable. Her mission is to show the world her collection of new and vintage clothes…layer by layer by layer. But, she’s aware that her style doesn’t necessarily attract men. In fact, it often has the complete opposite effect. Hence, her “repellant” factor. I think a dictionary definition is needed here. “Manrepelling: outfitting oneself in a sartorially offensive way that will result in repelling members of the opposite sex. Such garments include but are not limited to harem pants, boyfriend jeans, overalls, shoulder pads, full length jumpsuits, jewelry that resembles violent weaponry and clogs.” And she’s doing something right. Her lengthy profile in the NY Times helped gain her some powerful gigs – while still a full time student, she’s already scribed for Harper’s Bazaar, Lucky, The NY Post and Grazia. And her biggest coup yet? Just like we’ve incorporated the word Google into our daily vocabulary (Ie. “just Google it”), she’s given the world a new word that defines a collective style and way of dressing that hasn’t yet been defined. With a pair of Chanel clogs, our favorite heather grey drop crotch pants, a studded Balenciaga belt paired with a silk loose-fitting tank, topped off with a Prada turban, a Tom Binns neckpiece and a gold and silver plethora of gems on our wrists and fingers – with one look in the mirror – it’s quite clear that we, like Medine, are the ultimate “Man Repellers”.
