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Mireille Sophie-Maria GutierrezFounder of The New OrderSacramento, CAPhotography by Lauri LevenfeldStory by Lauri LevenfeldMireille is a quiet dose of very loud creativity and magic. Ever since I met this young prodigy, I have continually been inspired and moved by her originality, authenticity, and her ability to carry the strength and confidence to stand out. Mireille set out to join the blogging world a year ago and she has already made an impact with her fashionable expressions. Here is her story of how she got to where she is now and where she wants to soon be. Next week, we join Mireille with our latest TWP Women Adrienne Arieff who mentors Mireille on how to take great ideas on the path to success and longevity.
My name is Mireille Sophie-Maria Gutierrez, I am 21 years old and I am an Aquarius. I am currently a full time college student studying management at University of California Merced. In addition, I am co-founder & co-blogger of The New Order blog. Fashion has always been a passion of mine and I have been able to become more inventive and inspired in many ways by working on our blog. The blog chronicles not only current trends in fashion, but also our own preferences on personal style, beauty, culture and sometimes food. |
The New Order is aimed at delivering a “new order” of living. We are a wave of trend splashing at our audience’s feet. Inspired by high living standards and trending styles. We don’t exclude anyone from our audience. We try to include male fashions when we are able, and we have also included people from other generations besides mine and will continue to develop in areas beyond the typical blogger. We will continue to develop in areas beyond the typical blogger. Being open to our audience keeps me personally open to many other notions, which is stirring to my artistic side. Currently, The New Order is collaborating with The Black Rabbit (TBR), an online magazine, and will soon direct their fashion department. Recently, we were asked to design a capsule collection for TBR that will transpire this winter. I am always seeking new adventures and collaborations for the blog. It inspires me to work with others, which allows me to feel and become more creative. My biggest source of inspiration is nostalgia. I love history and I think learning and knowing about the past has helped form my present. People are always saying to never look back, but I don’t leave all the past behind. Although I may not have actually experienced all the times I reminisce about, (like the 60s and 70s) I receive a lot of creative flow from expanding my knowledge about the eras of my interest. Films, books, art, pictures and music are the best ways for me to gain information on the past. The past stimulates my creative vision. As a college student it is difficult managing school and a social life, but like most kids my age, I survive balancing the two.
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In college, you have to make time to be social unless you want to be insane. School always comes first, but there is always time for friends and fun if you manage your time well. I always think about how I will regard this time of my life as such an important experience. When I think about how I want to remember it, it makes me more imaginative on what fun thing I will do next. Weekend trips are always the best to me. I frequently travel anywhere between L.A. to Yosemite to S.F. on the weekends. To remove myself from academic stress, traveling is a refreshing way to relax. In Sacramento, my hometown, I enjoy going out to the Lavender Height District with my friends, hitting up all the trendy bars & lounges in downtown. For simpler days, I often find eating out or cooking by myself truly enjoyable. Watching movies, hanging with friends, photo shoots for the blog are just parts of my everyday life, but it doesn’t make them any less fun to me! As long as I love who I’m with and what I’m doing, then I’m probably having fun. My family is my number one support system. I can say that my mother and sister are definite sources of my devotion for fashion. They are such colorful women and I could never see myself where I am today if it weren’t for their constant presence in my life. They are always giving me ideas, which is a demonstration to me that they are genuinely supportive of what I do. Additionally, my father is so helpful with teaching me about photography, which is a major part of The New Order. I learn a lot from him and he has supported my education, something I believe is crucial for me to help me survive in my future. |
Meanwhile, my brother is someone I can always rely on for encouragement and counsel, which is a vital kind of support for someone in college, at least in my book. Furthermore, I also receive a lot of support from my friends. Realistically, not everyone will agree with what I do, wear, write or say, so knowing that my friends are supportive and not judgmental helps me to keep going. They are good to bounce ideas from and respect my choices as a blogger. Having my friends respect means the world to me, and has helped me to grow more in creatively. I believe it is important to ask for people’s advice, but take the time to make your own decisions. Sometimes we allow ourselves to depend on others to make choices for us. The truth is that our lives are only our own and no one should tell you how to live your life. Getting advice is good, so you have different opinions to go off, but really, the only one’s opinion you truly should listen to is your own. If I asked someone everyday if my outfit looked “okay” I probably wouldn’t always hear what I would want to hear, which would probably discourage a sense of my creativity. When you focus on what others are saying you forget to listen to your heart and just be whoever you want to be. I encourage displaying confidence because if I won’t be so bold, who else would? Starting a blog was always a dream that Erin, my co-blogger, and I had, but it took us about a year to get the actual courage to document our personal style & lifestyle choices.
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It took courage because we were exposing ourselves to a large audience: the Internet. Once we became more comfortable blogging, I think we got better at it, and of course that would happen with practice. I didn’t know that this was something I wanted to do. I had always seen other blogs but never thought myself to create one. When we started out though I immediately loved it because it was like playing dress up and taking pix with friends for fun! I still see it like that, and I think that’s a big part of what keeps me going. The fact that I have fun blogging makes me want to continue. Blogging is not only something I enjoy myself, but I enjoy being able to work with others and appreciate giving others a better sense of living in style through The New Order. I want to continue to blog for now, but my future is still ahead of me, there is so much that could happen. In five years I pray to God I am out of school! However, the future is uncertain and I am considering going to graduate school. Living in New York is something I could see myself doing as well. I am certain that if I want to begin working in the fashion industry, New York is the place to get all the connections. It would be cool to have some sort of job in the industry and see where my path would take me. I want to do something big & different. I want to be recognized and remembered as someone who altered a part of the fashion world. I don’t know if that could happen in five years, but never say never. ;) |