XOXO Magazine

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XOXO


' EDITORS NOTE

“ Having fallen in love with the show and the scandalous lives of Manhattan’s elite. I am over the moon be continuing the shows legacy, delving into everything Gossip Girl ”






They say nothing inspires forgiveness quite like revenge


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LONELY BOY

SPOILER ALERT! Dan Humphrey as Gossip Girl! Fans were shook when they found out that after all these years ‘Gossip Girl’ was found to be Dan Humphrey, aka the lonely boy from Brooklyn. Who would have guessed it? Not me. Penn Badgley, revealed that he nearly turned down the role of Dan Humphrey with fears that the high profile series ‘could effect his life enormously’. Well, it did effect his live but not in the way he was concerned about. If we think about it, if it wasn’t for his role on ‘Gossip Girl’ he wouldn’t now be the star of the Netflix series ‘YOU’. Fans were quick to comment on the similarities of Gossip Girl’s Dan Humphrey and YOU’s Joe Goldberg, with Penn himself saying that they are the ‘same’ character, only Joe is a serial killer of course.


Leighton Meester Meester Leighton

Now, let's talk our Queen B, Leighton Meester. Despite, Leighton’s success playing Blair, behind the cameras she was nothing like the ruthless overachiever in real life. Leighton was also quite shy and usually kept herself to herself, often taking herself away to read a book in her spare time. Nothing was handed to Leighton. Growing up, she lived with her grandparents, as her parents were in prison for drug related convictions. She had to grow up fast and make a life for herself on her own.

images from Pinterest. Written & designed by Issy Whitlock

After wrapping the last season of Gossip Girl, Leighton ventured out into the world of film playing the role of Meg in the teen chic flick ‘Monte Carlo’. This was definitley one of my favourites by far. Going forward Leighton starred in ‘The Oranges’ a film based on a young girl who has an affair with the father of a family who live on the same street. After, ‘The Oranges’ Leighton starred in the film ‘Life Partners’ where she played a casual carefree young girl, a character that couldn’t be further away from Blair Waldorf. Funnily enough, it was the set of ‘Life Partners’ where Leighton ran into Adam Brody, her now husband. That had to be fate surely! Whilst, on Gossip Girl Leighton often guest performed on some of the songs and musical projects. However, nothing ever came of her music career until 2012 when she got the gig of touring alongside the soulful rock band ‘Check in the Dark’. Leighton also went on to record her own album, Heartstrings. She even released it under her own label, ‘Hotly Wanting’ and went on a 3 month tour around America to promote it. She didn’t stop there and made her official Broadway debut alongside James Franco, in the American classic ‘Mice and Men’. In 2015, Leighton and Adam welcomed their first child, Arlo Day Brody and their second baby boy in 2020. Adam confirmed that his child Is “a boy, a dream, he’s a dream boy” he said.


C H A C E

Nate Archibald, where to begin. He was the boy next door, the ‘Golden Boy’ of the series. Don’t get me wrong, he wasn’t a saint but in comparison to his friends he was a pretty good guy. At the end of the series Nate became the most career successful character in the group. However, when it came to Chase Crawford himself, life in Hollywood was a little more difficult. The unforgettable Gossip Girl role we know and love him for, in some ways put Chase into a box, subjecting him to a teenage dreamboat stereotype. LA Times even called out his potential stating that it was looking ‘not so great’ due to a ‘lack of range’. Luckily, the now 36 year old, never gave up and is now working on some new films and series. 2018 hit, and the star was cast in the Amazon Prime series, ‘The Boys’. The ratings for the show were so high it was even challenging some of Netflix’s top hits. His character ‘The Deep’ was a much more mature and challenging role in comparison to previous characters. The role allowed Chase to delve into creating a whole new advanced image for himself.


Images from Pintrest Written and designed by Issy Whitlock

E


E Chuck Bass, played by Ed Westwick, was the bad boy of the Upper East Side. He was sleazy, selfish and completely self centred, yet we all fell in love with him. The characters transformation throughout the seasons was one we as fans became utterly attached to. After years of trying to launch himself into the Hollywood scene, Ed Westwick took his career to a whole new level when landing the iconic role. His rising success didn’t stop there either, with the British actor working on many new films and sitcoms. For instance in, BBC Two’s “White Gold,” Ed Westwick is the leader of the “Cachet Windows,” a group of salesmen in the 1980s. The show gained an immense amount of popularity when Netflix got the rights to air the first season in 2017. Some of his other work includes ‘Enemy Lines’ a 2020 World War II drama, where Ed plays a U.S Marine Major named Kaminski. Throwing himself into yet another challenging role, Ed Westwick also portrayed a serial killer in ‘Wicked City’, a thrilling series.


Images from Pintrest Written and designed by Issy Whitlock

B LA K E


after Serena Serena Van Der Woodsen, a name we all know and love. Blake Lively, 33, starred on ‘Gossip Girl’ as Serena, the shows ultimate ‘it’ girl. After returning from her stint at boarding school Serena learned that being amongst Manhattan’s elite didn’t exactly mean she was in for an easy ride. It’s now been 15 years since the shows release and Blake certainly hasn’t gone off the radar. It may be hard for some of the die hard Gossip Girl fans to hear but Blake didn’t start out ruling Manhattan’s elite but actually made her debut as Bridget in 2008’s ‘The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants’. Blake’s Hollywood success was no coincidence. Her determination to pursue projects that were in reflection of her passions and dedication to every role was what ignited her success. Blake Lively has since tied the knot with the beloved actor Ryan Reynolds. They welcomed their first child James, in 2014, their second child, Inez, arrived in 2016 and their third child, Betty, was born in 2019. They are the ultimate power couple, spending a total of ten years together and still continuing to be one of the hottest, most lovable couples in Hollywood. I mean we all remember the speech Ryan made whilst getting his star on the Hollywood Walk Of Frame right? Ryan said in this speech: ‘You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. You’ve made me the father of my dreams, when I only thought I had fun uncle potential’. How can you not fall in love with them. In 2011, Blake was named Chanel’s ambassador, with her starring in a campaign for Chanel’s Mademoiselle handbags. Not only this, but she was also made the face of Stella McCartney, after meeting with Stella at the met ball and releasing they shared so many of the same ideals. Blake is a huge advocate for cruelty-free fashion so was very proud to be Manhattan’s ‘it girl’ Blake Lively representing the American brand. is now a mother to three and a Launching herself into the world of house hold name in Hollywood. beauty, L’Oréal Paris made Blake the face of the company, making the Here at XOXO we are here to announcement on Instagram 2013. give you the scoop on what she’s The companies message ‘We’re been up to since Gossip Girl - Issy worth it’ resonated with Blake and made her exceptionally proud to be Whitlock a L’Oréal women. Blake’s acting career stepped up a level when she took on the starring role in the film ‘The Age of Adaline’. She told Fresh Fiction that this was the first movie she read where she thought ‘I couldn’t not do it’. She went on to say “I feel like magic doesn’t exist much in films these days unless it’s a super hero movie or it has wands. But the magic in humanity - magic in a quiet film - is very rare. The way this deals with time and love. Infinite amounts of time is so appealing, but if you get that alone, it’s not. Time is nothing without love.” Lively, has since starred in the emotionally and physically demanding film ‘Shallows’, the intense film ‘All I See Is You’ and ‘A Simple Favour’.


K kristian

Written and designed by Issy Whitlock

Kristen Bell, her face, you may not know from the show but her notorious voice of the character ‘Gossip Girl’ is one that lives rent free in my mind that’s for sure. The show wouldn’t of been the same without her signing off each episode with the iconic line, ‘xoxo gossip girl’. Since the show she has appeared in a variety of films and television series. Kristen’s lead role in ‘The Good Place’ put her in the nominations for ‘Best Performance for an Actress in a Television Series’ at Golden Globes in 2019. Kristen has played some very impressive roles in the past but to me she will always be the voice of Gossip Girl, which is why I have to talk about her return for the reboot. Having Kristen Bell back as the voice of ‘Gossip Girl’ allowed fans to feel more connected and welcomed to the new series rather than if there had been a completely new voice of the character. It has kept the original legacy of the show.

bell


“You know you love me, XOXO Gossip Girl”




L

It’s without a doubt that Chuck and Blair were the favourite couple, well in my opinion that is. They went through so many up and downs and we as fans were made to feel as if we were too alongside them on their rocky yet, epic love journey. The big question. Were they the epic love we all long for or did Gossip Girl idolise a relationship that was none other than toxic? We hear from some of the shows biggest fans: “I think it was a toxic love like everything on the upper east side but regardless, it was real love” “I do think their relationship was idolised but I think they went through much that by the time they got together their past didn’t even matter anymore” “Chuck is toxic and theres nothing anyone can say to change my mind” “They had a whirlwind of a relationship but they are soulmates. I found myself invested in every minute detail of their love story”

Written and designed by Issy Whitlock

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STYL IST

Designed by Issy Whitlock



“FASHION is the most powerful

ART there is

Designed by Issy Whitlock

Blair waldorf


PREPPY & IVY LEAGE


get the look

SERENA Serena’s top 5 wardrobe accessroies to achieve that boho chic look

Written and designed by Issy Whitlock

1

If you’ve ever seen Gossip Girl you’ll know that a pair of boots will forever be a ‘go to’ for Serena. She pairs them with skinny jeans, dresses and sometimes even her preppy school uniform. There is nothing that girl can’t pull off. To find yourself a pair of boots I know you’ll fall in love with there is no better place than Zara.

2

3

Remember the White Party Serena attended in the Hamptons? If you do then there is no way you missed the selection of delicate silver chains wrapped around Serena’s long blonde locks. Stunning is the word to desribe this styling.

Serena loves to add a bangle to spice up a simple outfit. You can find a selection of beautiful inexpensive bangles at places like H&M and Charlotte Russe.


4 Serena is a huge fan when it comes to layering her necklaces . She loves to wear chunky , bold necklaces, often layering them to create a bohemian look. If you are looking for some dupes try looking on Etsy or H&M.

5 Serena’s bag collection was undoubtedly to die for. From the statement Chanel bags to The Faye, a much more descreet desginer bag, Serena never failed when it came to accessorising. Of course we aren’t all like Serena, some of us are on a budget! Look at Zara to find yourself a bag that could easily be mistaken for a designer buy.


GOSSIP GIRL


11 55YEARS ON Gossip girl first aired September 2007, with New York Magazine declaring it, ’the most awesomely awesome show ever,’ after only the first year.

away to Paris for months or choosing whether to go to the Hamptons or Spain for summer was the norm.

They weren’t wrong. The show had a huge impact on the 2000s babies and me personally, partly why I was so keen to carry on the legacy on through XOXO. In 2017, I binged the entire show and then again in 2019. It’s one I’ll never get tired of. If only I could erase the show from my memory and watch it for the first time all over again. It’s been my dream ever since to visit the Empire State Building and live out my Blair moment. You never know, I may even meet the man of my dreams, holding a bouquet of peonies.

The Humphrey family were there to represent the less fortunate, however, they were still stupidly rich, living in a Brooklyn apartment, the size of a shopping

Gossip Girl definitely deserves some credit for how it has impacted both my generation and generations to come. The show is based on a series of best selling novels wrote by the American author, Cecily von Ziegesar, and produced by the one and only entertainment duo, Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage. They knew what they were doing by already having committed fans as well as the huge amount of publicity and critical expectation, with critics at the ready to see if the series would ever match up to the already best selling novels. Well, I think we can agree when I say Gossip Girl delivered , even though the ratings weren’t extremely high and the show was surprisingly never nominated for an Emmy. Gossip Girl not only set a new standard for teen dramas but created a whole cultural moment. It’s now 15 years since the show debuted and I’m going to look into why Gossip Girl is so successful and has gained such a legacy and how the reboot is going to have a hard time beating it.

mall. Jenny and Dan attended one of the top schools in New York and Rufus was a former rockstar, who owned his own art gallery. These people were definitely not poor.

Gossip Girl could be seen as a shallow drama, with its focus being how technology can overpower peoples lives and how, many people can become consumed by it. For many teens, they would have been only just starting primary school when the show aired, so by the time these now teens watched the show technology had evolved massively. Nearly all of today’s generation are now social media fanatics, with it being apart of their everyday lives, however in 2007 that wasn’t the case. The main inspiration for the shows plot was an anonymous blog that relied on tip offs, through text message and email to keep up with the lives of the Manhattan’s elite. The teens would use Gossip Girl as a platform for revenge. In return, for a snap of Nate cheating on Blair with Serena at the Shepards wedding, or a video of Blair confessing her love for Chuck on her own wedding day, would in turn cause some serious real life consequences. A website like Gossip Girl, shows just how much technology has evolved with it seeming crazy for something like this to exist now. In 2022, Instagram allows users to have control in creating a facade of their own lives, being able to choose what they put out into the world. You know you could see Serena and Blair as influencers and Nate as the top business networker. Gossip Girl isn’t the one forcing the characters to commit these awful doings, its’ just unfortunate for them it is being documented. Blair may want to blame the gossip site, however, the situations were all down to their own actions.

“the most awesomely awesome show ever”

Why do we connect with something so unrelatable? Who would want to watch a bunch of insanely rich, snobby, over privileged, self indulgent teens live out their crazy lives? Let’s ask ourselves why the show is so appealing. Usually what makes a teen drama so gripping to watch is that it so relatable. The show is based around a group of teenagers in a school, living their lives and trying to sleep with each other. Very relatable. But that’s the not the issue. Gossip Girl is about the top 0.1 percent of people, the laughably rich. They all go to school, however, most of the show is set in hotels, penthouses, bars and clubs. The teens stress over which of the top universities they will attend with Blair giving her all to get into Yale and Serena getting invited to meet with the principal of Brown, only to realise they just wanted her for publicity asking to feature her in an article for the news paper. We all know how easy that place came to her. However, in all seriousness, it never really mattered. They could all drop out and still live out the rest of their costly lives, without any thought. The whole show was wild, the situations these teens found themselves in and the crazy ways they got themselves out of it would just never happen in real life. Obviously, there were many family, relationship and friendship storylines that would have been relatable, however, they were so dramatised that it was hard to gain real life lessons. Gossip Girl was a fantasy and most understood that concept. We didn’t watch Gossip Girl to relate and hear hard hitting truths, we watched it just to transport into a different world, a luxury world we wished we could live in. A world where running

We all know that Gossip Girl will continue to live on forever through its huge impact on pop culture, which is why many fans had a lot to say regarding the reboot of the series. Many fans branded it desperate, stupid and way too serious. The new version captures none of the original series essence. Of course, we have to remember that life has changed since 2007, with the great financial crisis being one of the key turning points. It was an epic financial and economic collapse that caused many ordinary people to lose their jobs, their life savings and even their homes. Graduates were at loses for work and student loans were causing serious debt. Back then, even if you were aware of class division and equality you could perhaps watch the show without irritation but now the difference between real life and the show had become way too estranged. The original series was thrilled by privilege, so self obsessed that it left no space for any of the characters to moralise their actions. Let’s just take ourselves back to when Serena ran out on a guy who overdosed on Coke and fled to boarding school to escape the consequences. She had no other thought than to run away from her problem, rather than deal with it. It blinded us into thinking that there is no truer love than your boyfriend trading you for a hotel, in order to be happy, or your toxic ex flying to Paris to get your favourite macaroons.




POSHIP

Written and designed by Issy Whitlock

GIRL

Tell us a little about how you came about the idea of starting your Instagram account?

What were your reasons behind starting your account?

Being a huge fan of the show, have you met any of the cast?

I’ve always been enthralled with Gossip Girl fashion and I’ve loved how the costume designer, Eric Daman, truly did a great job in ensuring the clothing tells a story behind the obvious plot. For example, Blair Waldorf wears a wardrobe consisting of the typical “nautical” colors: red, navy blue, and white, to school throughout most of Season One. I’d like to signify these colors as an unofficial school “uniform” for Blair since it’s clear that the girls’ school (Constance Billard), doesn’t technically have a sole uniform (Serena showed up everyday in leather jackets and boots, paired with the occasional plaid skirt.) Throughout the remainder of the series, we don’t see Blair wear this color combination together again, so it can be inferred that even though there wasn’t an official school uniform, she wanted to have an orderly, uniform-esque way of dressing in the mornings. This mirrors what the viewers have learned by this point in the series about Blair’s personality. Once I made the decision to launch the store where I sell the actual designer clothing worn in Gossip Girl, I found it fitting to also launch an Instagram profile where I could chronicle my love for all things GG fashion!

I began posting on my Instagram account at the beginning of the pandemic, March 2020, and have been posting daily ever since! I manage the store where I sell the actual, authentic designer clothing worn by Blair Waldorf and Serena van der Woodsen via the online retailers eBay and Poshmark, and I’ve found my Instagram platform as a great way to connect with current customers and to attract new ones! I post on Gossip Girl fashion, my favorite moments from the show, wardrobe items for sale in my shop, and so much more–if you’re interested in Gossip Girl fashion, don’t forget to follow me, @xoxoposhipgirl!

Yes, I actually have! In November of 2020, I attended a virtual meet-and-greet with Ed Westwick, who played the iconic character Chuck Bass. It was the most amazing experience–we chatted about how Chuck would dress in 2020 and how quarantine would’ve affected his style, memorable filming locations in New York City, and even discussed a possible Chuck Bass spin-off show! Ed added his own thoughts on whether Chuck would be seen wearing sweatpants or pajamas during quarantine, mentioning that he definitely thinks so, since Chuck was seen in a onesie during the first season of the show. Additionally, I had the pleasure of attending another meet-andgreet with Zuzanna Szadkowski, who played Dorota. Zuzanna shared so many amazing memories from filming, her experience trying out for the role, costume insight, and even recited some of the famous Dorota quotes!

What is the most talked about topic on your page? Personally, Ilike to make posts that encourage people to comment their thoughts, such as, “Which outfit is your favorite?” or “Are you a Blair or a Serena?”. Those posts are my favorite because I always love seeing the banter and exchanges between followers even with differences in opinions, we’re all brought together by the same show, which is really cool.

What was one of your most memorable comments on your account? I love this question! My most memorable comments would definitely have to be ones I’ve received from members of the Gossip Girl cast. For example, Kelly Rutherford commented “Thank you”, and “Yes, I love you” on a Mother’s Day post celebrating the Rhodes-Van der Woodsen family. Kelly Rutherford is the absolute best, she’s liked, commented, and reposted several of my Lily/Serena fashion posts! Michelle Trachtenberg commented “That’s one bad a*s G”, accompanied by a devil emoji, on an edit I posted about Georgina; she’s also replied to multiple comments of mine. And, while this isn’t a comment, Ryan Reynolds recently liked a post of mine discussing a Blake Lively style parallel, and I don’t think I’ll ever get over that moment!

If you could own any fashion item from one of the characters collections what would it be? A dream piece, that I’ve never been able to find since it was custom-made by the costume designer, would definitely have to be Serena’s green mini dress, with a poofy hem, worn in the elusive Season 2 Episode 5, “The Serena Also Rises.” This was the dress Serena wore on the Eleanor Waldorf fashion week runway, and it was actually a creation by Jenny Humphrey. While I can’t ever envision myself sporting this unique dress in public, it would be such an amazing and iconic item to have in my personal collection of Gossip Girl outfits!


I’ve always thought of Gossip Girl as a love letter to New York

Has Gossip Girl influenced the way you dress today? Of course! I think all girls who lived through that time period would be lying if we said it hadn’t–we all know tights are not pants, right? The cultural impact left by Gossip Girl’s fashion is remarkable. From the popularity of colorful/patterned tights in the 2010s to babydoll dresses and ballet flats, and even the iconic Blair Waldorf signature, the headband, it’s obvious that the public (including me!) takes cues from the show’s fashion. Which character’s style are you most influenced by? Serena van der Woodsen’s style is my personal favorite, and the one I’m most influenced by, but I do definitely think of Blair Waldorf as another style icon from the decade–both characters have iconic outfits! Some of Serena’s Season One outfits are just superior, such as the Blumarine Spring/Summer 2006 cream embroidered dress worn during the Bass family’s annual brunch in Season 1 Episode 2, “The Wild Brunch.” Her Marc by Marc Jacobs tan wool coat from Season 1 Episode 12 is always a favorite, alongside the Catherine Malandrino black studded dress from Season 1 Episode 5. Also, who could forget her jaw-dropping Chanel silver tweed coat from the iconic Met steps B vs. S showdown in the pilot episode? Major props to Blair Waldorf’s style though, particularly the Bensoni Spring 2010 one-shoul

der polka dot dress from Season 4 Episode 2; this ensemble was also worn by Olivia Palermo, another style icon of the time period and IRL New York City socialite. What initially made you fall in love with Gossip Girl? Everything about the show is flawless, from the highly-developed characters and plot lines, to the clothing (of course), and the setting of the show plays a major part in the magic and glamour. I’ve always thought of Gossip Girl as a “love letter” to the city of New York. it’s perfection, and there truly aren’t any other shows like Gossip Girl! What is your all time favourite look from the show? I’m asked this question frequently, but somehow I can never manage to come up with just a single answer–I love them all! However, I’d have to say that my absolute favorite look from the show is Serena van der Woodsen’s Zuhair Murad Fall 2010 gray, long-sleeve beaded gown from Season 4 Episode 8, “Juliet Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.” The whole setting of the scene is amazing: it takes place at the Lincoln Center Ballet and the song “Down by the Water”, by The Drums, is playing in the background. Serena pairs Murad’s dress with an ombré, chain-mail clutch bag from Halston Heritage, which I’ve actually sold in the past. Many of the earlier season looks are typically my favorite (1-3), but this outfit is, in my opinion, the créme de la créme of GG outfits! tmy favorite (1-3), but this outfit is, in my opinion, the créme de la créme of GG outfits!

Has Gossip Girl influenced the way you dress today? Of course! I think all girls who lived through that time period would be lying if we said it hadn’t–we all know tights are not pants, right? The cultural impact left by Gossip Girl’s fashion is remarkable. From the popularity of colorful/patterned tights in the 2010s to babydoll dresses and ballet flats, and even the iconic Blair Waldorf signature, the headband, it’s obvious that the public (including me!) takes cues from the show’s fashion.

What’s your opinion on the reboot? Do you love or hate it? I know the reboot has garnered some public dislike, but I actually really enjoy it! I had the pleasure of attending the Thanksgiving pop-up event in SoHo to celebrate the launch of part two of the Gossip Girl reboot, which was such an amazing experience. While it definitely has a different vibe than the original show, in my opinion the reboot is worth a watch, even just for the character Audrey Hope’s outfits. If want to keep up with the latest Gossip Girl fashion updates make sure you get out that phone of yours and follow @xoxoposhipgirl.


NATE archibald Hey Upper East Siders, I know I can’t be alone when I say Nate deserved a better ending on Gossip Girl. I mean was robbed really? How did the sweetest boy on the show end up with no one. We all fell in love with Nate, I mean I sure did. How could you not? I’m not saying he’s a saint. of a good ending and I definitely wouldn’t use that word after the cheating scandal with Serena right at the beginning of the series, but we can say that he did come clean, over it i’m still which is more than we can say for Serena. His heart was always in the right place and that’s definitely one of the many reasons why he was always taken for granted. Let’s think back, nearly all of his girlfriends were using him for scheming. Catherine Beaton took advantage of his financial troubles by paying him to continue seeing her. Sage lied about her age and used him to break up Serena and her dad. Juliet, a name we can never forget, lied about who she was and what her motives were, with Nate learning that she only came to New York to ruin Serena’s life. So there you go, Nate has had a pretty bumpy ride. So, you can see why I’d be utterly heartbroken that he was robbed of a good ending!

not

Written and designed by Issy Whitlock

Now this may be partial to an unpopular opinion but Nate by was by far one of Serena’s best boyfriends. When they finally got together, he was obsessed and who wouldn’t want that?Let’s just remember how he used to look at her. So, to me it made absolutely no sense when Serena ended up with Dan, the desperate, scaniving, social climber that was found to be Gossip Girl! For 5 years, he went out of his way to make their lives hell and he gets rewarded by getting to marry Manhattan’s ‘it girl’. After everything, I think it just makes me really sad. Even though Nates family were very well off he did go through a lot of family trauma and he never really got to be happy, not for very long anyway. In a way you could say that Nate didn’t need to find love to be happy. In the last episode you see him getting off his NY Spector jet with a thriving career, leading in the polls to be the Mayor of New York. Maybe he’s all romanced out. Who knows? But all I know is that, that man deserved to find the love he was longing for.



MAD ABOUT

GOSSIP GIRL ‘inlovewithgossipgirl’ on Instagram talks to XOXO about their love for the show, their all time favourite looks and the inside scoop into what ignited the success of their ‘Gossip Girl’ Instagram account. ‘Gossip Girl had me hooked from the beginning. I don’t know whether it was the allure of their lifestyle or the constant stream of drama and scandals but I couldn’t help but fall in love with it. The show has everything people wan to see: drama, love, passion and intrigues. During the whole show there was one big question: Who is Gossip Girl? The Upper East Siders are living an exciting and glamorous life. Average teenagers like me would love to experience something like that,’ she said.

Written and designed by Issy Whitlock

As Instagram’s one and only source into the closets of Manhattan’s elite she had a lot to say when it came to talking about her favourite looks from the show. ‘Blair and Serena are definitley fashion icons. Especially, during the Paris episodes. They were always dressed so fancy! My absolute favourite outfit of Blair’s was her second wedding dress. The light blue fabric with all the glitter matched her so well.’ She went on to express that ‘Blair’ is the character her style has been most influenced by. ‘Her style is not just classic and chic, it is timeless. She showed us how important accessories are and that a pretty headband or bag can always improve and complete a look.’

With the growing following of 21k “inlovewithgossipgirl” has taken her love for the show to a whole new level by posting snippets of iconic scenes, top looks from the show and even updates on the reboot. So how did she come about the idea of starting her account in the first place? ‘I was 16 years old when I first watched Gossip Girl. It was not enough just to watch the show, I searched for fan pages on Instagram so I could interact with other fans. After seeing all of the beautiful edits online, I decided to start editing Gossip Girl scenes too. I was literally in love with the show, that is why I called my fan page “inlovewithgossipgirl”. She went on to say that she wanted to create a community where fans could express their opinions about anything Gossip Girl related. ‘I loved reading the comments and seeing what other people think about a specific scene or couple. I also loved getting to know other people who have the same interests as me. I have made some great friendships with other fan page owners.’ Sadly, she confessed that she has never had the opportunity to meet any of the cast however, she did say that ‘Kelly Rutherford and Aaron Schwartz have both interested with the page multiple times’.



Which Gossip Girl character are you? Question One:

Question Five:

It’s summer time and you’re headed to the Hamptons. What are you most looking forward to?

What are you like in a relationship?

a) Time for a summer romance b) Hit up the parties c) Attend lucnhes and charity dinners d) You aren’t really interested, just here to please

your family.

e) Time to network and meet new people

Question Two: You get an annoymous tip spilling some serious gossip about someone you know. How do you feel about it? a) Shocked b) I don’t buy it c) I would belive it and may have even sent the tip in d) Hurt that someone would spread rumours e) I would act like I had no idea

a) Fall in love way too quickly b) Honestly, relationships scare me c) Very loyal, but I give them space d) I always fall for the wrong people e) Quite clingy and romantic

Question Six: How do you like to spend your free time? a) Quiet night in with my lover b) Plotting revenge c) Shopping spree! d) Playing video games e) Stay in and read a good book

Question Seven: How would you describe your style?

Question Three: Which of these is you, at a party? a) Centre of attention b) I lay low c) I cause drama, then sit back and watch it

unfold d) I love sneaking off with a lover e) I can’t dance but do it anyway Question Four:

a) Wild and boho chic b) Suited and booted c) Classy and sophisticated d) Dapper e) Nerdy and casual

Question Eight:

Honestly, what are you like as a friend?

All of your friends are going to an invitation-only party, but you didn’t get an invite. What’s the plan?

a) I’m really fun, but can be a bad influence b) I don’t trust anyone, so if your in, your lucky c) I will go to any lengths to protect my friends d) I am so loyal e) Friends? I don’t have many

a) Don’t go b) Turn up anyway and cause a scene c) Blackmail the host d) Sneak in e) Ask for an invite


If your most common answer was..

a You are a Serena! Full of life, friendly and always the centre of attention!

b You are a Chuck. Despite your self-centredness you are

very loyal to your close friends. You are witty, intelligent and sometimes even a little sensitive.

c You are a Blair. You are incredibly ambitious and some-

one who isn’t afarid of anything. You are dominant and loyal.

d You are Nate. You are warm and trustworthy. You are grounded and have strong morals e You are a Dan. You are kind, itelligent and care deeply for your loved ones. You have a specific sense of humour that others may not often understand!


XOXO’s Annual Masq

XOXO’s Annual Masquerade Ball Party like Manhattan’s elite with XOXO’s Annual Masquerade Ball 21st November 2022 at 7:30pm Venue - Earls Court London Tickets are £20/ VIP £40 (excluding Patron members) £15 ticket to enter the draw to win VIP Ed Westwick meet and greet tickets. Discount code:XOXOMEMBER Head over to our Instagram to get your tickets @xoxomagazine


querade Ball

You’re invited!




X O X O magazine


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