THE YOUTH ALWAYS WIN Social media takeover
“Oh you thought this was a cap? ...Nah man its my crown”.
JAKOB GRANT PHOTOGRAPHER & DJ 19
“I created a successful business at 17, with no money or help..... thats what the internet can do for you these days”
ELISHA GALE NURSE & FASHION DESIGNER 21
This could have been written by a 15 year old or a 40 year old. This could have been written by a 15 year old or a 40 year old.
Age should not matter when both can produce equally amazing results
This could have been done by a 14 year old or a 40 year old. This could have been done by a 14 year old or a 40 year old.
I WILL NOT BE RESTRICTED BECAUSE OF MY AGE
MEET JAKOB GRANT For 19-year-old Jakob Grant, living in the North East of England isn’t exactly the greatest place for someone of his age to get hired and be successful. But he is one of these young creatives that is making the most out of the online era, he has recently had some of his photos published on Canada Goose’ website which is one of the most notable and prestigious outerwear brands and has also made thousands of pounds from selling sneakers across the globe as well as meeting many creatives through networking.
He isn’t just a photographer he is also a DJ & entrepreneur as he understands that there is a lot of rewards for people who go out there and engage with the online community, when questioned about how he thinks social media influenced him, he had this to say. “Social Media has had a massive influence on me, when I first moved to the north east, I’d felt isolated, however around the same time I’d got myself involved in street-wear forums and groups like the basement. I kept myself up to date with the latest releases and even made some close friends. Social media has given me the chance to be part of a wider network of similar minded people, other creatives, that otherwise I’d of probably never of met or had the chance to work with. In a sense, social media to me is a kind of personal gallery space, where I can exhibit my work for anyone to access or see”.
“Social media to me is a kind of A personal gallery space�
YOU ALWAYS WIN THE
TH
THE YOUTH HAS BEGUN The likes of Instagram and YouTube are allowing young creatives to reach astonishing careers at an early age. Over the past few years’ street fashion has been evident in a mass of brands. The youths are the reason for this. With the likes of Ian Connor, the self proclaimed king of the youths and the visionary that is Luka Sabbat the youths are officially taking over. From walking fashion runways for Off White, to chilling around with A$AP Rocky to even receiving a tailored prom suit from Tom Ford, these young creatives are living proof that your age should not limit what you do. 23-year old James Marriott is one of the many “Instagram Famous” youths who has had countless rewards from using social media. Free gifts varying from Adidas Ultra boost shoes, to Happy Socks sending him well... obviously socks, all the way to him being flown out to Paris for free, with all expenses paid for so he could attend the Adidas NMD launch. These are all opportunities that he himself admits would not have been possible to experience if Instagram didn’t exist.
TAKEOVER and I bet you didn’t even see it happening.....
Just because someone is young doesn’t mean they have to be restricted with what they can do. Now I’m not saying you can be an airplane pilot (unless you are over 21) but you can certainly go out there and do your own thing, become your own boss, or purely go make some money and connections by being a freelance photographer, stylist or even a designer, just play to your talents. Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn are three greatest tools that young people can utilise to meet like-minded creatives from around the world, allowing them to reach the dream jobs that they could only fantasise about. This wouldn’t have been imaginable a decade ago, unless you wanted to take photos of your masterpieces with the legendary Nokia brick phone and post a photo that looks like a potato on Myspace. In this era, you can use Instagram and LinkedIn as a portfolio to showcase your styling, photography or even a fashion collection you have designed and created, which allows everyone, including potential employers to show how talented and creative you are. So instead of wandering into store after store handing CV’s in and completing endless online tests asking you about situations that never arise, Instagram can display your full portfolio to the world in seconds allowing creatives, agencies and employers to actively take an interest in you and offer you that once in a lifetime opportunity, the potential is endless.
Luke Hodson, the founder of a successful youth marketing agency Urban Nerds, provides a more professional perspective on this topic as he tells us why you can do anything in the fashion industry despite your age and why employers should start taking you seriously. He believes that social media platforms such as Instagram and YouTube have given the younger generations a lot more opportunities that were not previously accessible because they provide good channels to self promote & broadcast yourself and inspire people, especially with the most recent “D.I.Y” culture which can be done with little or no resources. He thinks that young talent is at the forefront of the creative culture as companies have to empower younger people as they play an integral role on shaping culture. Businesses need their expertise to help them keep fresh. So hopefully after reading this article you will put down this magazine and create a LinkedIn account, if you haven’t already and go find some creatives to work with and make some great connections, because all it takes is one person to spot you and you could land your dream job, The sky isn’t even your limit as the internet is technically endless, so get out there and make something of yourself and stop letting your age define you, Just because people are young doesnt mean they can’t do it. You are young, you can do it.
REIGN SUPREME