MISS CARLSON, DEVON LEE
Long time no see!!
If you’ve walked literally anywhere, gone to any concert with a sea of phones, and even purchased one for yourself, you have seen a Wildflower case, created by the great Carlson sisters. Devon and Sydney, two sisters from So-Cal, started their family brand, Wildflower cases, in 2013 aiming to scratch the itch of finding cute phone accessories that weren’t on the market prior. But Wildflower cases aren’t the essence of this piece, Miss Devon Lee is.
Like my icon, Emma Chamberlain, I’ve been a bit of a mega fan of Devon’s for the past 5 or so years now. And let me tell you, my love for this absolute diva is unwavering. Devon Lee has graced us, not only through her funky iPhone cases, but through social media with endless sources of creative inspiration for the past decade. Her wild-child-esque spirit and her spunky style has been the soul of my Pinterest feed for quite some time now.
Devon’s status as a true It-Girl has taken shape over the past 5 years, as she continues to secure major designer brand names and houses as prime sponsors for her social media pages. She’s one of the OG Burberry girls, among other highly significant fashion designers such as YSL, Marc Jacobs, Gucci, etc. My love for her doesn’t stem from the brands that back her presence, but her sense of authenticity that emanates in nearly every aspect of her fashion endeavors. She is such a unique case of public figure because, at least through my eyes, never lost sight of herself. Her social media presence is, in a word, goofy and completely tailored to what Devon herself wants to share, disregarding what is seemingly deemed “cool” or “current.”
I took to Miss Lee about 5-ish years ago when I tuned into one of her many YouTube videos. She was still dating her ex-boyfriend, Jesse Rutherford at the time, and her videos exemplified this “rockstar girlfriend” chic and carefreeness a 15-year-old Kate could only dream of becoming. Each and every video, Devon just made her viewers feel like they were riding along with her, and the overall lack of video structure made each time she posted feel totally unique from the last. She seemed just like a normal girl, living her life the way she wanted, consuming certain fashion and beauty products on her own merit, and characterizing her lifestyle’s aesthetic through the things and people she loves. Devon surpasses the realm of “influencer” in my mind, as she continues to set a ripple effect of new trends and fashion inspo in a non-sponsored way.
A few years ago, a trend surged on the internet, prompting social media users to classify which “fashion cult” you were a self-proclaimed member of — and Miss Devon just happened to be an esteemed fashion leader. And as you would assume by this raving review of Devon, I thought of myself rather in the same light as the “Devon Disciples.” But not for nothing.
She’s been featured in numerous, niche and female-focused magazines like HommeGirls (of which I purchased the second it hit the stands, metaphorically of course, I bought it online), Numeró, Pop, Harper’s Bazaar, etc. Devon is known as the “It Girl” who doesn’t even need the title of being such, she’s just that cool. As I’ve written about three or so of these pieces focusing on female icons, I’ve picked up on a common theme. Each one of these influential women never let the fact that they are so publicly praised affect them — their message was always clear even through the noise. And Devon was simply no different.
Like I said before, and yes Pinterest does tailor the home feed to fit their user’s specific, and rather niche, interests, but Devon overwhelms my page with endless outfit inspo for whatever mood I’m in. Even when I think I’ve nailed down whatever my style is, I make a complete 180 and switch my entire look, which I think it the reason I have been so involved in the evolution of Carlson’s sense of style. At her core, she is a die-hard for vintage designer and a fun animal print, but she can also surprise everyone by pulling up in a rather simplistic, almost French-girl attire with form-fitting jeans, a casual tee or tank and paired with a set of dainty ballet flats. Nonetheless, I utilize Devon Lee’s digital footprint as my own personal agenda of what I plan to wear next. When I think of “who I want to be when I grow up,” the image of Devon pops straight into my mind — along with every outfit she’s ever worn! But finally, after such a long-winded ramble, here are my Devon Lee outfit staples.
