Since I started at Ujo Shop less than four years ago, I’ve written nearly 900 stories, produced dozens of long-form video projects, created many social media posts and more. As my last (and most difficult) assignment, I will be saying hello to one of the best feelings of my entire life. Today marks my last as Ujo Shop’s Associate Editor and Communications Manager.
I can’t get over how great these past four years have been. From the beginning, the Ujo Shop team welcomed me with open arms, great trust and great care. As an intern, I was given every opportunity to cover whatever I wanted to do – from the behind-the-scenes glamor of my favorite musical artists, to designing costumes for the latest Broadway shows, to the great designers who inspired me to pursue this career in the first place.
When I joined the staff, I was able to push my pop culture agenda by writing about the clothes superstars like Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan wore for more than three minutes on air in the early 2000s. Down the line, I got to have great conversations with people I’ve been thinking about for a while (see: my conversations with living legends Demi Lovato, Elle Fanning, PinkPantheress, Anna Sui and Brenda Song, just to name a few).
As my contributions to the site continued, I was able to grow each year. I went on to become a Contributing Writer, then a Staff Writer. Then I started overseeing our social presence and went into Social Media Manager. My last Associate Editor article followed shortly thereafter. In all these years, my commitment and my desire to improve have never been shortened or questioned. In fact, I have been uplifted and accepted by my team every time, and I will always be very grateful for that unwavering support.
Image: Courtesy of Brooke Frischer
With Fashionist, I was also lucky enough to travel the world and attend the events I wanted to attend. I have been to Seoul, Iceland, London, Gran Canaria and more. I’ve visited some of the most beautiful places in the US (highlights include Nemacolin, Mayflower and Solé East), covered several high-profile red carpets (including the Met Gala and Tony Awards) and sat front row at the most amazing runway shows (my favorites include Marc Jacobs, Wiederhoeft, Ashish Christian John, Christian Coffee and Christopher).
And I’m very proud of the progress we’ve made in the video department over the past year and a half. We officially launched our podcast, Ujo Shop Network, on YouTube and Spotify (check it out!) after I redecorated our entire office space so that it’s not just a red dream from a Y2K coming-of-age rom-com, but also doubles as a recording studio. I hosted our very first in-person episode (with Argent’s Sali Christeson!) at a new location a few months ago. As a result of this heavy focus on original content, the following has grown by tens of thousands across all platforms; Ujo Shop now has a social media audience of nearly 3.2 million.
Nothing I have accomplished at Ujo Shop would have been possible without the support of such an amazing staff. I want to especially thank Dhani and Steph for being the greatest, most compassionate and encouraging hosts I could have asked for. In fact, not a day has gone by while I have been here that I have not been reminded of how fortunate I am to have learned so much from such kind leaders, who have also created a unique sense of community among a very small (but powerful) group.
Anyone who is given the opportunity to work at Ujo Shop – especially with this group of extraordinary women – is truly lucky. (Besides the amazing work, there’s a reason everyone in the industry keeps stressing how much they love this band!) While I’m excited to tackle this next chapter in my career, I’d be lying if I said it hasn’t been a great time. The fashionista saw me and carried me through a life changing period. I began my time here as a young writer closing out his senior year of college, eager to bring my best to this book, and say goodbye as a lifelong fashionista and confident editor with endless appreciation, gratitude and pride for the work I have been able to do.
Trying to put this endless gratitude into words is the most challenging task I have ever had. I don’t think I will ever finish expressing my love for this act. And I will continue to take every opportunity I have to be happy, cry and smile about it forever.
If you want to connect, talk about the latest celebrity gossip or see pictures of my dogs, you can find me on Instagram, Twitter (I never call it anything else) and (for more serious content) TikTok.