24B GM: Leandra Medine

Photo: The Man Repeller

She poses in photos with compelling outfits and a rather charming plastic flamingo named Pete, and has been known to embellish designer pieces with suspiciously shifty googly eyes. She is the keeper and voice behind the incredibly well-scripted high-fashion blog detailing how to dress in a way that will no doubt send men running in the other direction, which, in fashion, means you’re doing something right. Leandra Medine, or as many of you know her, The Man Repeller, is 24B’s Girl of the Month.

Leandra presents a number of important ideals that 20-somethings should take note of. This 23 year old fashion journalist goes against the status quo, breaks social rules to create her own, and is in a state of constant evolution to create a life that not only can be deemed successful, but also creative, thrilling and gratifying.

We’ve taken a few cues from The Man Repeller and turned them into 3 big ideas that you should apply to your own life.

The perfect style for you is one that you have created. For all the various designers and street style bloggers that have left us breathless when it comes to sartorial greatness, the daring choices of high-low expertise that Leandra demonstrates on a daily basis stand out among many. If you want to wear couture but can’t leave your denim, then don’t. Mix it up. Do something that someone else specifically instructed you not to. Make your own clothes; add googly eyes to them if you feel that, on their own, they don’t draw enough of a stare. Wear a custom Rebecca Minkoff leather jacket and platform Superga sneakers with your architecturally genius Marchesa wedding gown. Do what makes you feel good about walking through the frame of your front door and into the glorifying light of day, because when it comes down to it, you are the highest judge of your fashion choices. Not other women, not men, not any fashion editor and not any editorial stylist – not anyone else in the world but yourself.

Leandra with Danielle and Jodi Snyder of DANNIJO; Photo: The Man Repeller

To live a life you’re proud of, you have got to make it happen. Leandra began her journey in a place some of us are all too familiar with: as a student. More specifically for her, a student studying Journalism at Eugene Lang the New School for Liberal Arts. While still a student, she began blogging under the Man Repeller name and after some time was launched into a new stage in the fashion world thanks to a mention in the NY Times (NBD, right?). She then went on to write various pieces for Harper’s Bazaar, Lucky, The NY Post and Grazia. She’s participated in a variety of different collaborations with designers and brands such as DANNIJO, Del Toro, Rachel Roy, Bauble Bar and is currently working on a collection with PJK for Spring 2013. Leandra started with the same tools as every one of her peers (clearly a bit more innovation and drive) and used them to get the ball rolling towards the future she dreamed of. However far away you are from where you want to be, you can always pave a path to get there. No matter how far you’ve come, you can always keep moving up – you haven’t reached your limit until you say you have. Continue being innovative and continue building towards your goals. In the words of Earl Nightingale, “Don’t let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand if the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway.”

Photo: The Man Repeller

Create a life that you truly enjoy living. Enjoy what you do and if you don’t, find a way to change your circumstances. Leandra is constantly creating new partnerships and getting involved in new projects. She’s proactive, creative and uses all of her talents in a way that not only makes us laugh but assures us that her gorgeous smile is genuine. Our favorite part of following along in her endeavors? Seeing her have fun. From enforcing a “no crying” rule during Fashion Week’s Rebecca Minkoff Fashion Week Boot Camp video to creating the best rendition of “Call Me Maybe” we’ve seen so far with Rebecca Minkoff and Hilary Rhoda, Leandra is living life on her own terms and having fun with it. Be yourself and create conditions that encourage you to continue evolving and experimenting – surround yourself with people, places, hobbies, and ideas that will help you to perpetually cultivate the kind of authentic joy for life that each person deserves.