Guys, it is half way through July. I know, that's just how time works, but I'm still unreasonably devastated every morning when I see the date on my phone. Though I certainly don't miss homework or wondering whether or not socks would be "in" this year, one aspect of heading back to school I do mourn is buying school supplies. Nothing beats picking out the perfect backpack-pencils-Lisa-Frank-folders combo come August each year.
With the '90s have a big time style resurgence, Kipling, a retro rucksack brand, is having a bit of a comeback. Their latest collection features, as per usual, bright colors and patterns that bring me back to riding the short bus to high school. Oh, and they've landed YouTube mega-star and the definition of "adorable," Megan Nicole, as the face of their #Back2Kipling campaign. Good thing they added the hashtag so the teens would be on board.
With her 2.5 million subscribers and a penchant for stop motion videos, Megan Nicole is a bubbly little thing with a quirky style sense that perfectly fits with the "I'm such a nerd but also ridiculously good looking" trend the Internet is so into these days. At a recent Kipling event, Megan Nicole wore a sparkly fit-n-flare dress made out of fuchsia tinsel with a giant monkey on the front — which sounds insane, but worked on the singer. But anyone dying to get their hands on the frock is out of luck: the majority of Megan Nicole's cutesy dresses are made custom by Brooklyn-based designer Julie Mollo. "She goes along with all my crazy ideas and turns them into real life," Megan Nicole told Bustle.
Contrary to what this precious photo indicates, it was hot at the event. Like I'm talking sweat was not dripping but pouring down my back. And Megan Nicole's hair still looked fabulous. Not a frizz in sight. When I pleaded for her secrets, she shrugged, admitting that she tries a lot of different products, but that Aussie is her favorite brand. Great, because that stuff is super cheap and all over every drugstore, so there's hope yet for all us humidity-plagued plebes.
Though her style is beyond adorable, Megan Nicole's claim to fame are her song covers on YouTube — she said "Stay" by Rihanna was her favorite ever — and now she's working on an EP with original songs. Her latest music video, for her single "Never Have I Ever," is kind of...bananas. It features Megan Nicole and her bandmates as time traveling cavemen, experiencing eating at a restaurant and crashing a party for the first time. "The caveman thing sort of works, I think," Megan Nicole said, laughing. Indeed it does, even when she's trying to force-feed dish soap to her fellow partiers.
For now, Megan Nicole's just doing a few small shows with Kipling, but as soon as her EP releases in the fall she'll go on tour. "I'm most excited to go back to Asia," she said. "All my fans there are the best! They're so enthusiastic."
Even though I don't have classes starting up again in a few weeks, I'm still tempted to snag one of these neon backpacks. After all, they're the new purses, right? If you're feeling the same pull, check out kipling-usa.com for all of Megan Nicole's favorites. Never have I ever wished I was going back to school so hard.
Images: Courtesy Kipling/Factory PR
