Chloe Sevigny is an American actress who was hip before ‘being hip’ was a trend. She’s been called ‘the coolest girl in the world’ and now, at 41 years old (I know, we can’t believe she’s 41 either!), she is no longer the coolest girl, but one of the coolest women on the planet.
Her story is reminiscent of Carrie Bradshaw’s, paralleling the vibe of the Sex and the City prequel series The Carrie Diaries. In the 90’s, when Sevigny became a working woman, there was no instant Internet fame waiting on the other side of a computer screen. Hollywood was a distant dream and the fashion industry was only accessible to the upper echelon of high society. Unfortunately – or fortunately – those were the two industries that Sevigny decided to go for! If she was here herself, she would tell you, “It wasn’t easy!”
I’m not Chloe Sevigny, but I’m going to try to tell you how she did it.
She ignored the mainstream.
Why? Because if something is mainstream, if you already see it everywhere, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to make it an even greater success than it already is. Somebody’s beat you to the punch, darling. So be creative, be unique, and take the long way round.
Did Chloe head straight to the designers in Manhattan? No, she hung around Greenwich Village, collecting inspiration and looking for ideas that had potential. Did she attempt to seamlessly evolve into a Kardashian? No, she became a New York City hipster, a subculture that would burst onto the scene in years to come. Did she push for roles in A-list movies with Hollywood stars? No, she succeeded in controversial productions that won her awards and accolades.
What you see in the media can be inspiring, but follow Chloe Sevigny’s footsteps and use other people’s success as a jumping off point for your own aspirations! If you need to be even more inspired, check out our Career Girl Tips from Sophie Donelson (editor in chief of House Beautiful magazine) and Olcay Gulsen (founder of SuperTrash).
