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Tavi Gevinson’s Ready For Her Close-Up Now

tavt_embed1Photo: Hendrik Kerstens for T: The New York Times Style Magazine.
Tavi Gevinson's high-school career is coming to a close, and she's about to begin the next chapter of her life. Change isn't exactly new to her, though — in the years since she founded Style Rookie at the age of 11, "Style" has been dropped from its title, and, quarterly, "Yearbook" has been added. Now, Tavi's blossoming acting career will see her moving to The Big Apple, where she'll star in Kenneth Lonergan's play This Is Our Youth.
But, don't go thinking her recent projects will have her loosening the reins on the medium that brought her an audience. She's not. According to a new interview with T Magazine's Emily Witt, Gevinson's merely embracing the opportunity to cast her net even wider.
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While Rookie will continue to be a safe space for teenage girls to muse on life and foster a community of empowerment, Gevinson said she also won't allow the site to define her or lock her into one career. "Rookie has a life of its own now," she noted. Tavi — who Witt calls "ageless," or, rather, a girl who is "both her age and somehow above it" — is still hopeful it will grow with her as she matures into adulthood.
tavt_embed2Photo: Hendrik Kerstens for T: The New York Times Style Magazine.
Now 18 and looking beyond the mag, she's found success on the big screen, landing a handful of acting gigs that include a role alongside the late James Gandolfini in Enough Said. But, she isn't stopping there. She told T she also looks to Kanye West for career inspiration. "His domain is not necessarily one industry or one medium," Gevinson explained. "His domain is just himself, and he just wants to express everything he wants to express, in whatever medium feels right for that particular thought."
Gevinson's taking a similar approach. If she finds herself acting, so be it. If she's editing, great. If she lands somewhere else entirely, awesome. Whatever it is, Tavi just won't be boxed in.
For Emily Witt's full interview with Tavi, head over to T Magazine. Or, for print fanatics, pick up the full issue when it hits stands June 15.
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