IE student honored by fashion magazine

Photo of Damisola Balogun
IE junior Damisola Balogun combines love of engineering and fashion
IE junior Damisola Balogun loves business and engineering - and fashion. She was recently named as a Harper's Bazaar magazine's Fabulous at Every Age winner, and manages a fashion blog and an Instagram account (itsdemib).

"I was stunned when [Harper’s Bazaar] chose me as their '20s winner' - it's such a highly respected magazine and to think a 20-year-old from Indiana was recognized was a surreal feeling," she said.

Balogun is of Nigerian descent but was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, and recently moved to Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Coming to Purdue made sense to her because Purdue is one of the top engineering schools in the nation.

She chose to study industrial engineering because it combines business and engineering. She appreciates "how applicable and real" the Purdue IE program is. "I love the faculty, advisors and other students I've met along the way," she added.

Balogun describes her personal sense of style as "classic, minimal, and chic". Although her love of fashion doesn’t really fit with her love of IE, she explained "that's what makes it so beautiful/weird. They're both so different - almost like different worlds."

"I love fashion and have for a really long time. It's my breather and stress relief," said Balogun. "My blog [The Efflorescence] allows for a creative outlet that I very much need because let's face it, college is really hard. I think it's really important to have that one thing that you do that relieves stress, and mine happens to be fashion."

Her advice to IE students? "It's hard to think about giving advice when I'm still trying to figure myself out and I don't even know where I'm going to be in five to ten years, but what I will say is: don't settle for being mediocre, or just like everyone else. I am an African American engineering student with a love for fashion, which isn't very common. And that's okay. Be you, and don't apologize to anyone for it."

Balogun also studied abroad in Colombia during Maymester 2016. She participated in the program, "Engineering and Public Health in the Service Sector".

"I would recommend studying abroad to everyone and anyone," she said. "Being able to learn about different cultures while expanding your knowledge in IE is such a beautiful thing. I would go again if I could."

Balogun's story confirms that Purdue IE's ReThinkIE initiative enables our students and faculty to work in a wide variety of industries.

IE junior Damisola Balogun (center) makes Harper's Fabulous at Any Age list

IE junior Damisola Balogun (center) makes Harper's Fabulous at Every Age list

Harper's Bazaar is an American women's fashion magazine, first published in 1867, and considers itself to be the style resource for "women who are the first to buy the best, from casual to couture." This year's Fabulous at Every Age Reader Search was sponsored by Estee Lauder, in partnership with Saks.

Writer: DeEtte Starr, starrd@purdue.edu