2008 Trendsetters

Which stars do teenage girls have their eyes on this year?

That’s a good question. And Seventeen Magazine’s Gina Kelly has made the self fulfilling prophecy this year, choosing Miley Ray Cyrus (Hannah Montana), Rachel Bilson (Jumper, The O.C.), Emma Watson (the Harry Potter films) and the “Gossip Girls.”

Kelly helped pick these “Style Stars” for the magazine’s last issue.

In 2007 Rihanna led the pack. You may remember her hit song Umbrella riding the #1 spot for what seemed like an eternity. And then… we started to see her influence on fashion. Think about it for a second. Didn’t you notice? (Maybe you did without knowing.) How many of her haircuts you’ve seen walking around town in the last few months? I saw a lady with one where I dropped off my car today!

But 2008 is a new year. And according to this recent AP article, Cyrus and the “Gossip Girls” are the main ones to watch:

Right now, Cyrus, the real-life “Hannah Montana,” is doing a good job connecting to the teens and “tweens” who love her, Kelly says, but she’ll have to walk a fine line as she gets older and likely becomes an even bigger star. “I’d love to see her evolve a little but also keep her youthfulness.”

Meanwhile, “Gossip Girls” has become the TV destination for style-savvy young women, in the way “The O.C.” and “Sex and the City” were for the girls who are now in their 20s and 30s, according to Kelly.

I blogged about Miley recently… I don’t need to revisit the subject. Anyone who spends any time with young girls, tweens and even teens knows that Miley is the STUFF! The Oscars even have added her to the presenting lineup on February 24th in hopes of drawing more of a tween audience (we’ll also see Miley as one of Barbara Walters’ in-depth interviews in her 27th annual Oscar® edition of “The Barbara Walters Special,” thanks Anastasia for that link).

And many of you might be familiar with the CW’s fairly new show “Gossip Girl,” the show that Media Life deemed “The top rated new show among 12-17-year-olds” last Fall.

These trendsetters have our kids’ attention. I encourage you to take a peek at either of these shows (Hannah Montana and Gossip Girl) once or twice, just to keep aware. (Acts 17)  

(thanks to Anastasia at YPULSE for the AP link)