This 9-Year-Old Fashion Guru Just Gave A Ted Talk
Meet a fashion leader from the new generation: Toby Otting, a blogger and bow tie-lover, who is only 9 years old.
The fourth grader was tapped to deliver a TED talk at TEDxCambridge on Thursday, thanks to a growing internet following for his sartorial advice. That makes him the youngest person to give one of the popular lectures to date.
Ottings, who blogs at Junior Sartorialist, began writing as a fledgling fashionista at age 8. Recent posts include Otting’s thoughts about a ballet performance, and an upscale haperdasher who Otting got to meet while picking out a hat for his mom. His mother encouraged him to write down his feelings about clothes and culture for a wider forum.
“She wanted me to articulate myself better,” Otting told the Boston Globe. “But she doesn’t tell me what I’m supposed to say.”
Otting was tapped by the TEDxCambridge committee after a producer for the series, a friend of Otting’s mother, took notice. Otting went through a long audition process before earning the green flag to go on stage.
“It’s not just fashion,” Otting told the Globe. “I like culture, too. I like dance. I like playing the drums. I like sewing.”
Otting also says that his teacher has taken notice of his growing online popularity.
“My teacher said she may not give me as many writing assignments because I’m doing the talk,” Otting said. “Now I just need to get out of my math assignments.”
Go Toby, go!
