FALL PREVIEW with
1NTERNET.GF
Ruby, Madison, and Isabelle
To showcase our Fall Preview collection, we teamed up with @1nternet.gf, a collective Instagram account between 15 creators-turned-friends across North America. As the creators behind viral fit pics and lifestyle inspo for millions, they gave us the inside scoop on their friend group, love life, and mental health. Read our interview with Ruby, Madison, and Isabelle of the girl gang below.
question Hi! Can you please introduce @1nternet.gf and the idea behind the account? How did it come about, how did you all become friends, when was it created?
answerMadison: Our friend and one of the members, Lydia, initially made a group chat of girls she thought would get along. For a few months it was just a group chat where we all talked every day and gave each other advice. Eventually, we came up with the idea of creating a joint account to post the photos we don't post on our main accounts, but I don’t think anyone ever imagined the opportunities we’d get from it and we’re all insanely grateful.
answerIsabelle: It started off with seven people but, because of how connected everyone was, it grew to fifteen. I was in the chat initially for group advice but, because we all got into the same industry, it became my go-to support group for balancing mental health with work and relationships.
question How does it feel to have built a strong community of girls in such a short time?
answerRuby: It's super empowering to know that we have so much support behind us and so many young girls who look up to us, whether it be for style inspo or lifestyle choices.
answerIsabelle: I’m so incredibly grateful for the girls because of the fact that everyone is so kind-hearted. Quarantine was definitely a hard time for me emotionally, and having the girls talk to me about my life was nice because I knew I could tell them anything in confidentiality. Because I was completely new to the industry as well, I had a hard time knowing my “worth” and value as a creator, and it was difficult for me to open up to anyone that wasn’t in the same field. With 15 young girls in the same spot, they gave me advice and constantly wanted what was best for me. They are the sisters I never had :)
question What are some social causes that you, as a group, feel strongly about?
answerMadison: There are so many causes that need attention; some of us in the group and many of our friends are members of the LGBTQ community, so that has always been something that feels close to us. With the Black Lives Matter movement and Stop Asian Hate, we’ve all gotten involved and educated ourselves.
answerIsabelle: With any following comes social responsibility, so we do our best to figure out how we can share important resources and support. I personally felt that all the girls were in solidarity with me during the peak of Anti Asian Hate, which is something that spoke to me the most. However, there is no social issue that our group aligns with more than another; each topic has an equal value of importance.
question Can you tell us what it’s like working with your friends? What are the pros and cons, and how do you work through them together?
answerRuby: I honestly couldn't have asked for a better situation when it comes to working with my friends. Because we all come from the same field and we all have very similar interests, it's really easy to work together and we all know the ins-and-outs of our jobs which makes it flow very smoothly.
answerMadison: I couldn’t ask for anything better. I had so much fun doing this shoot with Ruby and Isa that it didn’t feel like work at all. If there are any differences when working together, everyone is always very agreeable and just wants the best for the group.
answerIsabelle: No cons yet!! Seriously, it's been so much fun—I would say the only sad part is how spread out we all are :( I haven’t met a few of the girls but with social media I can easily give them a call or two. Maybe the only issues we have would be if we disagree, but how could 15 girls all have the same opinion? I love how open we are and we don’t side against each other—we’re over high school drama.
question How do you express yourselves through clothes and how did you discover your personal style?
answerRuby: I think it matters less how much your clothes are worth as opposed to how you style the clothes you own. I've always been interested in clothing and fashion, and I grew up thrifting and spending very little money on clothes and I think this is definitely how I was able to develop my personal style. It forced me to be able to style unique pieces that weren't necessarily trendy or conventionally worn.
answerMadison: The way I dress is always a reflection of how I’m feeling at the time, or what's going on in my life. Being 21 and in college, I’m at a very formative stage of my life, and I think my style changes accordingly. I feel so lucky to have fashion as a creative outlet to express those changes.
answerIsabelle: I used to be in an international school in Taipei that allowed me to dress freely. I discovered my personal style after coming back home to San Francisco every break and shopping around different cities such as Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong. I would be heavily influenced by Victorian houses in
San Francisco which caused me to bring a lot of color into my personal style, but I’d also play around with minimalistic pieces in Asia.
question Tell us your best memory or experience as a group.
answerMadison: My favorite memory was going to NYC Pride with the girls. One of the girls, Jaden, and I had never met in person but she came to stay with me for that weekend because we knew we would get along so well. We had the most amazing weekend and it ended with her getting my name tattooed after pride!!
answerIsabelle: My best memory would be when I met half the girls in LA for the first time and flew to New York shortly after. It was funny because the behaviors of West and East coast girls differed quite a bit, but everyone’s character and interests were primarily the same. I loved going vintage shopping with Devin, Courtney, and Val in LA and doing the same thing with Ruby, Lucy, Madison and Dea in NYC :)
question In terms of sexuality, what advice would you give to anyone wanting to explore but not wanting to be labelled or put in a box?
answerMadison: I think it's important to remember that you don’t have to have a label! I truly think sexuality is a spectrum and needing a label can hold you back from exploring your options. It may be comfortable to have a label eventually so you can explain it to others, but there's no rush and nothing wrong with taking your time to figure things out.
answerIsabelle: I’m from San Francisco so I have a ton of friends in this position. Regardless of anyone’s sexuality we should remember that society puts more
pressure on labels to be something that’s permanent but the truth is that, at the end of the day, each person is slightly different and labels are just meant to help our understanding and not define us as people. Everyone is going to be curious about themselves so just do your best to be honest with yourself even when you’re afraid!
question What dating advice do you have for anyone struggling to put themselves out there, especially in the post-pandemic setting?
answerRuby: I actually started dating my boyfriend during quarantine and my biggest advice would be to not be afraid to put yourself out there and to utilize social media no matter how silly you think you may sound or seem by reaching out to someone. The worst thing that can happen is that they don't respond.
answerIsabelle: I would say to just go for it because you only have one life hahaha—everyone is in the same shoes and I’m typically a bold person so if you don’t go for it, someone else will do it instead! Hop on a dating app! Give out your number! You’ll never see them again anyway and if they’re taken, they’ll be flattered!
question What struggles about mental health and body image would you like to normalize?
answerRuby: I think myself and many of the other girls struggle with mental health and body image as our jobs heavily involve our physical being on social media. I think it's safe to say that nobody is perfect and even if you think somebody is, they’re probably insecure too. I would also love to normalize unproductivity. I think there's a lot of pressure on today's youth to be extremely productive to have your life together to know your career by a certain age and I think that's an unfair expectation to put on someone so young and can cause a lot of mental health issues.
answerMadison: I think it's important to remember that everyone struggles with it and it's not your fault. We’re all a product of this society and you can't blame yourself for any of it. Talk about it!!! I used to feel so ashamed for feeling bad about myself and having insecurities, but I’ve found that it's so freeing to talk about it openly with people you love.
question How do you stay motivated and get inspired when you feel discouraged or feel like you are in a rut creatively?
answerRuby: I've always been a very driven and hardworking person but I definitely have days where I feel like doing absolutely nothing and I can't get anything done. I find those days extremely frustrating because I know how I normally am so to be unproductive feels a failure almost. I'm trying to teach myself that it's okay to take time off and that it's okay to breathe and relax. But when I am in a red eye, I find it's best to take a break and not stress about the fact that you were in a rut and before you know it you'll be back on it.
answerMadison: I’m usually the most inspired by my friends. Whether it's their work ethic or creativity, I always know that being surrounded by people I admire will
motivate me. Spending time with my family and the older people in my life is always where my best advice comes from; no matter how young I am, it's easy to always feel behind and it’s comforting talking to people who have plenty of years on you.
question What’s next for the 1nternet.gf? Are there any goals you are currently working towards?
answerRuby: I hope we can continue to grow and hopefully work with some more brands in the future. We are truly an amazing community of girls and I know we have only bright things in our future.
answerMadison: Right now we’re just hoping to get all of us in the same place at one time, possibly an 1nternet.gf trip?
answerIsabelle: We’re looking for someone to bring us alllll together (hopefully) ;)
