Half predestined nature woman and half fated city slicker, contributing photographer Kelsey Castner is a youthful ticking time bomb of creative energy and raw talent.  Ambitious and fearless... whether taking on work or life challenges or making a visual statement with colored hair that changes hues monthly... Kelsey latched on to the opportunity to hone her burgeoning skills in the worlds of fashion and photography with us.  She was just what we were looking for.

A (now 22)-year-old, small town NJ native with a BA in Graphic Design, Kelsey's interest in art and photography is estimated to have started the very moment she could hold a marker or click the button of her parent's point and shoot.  Not unlike her peers, her recent work is influenced by the raw authenticity and visual vibrancy of street, bmx, skate and youth culture and their inspiration on her own photographic technique.  Winning entries in Vans Instagram and The DarkRoom competitions are proof of her talent in the making.  

Like a mood ring, Kelsey’s personal style relies on a daily inner emotional gauge.  As a result, her vibe is a collection of looks rather than one aesthetic… self described as "outfits that tend to appear as if different eras were put into a blender."  Whether grunge princess, skate culture tomboy or hippie chic, we always love to see which one walks through the door.  

When not schooling it, photographing it, or drawing it, Kelsey can be found giving love to her two cherished pups (Axel & Ollie) or any of the canine species that cross her path in her part time job (though she'd probably do it even if unpaid!)  Her most cherished (and relied upon) possession is her 2000 Jeep Cherokee (yes, it really has seen over 281,000 miles!) and the craziest thing she's ever done is to conceal her (unknowingly) pregnant pet rat, Coconut, in her closet for six months before her family found out.  She loves to wear black (though her true color crush is purple) and if she could eat breakfast and Mexican food every meal, she would be forever happy.  Her sign is Libra, her spirit animal a wolf, and she is living a thriving, undeterred life despite having Type 1 diabetes.  

Is there any doubt why she's our kind of cool girl collaborator… doing it, living it and wearing it… with our kind of cool girl style?