There’s no one we like bumping into on the street more than Julia Rubin. No, really—the whip-smart TeenVogue.com editor always has a smile on her face and a stellar ensemble on her person. A sweatshirt and a vintage mink? WHY NOT. Get the scoop on all that (and why J. Biebs might be her style icon) below. —carlye wisel

Q: Is there anything that totally blows you away about teenagers these days?
A: I think the one thing we’ve all been whoa-ed about is what teenage fandom has become. When we were teens, which was not that long ago, you had posters in your bedroom and you had all the magazines and you’d read all about them, and but it wasn’t a public thing. Now, seeing the way girls and guys react to when we put someone from One Direction or Justin Bieber on the cover—the stuff these fans tweet and comment is just, like, insane. They feel a connection—and maybe we always felt this about celebrities when we were that age—but now it’s so public. That’s been crazy to me, to see the level of fandom these girls have achieved.

Q: What’s the most embarrassing TV show that you watch?
A: I am a huge Pretty Little Liars fan, which is not embarrassing at all, because it is the scariest show on TV. 100%! It is terrifying! Almost to the point where you’re like, “I can’t believe this is marketed to teenagers.”

Q: If we were going to raid your closet, what do you love too much to let us have?
A: I would be devastated if you took my fur coat, which I inherited from my aunt—it was her great aunt’s — and I wear it seriously from the second it gets cold enough until it gets just warm enough not to. I wear it all the time, and it’s kind of a big joke—my friends are like, “You’re seriously wearing this big mink coat with sneakers?”

Q: What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever made with your two hands?
A: I’m really short, so in a pinch, I’ve had to do some last-minute alterations that I’ve been pretty proud of. I have this tiered ruffle dress I wanted to wear to a formal in college, and I don’t know how to sew—I really don’t know how to do anything domestic!—but I cut off the last two tiers and was able pin it up so it looked like this was actually where it was supposed to hit. Anything where it just involves a safety pin here, and a safety pin there, I can do.

Q: What’s the worst movie that you own?
A: I don’t know if I would call this the worst, but in my apartment right now, I still have the VHS version of Cruel Intentions. When I was in eighth grade, I was home sick a lot one semester, it was the movie I would rent from Blockbuster. My mom finally said, “I’m going to buy this for you. This is so crazy—why do we keep renting this dumb movie?”

Q: What’s the last thing you saw that really amazed you?
A: Well, actually, last week I went to a screening of Before Midnight, and I loved it. I’m obsessed with the first two movies. I watched Before Sunrise right after I graduated college, which is right when it takes place in the character’s life, and found it so dreamy and relatable and amazing.

Q: Do you own any Of a Kind editions?
A: I own the Academy Jewelry dipped coral necklace, which I love—it pairs very well with all the sweatshirts I wear. I also have the Clare Vivier leopard bag, which fits more than you think it would. I have stuff from Wren [Ed: Including that fly dress she’s wearing in her pic!] and Dusen Dusen and Erica Weiner from all the various Of a Kind sample sales that I like to frequent. I’m an Of a Kind super-fan. Seriously!

Q: You love—love—sweatshirts. Do you have a favorite one?
A: I came across a paparazzi photo of Justin Bieber, and he was wearing this sweatshirt that said “Doing Real Stuff Sucks,” which I thought was hilarious—it was in this really great font, and I’m a huge typography nerd. I did some crazy research, and found the sweatshirt on this Polish website. I couldn’t even tell you what the translation was. I’ll wear it with the coral necklace, I’ll wear it with a Lizzie Fortunato big crazy necklace—it’s sort of a defiant teen message, but I was seriously inspired by Justin Bieber’s style. Anything that a boy would wear—pair it with a lot of jewelry and lipstick, and you’re done. Sweatshirts forever!

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Elizabeth Kott has a lot going on. Girl wears a whole bunch of hats (fedoras?): She’s the founder Closet Rich, a site that brings her L.A. cohorts’ fantastic closet castoffs to the rest of us, she’s the chief creative advisor for the cool-kid T-shirt co. Cotton Citizen, and, in her spare time, she hosts an online video series. Whoa, right? Somehow, she found time for a little Of a Kind Q&A-ing. —carlye wisel

Q: What’s your closet-digging holy grail?
A: I’d really love to come across some Tom Ford for Gucci. That velvet two-piece suit with the flared bell-bottoms is so iconic to me—and so represents when I first became really aware of fashion as an art and an industry.

Q: If you could give anyone a complete wardrobe makeover, who would it be?
A: My mom dresses so well and is so put-together that I kind of want to edge her up a bit. I think it would be fun if she’d ever let me, but she never would. She’s so perfectly coifed all the time! I’d put her in…maybe really cute leather pants? And a chunky knit…and a nude pointy heel. Done!

Q: Ok, one outfit forever. What would you choose?
A: Pretty much my daily uniform, which is white Cotton Citizen T-shirt, a skinny jean, a comfy, comfy sweater, and six-inch platforms. I actually think I’m going to dress like that ‘til I can’t anymore.

Q: Have you always been a proponent of uniform dressing?
A: My whole thing is I like to keep it really effortless and easy—but pulled together with accessories that I love. When I lived in Italy for a semester in college, I literally brought two packs of men’s undershirts, and halfway through, I was like, “Woah, I maybe should have brought…another option!” I just keep it simple and utilize an investment piece or jacket that I can feel really confident in wearing all the time.

Q: How can we get our own closets in-order?
A: I recommend this to clients all the time: I bought an Ikea wardrobe and put antique handles on it, and I like to merchandise that wardrobe outside of my closet with the things I’m loving of the moment. It makes getting dressed really easy, and it’s also not as cramped.

Q: Do you own any Of a Kind editions?
A: I have the Bones and Feathers Collective necklace. I love the color for spring. It looks so great with the basic white T-shirt and jeans vibe that I generally have going on.

Q: What would your itinerary be for the perfect L.A. day?
A: Go to The Hart and the Hunter for coffee in the morning, hike, and then go to House of Intuition in Los Feliz to get my cards read. I’d go to lunch at a random hotel, sit by a pool and have a vacay day, and then make my way to the grocery store to cook. I’d have an amazing meal with all of my friends around—drinking wine and hanging out in someone’s backyard.

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The floral whizkid and head of Fox Fodder Farm Taylor Patterson creates the sort of moody,  jaw-dropping arrangements that make us scowl at the sight of bodega flowers. But before you get mad at her for upping the ante, you ought to know that girl’s about as fly as they come—and is hardly above picking greens sprouting out of sidewalk cracks. More on all that below. —carlye wisel

Q: Do you have any fail-proof tips for keeping flowers alive longer?
A: The big secret, which isn’t even a secret, is cutting the stems every day and changing the water. What kills flowers really fast is the development of bacteria in the water. Another trick is if you put a sugar cube in there or a little bit of Sprite, and then also a little bit of bleach or vodka—but very little, maybe a teaspoon per cup. That helps eliminate bacteria without killing the flowers.

Q: So basically…a teeny-tiny mixed drink?
A: Yeah! It’s like a teeny-tiny cocktail, like a vodka soda. Even tonic works, because tonic has sugar in it. Give it an itty-bitty vodka tonic, and that’ll help to feed the flowers and keep bacteria from growing too fast.

Q: You work on a ton of weddings. Does any one stand out as having the best wedding cake?
A: A friend of mine who got married last October had a wedding cake done by the pastry chef at Vinegar Hill House. One layer was black sesame with coconut, another was carrot—it was not at all conventional, and it was really delicious.

Q: Does being a florist bring down your jewelry game since you work with your hands?
A: No! I actually wear four to five rings at all times. I mean, they get dirty, but the rings are pretty simple. One is a gold band with rubies on it that my dad gave me for my 13th birthday. Three are these really pretty, simple silver bands that my ex-boyfriend gave me. The other is this gold pinkie ring that my mom actually found in her garden behind our house—behind our house used to be a dump in the early 1900s. There are all these glass bottles and old tin canisters and things, and she found it back there.

Q: If we were going to make a bouquet on the fly—you know, snipping stuff off trees and stuff—where in New York should we look?
A: It always depends on the season. Right now, we just had all the pear trees and cherry trees in bloom, and cherry branches make beautiful cut flowers. Toward the middle and end of summer, you seen Queen Anne’s lace growing out of the sidewalk everywhere. Greenpoint runs rampant with it, and that makes beautiful arrangements by itself.

Q: What are you working on next?
A: I’m in the process of developing a signature scent of Fox Fodder Farm. It’s going to start out as a perfume, and the idea is that it can be translated into different products, like a candle, room spray, and soap. It’s not a floral-based scent. It’s musky and woodsy, more like dirt than flowers. The bottle is going to be really simple, and it will be roll-on and unisex. And it’s all-natural—no synthetic fragrances.

Q: Have you ever lost an item of clothing that was really important to you?
A: My dad used to play polo, and he had this T-shirt from the seventies that said Palm Springs Polo Club. It was green—worn-in really well—and I used to wear it a lot…and then one day it disappeared. I used to live in Paris, and when I moved, I think it got lost in the move. Or a friend stole it. You know what, my sister probably took it. I’ve asked her about it, and she said no. But I’m, like, 75% sure she has it.

Meet more truly impressive people! Now! 

As beauty director at Who What Wear, the so-fly Britt Aboutaleb keeps us up-to-date about face creams (and discourages questionable lash-lengthening tactics). The only downside: Her rad job took her from New York to L.A. (i.e., 3,000 miles away from us). Below, our attempt to get our fix. Also, while we’re here, how amazing are her eyebrows?!  —carlye wisel

Q: You just went to Japan! Tell. Us. Everything.  
A: Japan was amazing! It wasn’t what I expected—Manhattan feels ten times busier—but the people were lovely. We were in Kyoto during Cherry Blossom, which was breathtakingly beautiful, and had dinner with two geisha, a spectacular and very special experience. The weirdest thing I saw was probably the food—or me in a kimono!

Q: What about the beauty products?!
A: The beauty products were bananas. I spent hours in the drugstores buying things I couldn’t even identify! Everyone’s wearing a cateye in Tokyo and sure enough, their liquid liners are the thinnest, blackest best I’ve ever tried. Japanese women are obsessed with skincare, so there are dozens of masks and lotions to try. There would be four floors of makeup and skincare—and then one small corner of hair products, which was fascinating. I loved the really weird things like nipple balm, heated eye masks, armpit protectors, and face massagers.

Q: The weather’s gettin’ warm, but we’re still pale. What are the best ways to look sun-kissed lickety-split?
A: Honestly? A trip to the beach—I think I’m the only sun worshipping beauty editor! But I’ve been using Crème de la Mer’s new Soleil de la Mer Gradual Tan and it’s pretty awesome. It gives you more of a glow than a tan. If you’re looking for more color, Clarins makes the absolute best self-tanning products.

Q: Be real with us: Are there any beauty products out there you think are a total waste or scam?
A: Anything that claims to make you look, feel, or be skinnier without exercising!

Q: What’s the most memorable perfume you’ve ever worn?
A: Gap Dream. It was my first fragrance, circa eighth grade. I still have a tiny bottle, actually, and whenever I catch a whiff, I’m immediately back at the lockers at Sonoma Country Day School.

Q: Do you own any Of a Kind editions?
A: When I left New York, a few of my very dear friends pitched in and bought me Mociun’s Black Diamond Cut Out Triangle Earrings. That was almost a year ago—which is crazy!—and I still wear them everyday.

Q: What would you consider to be the perfect day of L.A. eating?
A: Steak and eggs at LaMill in Silverlake for breakfast, followed by lunch at Gjelina in Venice (can we order everything?), then drinks at Goldie’s. I’m tequila’s number one fan, and the Golden Girl is the best cocktail I’ve ever had. For dinner, Bestia downtown. God forbid I squeeze a snack in there somewhere, but if you insist: tacos from a truck or ice cream from Sweet Rose. That is too much driving and too much food for one day, but it’d be delicious!

Q: What’s something you’ve always wanted to learn but still haven’t?
A: How to sew! I’m actually desperate to learn. I have so many things I want to make. There are about a dozen languages I’d like to learn, too.

Q: If you could do a wardrobe swap with anyone, whose would you choose?
A: I think Giovanna Battaglia. Or on the total opposite end of the spectrum, Lauren Hutton. (Funny because my initial reaction was to answer, “An Olsen with lots of Dolce & Gabbana mixed in,” which is basically the same thing.) I usually dress like a boy (with heels) and when I don’t, it’s nice to feel like a woman—and it’s hard to find something more curve-friendly than Dolce.

Meet more people we heart in a big way.

Ruth Baron has not one but two romantic-comedy-worthy jobs: Oprah.com editor and young-adult author. Her YA thriller Defriended drops next week—pre-order it now for $9, a.k.a., the cost of a latte in 2015. She’s also one of those girls who just knows everything cool (and, ok, weird!) a good six months before you do—if that doesn’t make you want to read on, we don’t know what will. —carlye wisel

Q: What’s the scariest or most bizarre thing that’s ever happened to you on the internet?
A: I am currently getting several Snapchats a week from these three teenage girls I don’t know. They have usernames with words like luv and lol in them, and I have no idea whether they know each other or if they think they’re Snapchatting one of their friends when they send me stuff. The ones I’ve viewed have all been totally G-rated. But there are 27 unopened photos on my phone, and I live in fear that I am going to wind up in jail because of them.

Q: If you could iChat with anyone from the dead, who would you pick and what would you talk about?
A: I’ve been wanting to write a story that takes place partly in a shtetl, and the research is really intimidating. If I could IM one of my great-great-grandmothers when she was 15, I would ask her about where she gets her cabbage and what her house looks like and who she has a crush on. And she would be like, “Uh, you can look at videos of wild creatures I’ve never even imagined before on this magical box. Are you seriously trying to have a conversation about cabbage right now?? And also what is a video? TTYL.”

Q: What’s the last thing you read that really amazed you?
A: The Orphan Master’s Son knocked my socks off, but I can’t recommend it without also recommending this incredible Catherine Chung essay on why some of the things that I found so imaginative and compelling about it are also kinda racist. I still think the story is brilliant and worth reading, but with some awareness that it’s just as much about American ideology as it is about North Korean oppression.  

Q: Do you own any Of a Kind editions?
A: Lots! The ones in heaviest rotation right now are the Mociun black diamond circle earrings, which were a gift from my parents, the Erica Weiner leopard lariat necklace, which was a gift from my brother, and the Cardigan by Lynne Hiriak Charlie sweater, which I bought for myself because I do what I want. My sentimental favorite is the Mandy Coon Ernie bunny bag both because it was their first edition and because I used to bunny-sit for the Ernie it was named after, may he rest in peace.

Q: What’s the most embarrassing thing on your bookshelf?
A: I moved about a year ago and got rid of a lot of junk I didn’t love. The best find was a self-help book called Succulent Wild Woman that had fallen behind a radiator. An old roommate who is still super into self-help had given it to me, and I probably shouldn’t make fun of it because who’s to say that all my problems wouldn’t be solved if only I were more succulent and wild?

Q: You have $200 and two hours off of work. What’s your game plan?
A: Helicopter tour! Getting my pilot’s license is in my five-year plan, but I’ve never flown in a helicopter. It’s crazy-expensive, which I don’t mind in theory, but it’s hard to hand over $150 to fight a tourist for a window seat and then only get 15 minutes in the air. That said, I have no problem spending $150 of *your* money that way. I’d probably blow the other $50 on candy at Duane Reade.     

Q: What’s the best thing you’ve ever gotten to write about?
A: Even though the six months I was working on Defriended were really rough due to crazy deadlines and being hilariously inexperienced, it is hands down the most fun I’ve ever had writing. Fiction is cool because you get to decide what you write about, so if Facebook murder mysteries are your thing, then nobody stops you from writing a Facebook murder mystery.

Get to know more of our favorite people on the PLANET here!

Jake Siegal is kind of like the Sam to our Clarissa. Or, as he might put it, the spicy bacon to our homemade caramel corn. As the founder of Samplrs and now maestro of food at Fancy, he’s an expert in deliciousness—particularly the type of small-batch goodness that arrives in your mailbox in a bee-utiful package. He also, by the by, gives really good email. Now’s your chance to get to know him—just hope you’re not hungry. —carlye wisel

Q: What unexpected blog can you not live without?
A: I visit the Guy Fieri Dish Generator on Eater at least once a week.

Q: What gadgets or apps are you all about right now?
A: Two phone apps I’m really liking are Timehop and days.am. Days.am is a cool new way to share the highlights of your day, and Timehop reminds you where you were and what you were doing exactly one (or two or three) years ago. It’s a perfect vehicle through which to force some daily introspection. 

Q: What’s the last thing you saw that really amazed you?
A: Light Asylum live at Steel Drums. They’re incredible!

Q: You’re into snowboarding, huh?
A: Snowboarding is my favorite activity in the world.  I am happiest on a snowboard. Luckily the trees have been good to me, and I’ve kept pretty safe.  I sprained both my knees when I was 14, and I fractured my sternum this past weekend visiting my brother in Utah for my birthday. Worth it!

Q: Are you okay? Your sternum?!
A: I’m good!  I’m mobile and medicated.

Q: Do you own any Of a Kind editions?
A: Yeah! I have my Maxx & Unicorn Indigo Bi-Fold Wallet on me everyday, my sister got Jesse Kamm’s Beachcomber Sweatshirt as a grad present, and I wish I hadn’t missed out on the Topo Designs Kind Backpack.

Q: What’s the worst thing you’ve ever worn?
A: It’s a tie between a caricature tee of me and with a drum made at a bar mitzvah and a pair of Aztec-pattern fleece shorts that were once my dad’s. I wore the shorts to some Columbia bar where my friend Tiffany was DJing, and the bouncer wouldn’t even let me in!  

Q: What would you consider to be your perfect day of New York eating?
A: Breakfast at Russ & Daughters, lunch in Flushing at Lao Cheng Du and dinner at City Grit. It’s pop-up, supper-club-type event run by Sarah Simmons, whose background is mainly in Southern cooking. She also invites the most interesting up-and-coming chefs from around the world to tell their story and showcase their culinary talent through City Grit. It’s a huge treat for everyone involved.

Q: Road trip! You’re heading to upstate New York. What snacks are you packing?
A: King’s County Korean BBQ Beef Jerky, Ovenly Maple Thyme Pecans, Blue Diamond Wasabi & Soy Sauce Almonds, and Brooklyn Hard Candy.

Q: What’s the most embarrassing thing on your bookshelf?
A: It’s a tie between this CD case and a book I bought called Curation Nation.

Get to know more way-rad people right over here.

The writer, editor, and editorial strategist (whoa) Lauren Sherman first kept us in-the-know when she was the HBIC at Fashionista, and her knack for covering fashion from a business angle—Lauren got her start as a reporter at Forbes, and you can spy her byline over at Ad Age, Style.com, and DuJour—makes her our go-to whenever we’re in need of some serious intel. Plus, you know, we just think she’s the coolest and also, P.S., has the cutest dog. —carlye wisel

Q: If you had access to anyone else’s wardrobe, whose would you choose?
A: Oh, I mean, obviously Sofia Coppola. There’s a girl who works at Fashionista named Dhani Mau, and she described her personal style as always thinking before she buys something, “Would Sofia Coppola wear this?” I totally do that, too. It’s hard, because her style is so confident but also so specific. Sofia Coppola’s not going to do nail art; she’s not gonna wear anything that doesn’t feel  true to her. She’s kind of the ultimate be-all, end-all for me when it comes to fashion.

Q: Do you have anything hanging in your closet that you’ve never had the guts to wear?
A: I have this navy blue knit romper with short sleeves and red and yellow accents I got at this really cool vintage shop in Portland, Oregon. I was like, “Oh, I’ll wear it with a belt and Keds,” but it’s one of those things where I turned 30 last year, and I feel like I have to decide now: Am I going to be one of those adults who wears rompers or not?

Q: Have you ever lost an item of clothing that was really important to you?
A: When I first moved to New York, I really wanted to buy a nice outfit. I had a job at a business magazine, and I got it in my head that I wanted a suit. Phillip Lim had done this gray skirt suit with exposed stitching and grosgrain ribbon around the waist, and it was heavily discounted at Barneys Co-Op. But I still had no money, so I took a cash advance to buy it. I ate black beans with hot sauce on them for lunch every day because I just wanted that suit so badly. It was amazing. I got so much wear out of it—I still wear the blazer to this day—but I dropped the skirt off at a dry cleaners without a computer system and was kinda lazy about picking it up. When I finally did, they were like, “We don’t have it. You never dropped it off here.” It just went off into the ether! That’s the one thing I wish I could get back.

Q: What’s the weirdest thing you’ve witnessed during your time in the fashion industry?
A: Fashion is just full of weirdos, and pretty much every moment is weird. My favorite weirdo is James Goldstein, this rich, tan, cowboy-esque guy who attends a lot of European fashion shows, as well as NBA games. I went up to him at a Fendi party in Paris once—Duran Duran were playing. He totally thought I was hitting on him.

Q: You’re trapped in an elevator with Kate Moss for five full minutes. What do you do?
A: Pull out my phone, hit the recorder button, and start asking questions.

Q: What one fashion collection sticks out for you?
A: So many! Growing up, it was Marc Jacobs’s Fall 1998 collection. I know grunge at Perry Ellis in 1992 made him famous, but Fall 1998 taught me that runway clothes could be super wearable, too.

Q: Who is your dream client?
A: Eh, the New Yorker. Because it’s the New Yorker.

Want to meet more amazing people? Oh, good.

You know that pick-up line that goes, “Girl, you must be tired, cause you’ve been runnin’ through my mind all day?” Winnie Au’s kinda like that for the internet: Once you start spotting her photography, you’ll see it everywhere—over at Refinery29 and Target.com and on our edition pages. Now’s your chance to get to know who’s behind all that awesomeness. —carlye wisel

Q: What’s the last thing you saw that blew your mind?
A: I just visited Puerto Rico and went to Vieques and visited the Bioluminescent Bay, which is filled with glowing micro-organisms. It’s beautiful! It’s hard to photograph or show in a video, but it’s nice to experience something for which you have no reference or preconceived idea about. The micro-organisms glow when there is movement, so as we kayaked through the water at night, you just see sparkles everywhere. The sparkles even appear on your hand if you put your hand through the water, so you finally get to experience what it’s like to be Edward from Twilight! Okay, that’s not why it was amazing, but it’s definitely a magical experience.

Q: What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever made with your two hands?
A: I made fresh goat cheese at a farm in France while i was WWOOFing—working on a farm in exchange for room and board. We milked the goats, heated the fresh milk, added rennet, poured the mixture through cheesecloth into molds, let it sit, and voila—delicious cheese!

Q: What’s the most embarrassing thing you have in your apartment?
A: Three different corgi mugs, a corgi calendar, a corgi pin, a corgi umbrella…and this is just the beginning.

Q: Do you own any Of a Kind editions?
A: I don’t yet, but I’m eyeing Sarah Frances Kuhn’s camera straps—they are amazing! And the perfect accessory for every photographer. I love finding cute versions of photo gear, and these are really special.

Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Utilitarian, cute, comfortable—I like prints and stripes, casual dresses, jeans, and pretty colors like seafoam green and coral pink.

Q: Do you have any solid beauty advice?
A: I’m scared of the sun slowly making my face melt away, so I try to wear sunscreen on my face everyday. I have a cream from Origins called A Perfect World SPF 25, and whenever I’m at the beach or out all day, I use SPF 50.

Q: Okay, your dog portraits are crazy-cool. How do you make those guys sit still?!
A: With lots of patience! Well, and I usually request that the dogs I photograph know how to sit on command. This doesn’t mean that they’ll sit in the spot I want them to, though. Treats are, of course, always helpful, too.

Q: Finish this sentence: In the future, we’re all going to…
A: Wear Google Glass that will have facial recognition and will finally help me remember everyone’s names! It’ll be just like phone numbers today—no one will remember anyone’s names anymore because you won’t have to.

Meet more crazy-talented people right this way!

Photo by Florent Bariod.