Biography
Leandra Medine is the founder of Man Repeller, a fashion blog with a novel and quirky concept. “It’s about trends that women love and men hate,” Medine told BoF. But perhaps what differentiates Man Repeller most is the way Medine marries impeccable high fashion aesthetics with a comedic approach. “I think what’s so interesting for people is that I don’t take it so seriously and yet I am still immersed in the [fashion] industry,” she says.
Medine attended Eugene Lang College at The New School for Liberal Arts in New York, and then had a fact-checking job at New York Magazine. She started Man Repeller in 2010.
Today, Man Repeller clocks millions of page views a month and the concept of “man repelling” has entered the fashion vernacular, as has “arm party,” a term coined by Medine to describe her habit of stacking her forearms with numerous bracelets. She has collaborated with a long list of fashion brands and retailers, including Maje, Michael Kors , Gryphon, Del Toro, Dannijo, Saks Fifth Avenue and others. And it's these collaborations that net her the bulk of her income.
In 2013, the blogger released her first book, Man Repeller: Seeking Love, Finding Overalls. 2016 then saw the launch of Man Repeller's footwear line, MR by Man Repeller. Medine lives in New York with her husband, Abie J. Cohen, and their two daughters.