Marlen Komar is a freelance fashion and beauty writer who received her degree in communications and philosophy from the University of Illinois Chicago. At Bustle, she covers brand launches, upcoming trends, and fashion history. She likes finding weird trends and explaining why they're great, as well as putting eco- and socially-conscious brands on readers' maps. Marlen's writing has also appeared in CNN Style, Racked, Livingly, Allure, and Apartment Therapy. She also appeared on the Trailblazers podcast. Marlen predominantly focuses on writing about fashion history for her freelance work, and is in the process of writing a fashion history book about the rise of '70s fashion during the feminist movement. Ask her about how the midi skirt was once raged against as fascist. During her off time, Marlen likes to eat kimchi tacos, shop for mom jeans, and re-watch Frasier for the umpteenth time. You can follow her on Twitter @marlenkomar and learn more about her work at marlenkomar.com.