Born and raised in small-town Mansfield, Connecticut, Alexa Curtis knew she was different. She didn’t fit into the “normal social mold.” When she entered middle school, all the bullying she endured led her to needing an outlet to escape. In 2011, at just 12 years old, she started a fashion blog, A Life in the Fashion Lane. It became a platform for her to express her feelings around everything relating to teens, body image, and mental health.