Girly Pop
Devon Lee Carlson is much more than the phone case that made her famous. From her Hannah Montana phase to growing up online, she may be California’s princess, but she’s also just like us.
Interview by RACHEL SUMMER SMALL
Photos by PAVEL GOLIK
Fashion by ELENA MOTTOLA
Some people you’re just drawn to. While Devon Lee Carlson became influential for phone cases and phone content, what shot her to stardom is a personal magnetism, her “it” factor. Fans gush of her warm relatability. Charli XCX has name-checked her in lyrics; she’s walked runways, starred in campaigns, and landed among LA’s Zillennial A-lister in-crowd. But to most she’s still an enigma. Will the real D.L.C. please stand up?
Rachel Summer Small: What was it like growing up in LA?
Devon Lee Carlson: Well, I grew up in the suburbs. LA was more of a weekend thing for me. I could go there and then also come home to my suburban fantasy life. It was the best of both worlds, but everything was as normal as could be.
Rachel: You started your phone case brand, Wildflower, with your mom and your sister, Sydney, in 2012 after a chance encounter with Miley Cyrus. What are the dynamics like of being part of this family business?
Devon: I think it all happened the way it was supposed to without any of us trying. Me and my sister loved the Internet and girly things. Our mom is the ultimate girly mom—she was always making us things and tie-dyeing shirts and rhinestone-ing. When we were really into studded shorts, she was like, “I should make them a phone case that matches.” I was the biggest Miley Cyrus, Hannah Montana fan.
Meeting her at the mall was a dream come true. Then everyone just did what they were good at. My dad was like,“Let’s make the website.” I was doing customer service. Mom was physically making all of the cases. My sister was packing and shipping. Me and my sister loved taking pictures for MySpace and Facebook and doing photo shoots with our friends. Whenever we would all finish for the day, we would go and take pictures.
Rachel: What appealed to you about Hannah Montana and Miley?
Devon: That was my dream life—being a normal girl and also a pop star. I was obsessed with pop stars. Britney Spears’ was my first album. I loved to dance. I loved being a girl. I still do. I also didn’t grow up with a lot of knowledge about fashion. I knew that I really loved it, but I wasn’t growing up with Vogue in the house. My ways of grasping that world that I knew I was interested in was through T.V., like That’s So Raven and movies like Legally Blonde and 13 Going on 30. I was obsessed with how these girls could be powerful but still girly at the same time.
With Hannah Montana, I was so excited to see what outfits she was going to wear, but also I felt like a show couldn’t have been more catered to what I was interested in at that point in my life. I wanted to see the behind-the-scenes life of a pop star. I loved Paris Hilton; I loved The Simple Life and The Girls Next Door—getting to see what the inside of the Playboy Mansion looked like and how the girls decorated their bedrooms. I just loved people who were so themselves and these hardcore girly girls that committed to it.
Rachel: Over the last 15 years, what have you noticed about traditional celebrity culture versus the expanding dimensions of so-called influencer culture in Los Angeles?
Devon: There are so many niche influencers that I’ve never heard of with millions of followers who I learn about and I’m like, Oh wow, that’s really cool. Our algorithms could look completely different. It’s brought a lot of people together, but it’s also separated people. I also think back in the day journalists had more of a say in what the storyline was. Nowadays, the fans have the power. Also, as I’ve grown up, I’ve seen behind the curtain. I still love the glitz and glamor of it all, but I wish I didn’t know as much as I do.
Rachel: The mystery is really part of the allure. With your social media presence, when you’re filming or taking photos, do you imagine you’re addressing a specific person, or is it more just being yourself?
Devon: I literally think the only way that I’m able to post the way that I do is because, in my head, I don’t think that anyone sees it. I know this isn’t the truth, but this is just my way of coping.My friend texted me the other day and she’s like, “Your vlog made me smile so big.” And I was like, Oh my god,people watch my videos. Every time someone tells me they love my vlogs, I have to process it for a second and be like, That’s so embarrassing for me. But also, I’m proud of it.
Rachel: Besides what you do now, what would be your dream job?
Devon: To be the creative director of the Lakers’ cheerleaders. I would cast the best girls. I’d get the best choreographers, new uniforms. I would make them so aspirational. I’d make them a legacy. That’s a lifetime project that I would absolutely die to do.
“I could literally romanticize a rock.” — Devon Lee Carlson
Rachel: What’s your favorite decade of the 20th century?
Devon: I could literally romanticize a rock, so I think I love all of them. Right now I love the late ’60s, early ’70s. A couple months ago I was heavy into the ’60s, like Priscilla [Presley]. I think the ’90s are what look best on me,vintage shopping-wise.
Rachel: You’ve been invited to a potluck. What are you bringing?
Devon: Wine?
Rachel: I feel that. Let’s flip it around and say you’re hosting a party, just for the sake of it. What’s the theme? Where’s it at? What food are you serving?
Devon: This could go in like a million ways. I have a great backyard with a nice pool. So, a pool is involved in any party that I have. My dream is that it’s a summer night. It’s 80 degrees.Everyone’s in the pool. We are serving Mexican food. There’s really good lighting. Maybe a disco light. The pool light is pink. There’s floaties. A lot of people are in the pool, and a lot of people are talking. No one is in my bedroom unless I’ve invited them in. Everyone is having a good time. That’s all I can ask for.
Rachel: What are your hopes for 2025?
Devon: I hope my mental health is on fleek. And I hope that everyone finds a Wildflower case they’re obsessed with.