Getting Fashion Blogging Down to a Science
By Scarlett Newman
Before the late 2000s, fashion blogging was an outlet of expression for teens and young adults on the Internet who shared a passion for fashion, particularly “street style.” Fashion Blogger was a dirty word in the upper echelons of high fashion, and they weren’t garnering as nearly as much of the respect that they’ve garnered in the past few years. Today, fashion has decided to coexist with a concept that it wasn’t opening its doors to in the past. So what is a fashion blogger? These are fashion enthusiasts who document their love for high street, designer, and vintage clothing and accessories. They usually post photos of themselves in carefully curated looks, with an in-depth description that follows — which usually include the brands they are wearing and where you can buy them yourself. What started out as a small society of fashionistas has now grown into a very lucrative business venture for a handful of style bloggers.
Now, it’s not only fashion’s elite (editors, designers, stylists and celebrities) who get to have a say in the fashion world. Top designers and labels are requesting that fashion bloggers have front row access to fashion shows and celebrity events. With the rise and popularity of social media, the influence of the fashion blogger is unavoidable. The more followers that they have, the easier it is to attract attention to the brands that he or she is wearing, so that the followers will spend their money on those brands in hopes to emulate they style they see on their “bloggersphere idols.” Brands are getting lots of exposure for a small price. They send a box of clothes to the blogger to then feature on their website and across their social media platforms. They pay a blogger a fixed amount to appear at a public event to garner more sales from fans. This has turned into a legitimate career allowing these bloggers to make upwards of six figures.
Leandra Medine, aka, “The Man Repeller” has made an empire out of her blog. She’s done collaborations with smaller brands like Superga and Gryphon. She frequents fashion month twice a year, has modeled for Saks and has been featured in the top Fashion magazines. She also signed a book deal in 2012. Susana Lau runs Style Bubble and it is probably the most successful, widely recognized blog of its kind (style) since its debut. Based in the UK, Susana was a former editor at DAZED magazine before she left to purse blogging full-time. She’s now a fashion week regular, curates museum exhibitions and has been a creative consultant for multiple brands. Bloggers like Medine and Lau are now heralded as “elite.” bloggers.
Bloggers have vastly contributed to the democratization of fashion, with street style trickling up to the eyes of fashion’s elite. Now that fashion blogging is ubiquitous, upward mobility is as much as an effort in that sphere as it is in the traditional fashion industry. These handpicked fashion prodigies have reached a status that’s almost impossible to attain. Since fashion blogging is practically a business venture more than it is a pastime, success in that area seems to be slowing down. There are tons of aspiring fashion enthusiasts that want to pursue blogging as a full time job, but to get big money coming in, you have to curate your online persona meticulously — which can take time. Your blog should be aesthetically pleasing and your voice should stand out. What has separated the top tier of bloggers from blogging hopefuls with the same amount of potential? Expenses. Your blog becomes an investment in hopes to stand on the same tier as fashion’s elite.
“Fashion Month is a huge business expense for me. The notion that bloggers are being flown left and right, all expenses paid, by brands during fashion week is simply not true for everyone. I’ll never forget my first Milan Fashion Week — I stayed at a friend’s apartment for free because I couldn’t afford to pay to stay at a hotel for 400 euros or more a night per room. Nowadays, I always rent three-bedroom apartments, especially in Milan and Paris — and split the costs with a blogger friend,” says Bryan Grey Yambao of BryanBoy.
Another great investment is the actual website. While free platforms may carry you temporarily, most bloggers work with web developers to keep their blogs fresh and up to date. Not to mention the tech involved — cameras, video equipment, and laptops. You’ve got to work with the best to put out the best final product. There’s also the matter of the actual fashion that goes into being a fashion blogger. No, not everything is gifted. “A huge chunk of my personal income without doubt goes to clothes,” Yambao says. “I believe in spending my own money on clothes and accessories that I love because it’s the only way to show authenticity and passion in what I do. Designers are dressing a lot of bloggers — yes, I’m one of them sometimes. But in the end, you have to return [the clothes]. A smart reader can tell who’s wearing clothes that aren’t theirs because they shoot them once and you’ll never see them wear it again.”
What average person can afford to invest in a dream that’s not guaranteed? Passion aside, fashion blogging is about making money. It’s a lucrative business venture dangling in a sea of hopefuls. Are you ready to properly fund your dreams? Then you might have what it takes.
Sources: http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/09/fashion-blogging-labor-myths/405817/
