At lonelybrand, we’re all about learning and growing through digital tools. And we’re firm believers in learning by doing. That’s why we’ve invited the youngest employees to voice their opinions and share their thoughts in a new weekly series. Please join @aleecunni (Alanna) and @supershara (DeShara) as they explore the evolving world of digital communications from a fresh perspective.
I remember flipping the glossy pages of my mother’s Vogue, staring at the beautiful clothing. It was my fashionable companion that could transport me to amazing places. I even had dreams of learning how to become a fashion influencer on Instagram.
Love for that style and innovation made me pursue a degree in shoe design. But the fashion industry has changed in the last ten years. Little girls no longer look to their mothers’ Vogue for style advice and a sense of community. Instead they’ve replaced Vogue as the voice of fashion; there has been a shift, the massacre of the magazine and the rise of the blogger. I know that’s nothing new. “Print is dead” has been rattling around the blogosphere for a long time.
That being said I want to explore the special nature of fashion bloggers – what makes them our friends and how their energy has driven influence in an industry that is – by it’s very nature – superficial.
Through links, reposts and social networks like Pinterest I’ve found some of my favorite blogs. It’s a self-curated world driven by personal interest and stylistic preferences. It’s also one of the reasons why fashion is still the multi-billion dollar industry we know and love.
Relatively unknown fashion bloggers represent a catalyst for change and a new source of inspiration. Individuals with a small following and similar tastes are appealing. It’s a lot harder to identify with Anna Wintour (editor-in-chief of Vogue) than Geri Hirsch (Because I’m Addicted). Geri is a self-identified “20 something running wild in LA.” It’s the trust factor that makes Geri’s blog more interesting to me. And that’s the crux of my fashion blog praise.
We no longer look to an exclusive magazine to feel that we are a part of the larger fashion community. The individualized nature of blogs has expanded that community, allowing bloggers from around the globe to quickly share elements of interest so that a collective vision can take shape. Through posting, reading and commenting, the blog-based fashion community is open to everyone with access to a computer.
The end result is that the smallest fashion bloggers have become our friends, and we trust recommendations that come from friends.
Watching how fashion and design bubbles up through small digital properties makes me wonder if the same digital model would work for industries like insurance or financial services.
