Fashion Bloggers Shaking Up the Fashion Industry
The advent of social media and blogging has forever changed the way consumers interact with the world of fashion. Instead of solely relying on publications such as Vogue to tell us what’s in style, bloggers utilize their own influencing power to display their unique taste to change the way trends are perceived and worn. As Arielle puts it in an interview with Refinery29, “honestly, the best way to get attention and hits is to be original. I think that if you can bring something different to the table then a following will follow.”
Not only do fashion bloggers share their own spins on what’s happening in the fashion world, they also bridge the gap between the industry and the average shopper.
The fashion world can be an intimidating setting, but a lot of today’s bloggers ease that intimidation by forging bonds with their followers, sharing aspects of their lives and intertwining their experiences with fashion.
Two of my favorite fashion bloggers are Arielle Noa Charnas (@somethingnavy) and Chiara Ferragni (@chiaraferragni). These two women have become internationally famous because of the way they interact with their followers through their blogs and Instagram accounts. Instead of being snobby and rubbing their designer bags and shoes in our faces, they take a more engaging approach by modeling their outfits in everyday, humanized settings, like going to grab a coffee or taking their baby for a walk.
Image Credit: instagram.com/somethingnavy
Arielle tends to focus more on herself, her own outfits, and her own daily life on her blog. Chiara on the other hand, posts a variety of articles by her ‘TBS crew” (The Blonde Salad) that pertain to different areas of fashion news and tips.
While they mainly focus on fashion, Arielle and Chiara also share intimate details about their lives — Arielle is expecting her second baby, and Chiara is expecting her first! By sharing their journeys with their millions of followers, they create a more approachable persona. This is extremely important since social media is growing every day and there is more and more competition for our (the consumer’s) attention.
Another thing I love about Arielle and Chiara’s blogging, is how easy they make it to shop their looks. Both women tag the designers of the outfits and accessories that they’re wearing and they have links in their Instagram accounts that lead to their ‘shop my look’ pages on their blogs. Both women share a variety of outfit idea inspirations from casual to athletic to fancy/evening wear.
Image Credit: instagram.com/chiaraferragni
“I think influencers right now are the new media...in the past, people were so interested in reading fashion news out of a magazine, and now they get all this information from social media, through influencers.”
What I think has made Arielle and Chiara so successful is that in addition to showing off their outfits and styles, their blogs also consist of lifestyle, beauty, fitness, and travel stories. In an interview with Forbes, Chiara said, “I think influencers right now are the new media...in the past, people were so interested in reading fashion news out of a magazine, and now they get all this information from social media, through influencers.” They constantly post about their daily experiences which further bridges the gap between them and their millions of followers. Both women share beauty and styling tips, their favorite products, and gift guides for different occasions.
More than being just fashion bloggers, both Arielle and Chiara are also incredibly successful businesswomen. Chiara has been listed on the Forbes 30 under 30 list twice and has her own clothing line. Arielle has collaborated on collections with Nordstrom and Bandier.
Arielle takes it a step further by hosting Q&A sessions with her followers. She also has ‘Something Mini’ which is a section of her blog dedicated to her experience as a mother, her favorite products, toys, room decor, etc. By including other facets of their lives in their blogs, Arielle and Chiara are able to appeal to a wider audience rather than honing in on strictly the fashion community. After all, there is more to life than beautiful clothes and accessories.
Whether you’re looking for outfit inspiration, another way to keep up with the whirlwind changes of the fashion world, or pop culture articles, Arielle’s and Chiara’s blogs are definitely a good place to find answers to your questions.