Thursday September 10, 2009
Online fashionistas
Stories by ROBERT CHAN
Fashion critics may exist in a virtual environment but their impact in the real world is very real.
THEIR writing tool of choice is not a pen but a keyboard, and their output on self-styled blogs might seem obsessive and self-indulgent to the casual web browser. But fashion fanatics can’t get enough of their unfiltered and mostly unswayed-by-advertising opinions, views and musings.
Fashion bloggers are hardly a rare breed but the cream of the crop lie only in a handful of names, separated only by geographical location but not mindset. To witness the power of the online fashion blogger, you only have to Google the name of Susie Lau or StyleBubble (stylebubble.typepad.com).
Fashion their passion: Stephie (left) and Dottie, the duo behind Fashion Nation. The 25-year-old Lau from London was only one of two bloggers, invited to a Gucci fashion show in New York. An average of 10,000 people log on to her site every day to read what Lau thinks of fashion. Other fashion blogging luminaries worth mentioning include Rumi Neely (fashiontoast.com) who moonlights as a model under Next Management and Jane Aldridge of Sea of Shoes (seaofshoes.typepad.com) who has just designed a line of shoes for fashion store Urban Outfitters.
Closer to home, Joyce Wong (kinkybluefairy.net) runs Tongue In Chic (tonguechic.com), a must-read for any budding fashionista-about-town and across the Causeway, the duo of Dottie and Stephie (fashionation.wordpress.com) keep their ears close to the ground for word on the next vintage market.
Manila-based Bryan Boy (bryanboy.com) keeps the fashion crowd entertained online with his often outrageous statements, both typed and worn.
State of trendiness
Calling their blog Fashion Nation, Singapore-based Dottie and Stephie post daily musings on their latest fashion finds, vintage, and the latest retail happenings around town.
They are also always on the lookout for interesting collaborations, especially with online retailers of cool. Dottie (Dorothy Tan), a 24-year-old political science graduate, is a shoe addict while auditor Stephie (Tan Wan Qing), also 24, possesses a blog full of quotable quotes.
How many hits do you get on the blog on a daily basis?
Dottie: We try not to take ourselves too seriously and always add a bit of fun to everything. We usually get on average of 5,000 hits a day.
There’s barely any advertising or product plugging on your blog. Is this a conscious decision not to turn the blog into a commercial venture?
Dottie: Credibility is important for us so we’re careful with advertising on the blog. However, it is not unlikely that we’ll explore this area.
Stephie: We are very cautious in terms of working with advertisers – the fit of the advertiser and product integrity matters, because we want to expose our readers to products and services we believe in.
How do you decide what is worth blogging about?
Dottie: We try to write as frequently as possible, so every day there should be something new. We give ourselves free rein with the posts’ content and write about anything that catches our fancy or we think our readers will be interested to know.
Stephie: It helps that there are two of us, so posting doesn’t feel as heavy as opposed to a personal fashion blog.
How did the collaboration with online exclusive cult label store oki-ni come about?
Dottie: Oki-ni invited us to join them as an affiliate. We’re naturally thrilled because Oki-ni carries products we love. If the opportunity arises, we’re definitely open to other such collaborations.
What are your tips for a fashionable nation?
Dottie: I think a fashionable nation should be confident and constantly experimenting. Right now, I’m really into androgyny so I’m always on the lookout for suitable boys’ clothes.
Stephie: I am pro-choice when it comes to fashion. A fashionable nation is one that is open and non-judgmental. That way, personal style can evolve with less restriction and there is more room for creativity. I’m looking to collect vintage pieces that can add a statement to my outfits.
Is Tweeds still involved in posting the menswear items?
Stephie: Tweeds has stopped posting for us to pursue his education overseas – our current menswear writer is Trait, he covers menswear collections for us. That aside, Dottie and I will write about any menswear line that we favour.
What’s life like as a full-time blogger?
Stephie: It is very liberating – I wake up ready to write for Fashion Nation, as well as publications which I contribute to. I’m also working on Fashion Nation projects. You’ve got to watch the site closely, as we intend to launch them guerilla-style.
The “It” bag has been declared well and truly dead, no less by Suzy Menkes over at IHT. Is this is part of fashion’s endless cycle of renewal?
Stephie: I think bags have been overhyped in the last three to five years. Luxury bags are getting steeper in price, so the bubble’s got to burst sooner or later. I collect bags, so I’m certain the bag is going to make a comeback!
What would be your ideal outfit for a date?
Dottie: Something girlie, like a jewel-toned cocktail dress, but nothing frilly or flimsy. And high heels that miraculously do not hurt my feet.
Stephie: You’ll never know where you’ll end up on a date, especially a first date! A pair of flattering jeans, feminine top, a sparkly pair of flats and a compact sling bag so that I can move around easily.
What exciting things can we expect from Fashion Nation this year?
Stephie: You can expect us to be always able to blow your socks off with every new post!
Dottie: We have many upcoming projects that we’re really excited about and bursting to babble on. But we prefer to surprise you.
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A male view
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