Dear Pennies,
So yesterday, I was supposed to be relaxing and taking the day off when I came across the “Do You Want To Be A WWDMAGIC Correspondent?” post on Fashionably Marketing.Me. I’ve been reading Fashionably Marketing.Me for awhile now and it’s a great site that features the latest fashion marketing and social media news, and it also gives great tips and advice on how to use digital media to market fashion. My favorite parts of the site are the news features and the event listings. In fact, the reason behind today’s post is an event listing; WWDMAGIC is a fashion industry trade show that happens in January & August of every year. This year, Fashionably Marketing.Me is sending bloggers to WWDMAGIC; bloggers are all also being granted full access to Teen Vogue events as well. In essence, I’m entering to win the contest by answering the “Million Dollar Questions” below. Wish me luck!
1. How did you start your blog? What was the creative inspiration behind putting yourself out to the world?
I started blogging almost three years ago on my lifestyle blog, The Loudest Pen Ever. I started this blog because I had just graduated from college with a BA in English and I really wanted to write so my friend suggested I start a blog to get my writing out there. When I first started, I would just write about random stuff then it grew into me writing about music, specifically 80s & 90s Hip-hop and R&B. After awhile, I was finding that I really wanted to write about fashion so I started de la Pen. The inspiration behind de la Pen is to explore international and multicultural fashion, style, beauty, and music. I love all types of fashion and I believe that style icons should be highlighted and celebrated. I also want to expose people to the other sides of fashion so I interview beauty brand owners like Terry Carter of Travertine Spa and Peter Lamas. Lastly, I attend events like Style.uz Art Week in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, the Japan Fashion Symposium at FIT, and the Chocolate Fashion Show to give de la Pen Pennies (readers) an insider’s view of fashion events.
2. From where you began to where you are now as an independent writer, what are three valuable things you’ve learned about your craft?
The first thing I’ve learned is to stay motivated and inspired. I stay motivated by always trying to be positive. That’s not to say I’m always flowers & sunshine because I’m guilty of a Twitter rant or two, but, I’m just a vocal person who needs to vent. After I vent, I feel relieved and my energy is flowing and I feel motivated and ready to write. I stay inspired by always looking for the beauty and fashion in everything. I love watching movies, reading books, and checking out other blogs. I’m constantly keeping my eyes and ears open for the next post so that I don’t ever run out of things to write about. The last thing I’ve learned is to network! I’m constantly talking to other bloggers, checking out their blogs & commenting regardless of whether or not their blog is fashion related. Networking is key because it’s relationship building which is what will help you get to that next level.
3. What is your personal style?
My personal style is somewhere between awkward tomboy and classic chic. That’s an odd answer I know, but, it’s true. I love baggy pants and over-sized shirts, but, I’m a sucker for classics like pearl earrings and a pearl necklace. I also adore sweat pants, the baggier the better (that’s my tomboy side). I can’t get enough of Clinque lip gloss and red nail polish. I adore heels although day to day, I’m usually in flats.
4. What brands are you head over heels in love with?
Target – I love Target! This store gives me LIFE! Their collaborations with Alexander McQueen, Thakoon, and most recently William Rast are nothing short of amazing. To take high-end designers and make them affordable to women on a budget is awesome. Plus, I can get groceries, movies, household items, and nail polish. It’s a one stop shop for me. LOL
Polyvore – It’s almost impossible to be a fashion blogger & stylist such as myself and not love Polyvore. Though I don’t get to use it as often and as much as I’d like, I love this site! I love putting together outfits that fit a certain theme or mood and I always style my sets around one central theme or item in the set. I also like looking at sets that others have come up with.
Burberry – Their Facebook page is what my Facebook page will be when it grows up. The content is always interesting and the photography is stunning. Plus it’s just fun to be on it. I admire whoever created the Burberry Facebook marketing strategy because it is pure genius. Their page always has something cool and new to see.
5. What are three of your favorite websites?
The Fashion Bomb – This is my daily fashion blog destination. This site showcases the best in urban fashion like celebrities, designers, stylists, and models. There’s also features like “Fashion Bombshell of the Day” where readers can vote on the style of the person who submitted style snaps.
Parismostwanted – This site is a fashion/style blog featuring Andrea & Sandy who live in Paris, France. Their blog showcases their amazing style, superb photography, and excellent browsing music as you surf the blog.
Prcouture – This site features the latest tips and tricks to Fashion PR. Although I’m a blogger, I like to stay updated on the PR industry news as well and it’s a good way to meet publicists and build relationships for future posts.
6. Who are three people you love to follow on twitter?
@dkny – DKNY PR Girl is not only informative, she’s hilarious, active, and interesting.
@FashionZero – Tweets the best fashion news, tips, and stories from the fashion Twitterati.
@ideeli – Not only is ideeli a major website with the most amazing deals, they always tweet back! I admire a large brand that still has real interactions with their customers. I’ve had some cool conversations with them and I love reading their tweets.
7. What do you hope to gain from attending WWDMAGIC?
As I said earlier, I believe that networking is key because after all, your network is your net-worth. So in essence, I’m hoping to network with other bloggers both up & coming and established, other stylists, buyers, and other industry peers. I believe that relationship building happens when both parties have things in common and a similar goal in mind. Once the relationship is built both parties can gain and learn from one another.
And there it is. The Fashion and Style of the Pen…de la Pen.
