Building blogs to success

Posted by donna on January 23rd, 2016

Starting a blog is relatively easy; the hundreds that have made their way into the annals of the Internet stand as testament. Crafting one that will draw in an audience, keeping them engaged and using it as a medium to describe and define your lifestyle is, however, less than easy. Fashion bloggers are taking what they do to the next level. They are using their blogs as a platform to launch their own businesses and going from enthusiastic writers and photographers to entrepreneurs.

Noopur Kalra, Simply Moda

Business was never on Noopur’s mind when she first started blogging, over a year ago. “It wasn’t a big deal,” she says, “I started blogging because I wanted my own identity; I got a makeover, and started writing.” Posting her looks and outfits on her site, simplymoda.com, and her Instagram meant having a following that reached thousands very quickly, numbers that helped when she decided she wanted to launch her own line of muscle shirts. “I came up with the idea to start my own business at 3.30 a.m,” she confesses, “Blogging has been the best promotion for my line. I grew from 500 to 12,000 followers in the last year, and because of my blog, people trust my advice and my opinion when it comes to fashion.” With a line that’s still growing, Noopur hopes that her creations will find their place in the city’s fashion scene, with what she calls, “quirky, fun designs” splashed across each T-shirt. “There are lines like ‘Fries before guys’. It’s a really casual, fun line that everyone can relate to. Muscle T-shirts look great when worn over a tube top and teamed with a pair of shorts.” Hoping to launch a line of bags soon, there are many things that are keeping Noopur happy, most of all, as she says, “getting to be my own boss.”

Image: http://www.kissybridesmaids.com/cheap-bridesmaid-dresses-under-100

Masoom Minawala, Style Fiesta

Online shopping means a wardrobe arriving at your doorstep without you actually having to move an inch, and so it’s little wonder why Masoom Minawala decided to take it up as a business venture. Blogging about fashion since 2010 meant having strong opinions about the industry, a quality that helped when she became part of it. “It really helped me think about different perspectives and styles and formulate my own opinions on them,” she says, “Fashion blogging and business is all about looking at the many facets of a different product and trying to find something unique.” Writing about fashion for five years now, she uses her blog as a platform to also talk business. “While it does feature my own personal style, I also use it to talk about how to get into selling clothes online, and the issues you face while starting out,” she says. Style Fiesta boasts an extensive range of accessories, from fringed bags to choker necklaces, and their recently launched range of leggings. People constantly kept asking her where she shopped for her clothes and accessories. Since they were all from abroad, Masoom felt like there was a lack of such products in the region and wanted to start something where people could access styles that aren’t exorbitant. Connecting with her readers-turned-customers is an advantage that she believes blogging has given her. “I’ve been able to interact with people on a one-on-one basis because of it. People don’t look at me as a faceless brand, but as someone who is relatable and who has credibility.”

Mehndi Jashnani, Fashionality

Mehndi’s covered it all when it comes to fashion — a model-turned blogger, and now a businesswoman launching pop-up stores throughout the city. “When you’ve been in the field of modelling for eight years, you develop a passion for writing about topics like beauty, lifestyle and fashion. As someone deeply immersed in this industry, blogging definitely helped me expand my knowledge about fashion; it gave me a better perspective when I started my venture, Fashionality.” Her pop-up stores include clothes, accessories and bags that she handpicks from global markets. “It’s a way for me to offer clients a flavour of my own personal style. For me, fashion is an extension of my own personality, and as a stylist for a magazine and channel, I understand that it is never a piece of clothing or an accessory that makes a person stand out, but that all these things come together to make the perfect ensemble.” Fashionality offers their buyers “interesting face art and badge patch bags that can be teamed with any outfit to give a quirky-yet-vintage look. Our clothes are girly and fun, and a few of the styles that we stock are bandage crop tops, high-low skirts, floral playsuits and shirt dresses.” Taking it one day at a time is what she believes will get both her blog and business far. “Any start-up will face an initial tornado of questions about its possibilities of success and failure. It’s important to enjoy what you are doing. Starting off as a model, then venturing into styling, blogging, and now, entrepreneurship, I’ve always believed in waking up each day and being better than yesterday. Being able to achieve my own fashion business in real life, which I only ever dreamt of, gives me a great sense of contentedness.”

Also Read: http://www.kissybridesmaids.com/plus-size-bridesmaid-dresses