They are your folks next door with day jobs ranging from sales assistants to stylists but in the world of cyberspace, they are somebodies - fashion bloggers with rock star names like Bryanboy, Vogueite and Susie Bubble.
Their online postings are compulsive reading for legions of followers and some have even become the darlings of industry insiders who shower them with air kisses, invites and freebies.
For example, British-based Bubble, whose real name is Susie Lau, was recently made commissioning editor of hip British lifestyle publication Dazed & Confused's e-zine.
Filipino Bryanboy - whose real name remains a mystery - has had a Marc Jacobs bag named after him after he blogged about his love for it and the American designer.
Call them independent style watchers who use the Internet as their vehicle for sartorial self-expression, be it catty catwalk comments or adoring alerts about the latest designer or trend.
Such is the power of the blogged word that they have come to be celebrated tastemakers themselves.
A check with industry insiders show that there are at least 20 Singapore-based fashion blogs, most of which hit the information highway in the last three years.
SHAKING THE STATUS QUO
One such buzzed-about blogger is Singaporean Wai Xiao Wen, 26, who runs three-year-old blog Fash-Eccentric!.
Says the assistant director of external affairs at a school here: 'I don't think I'm qualified to be considered influential but I do think readers see us as alternative opinion leaders to the conventional media.'
She has received free haircare products, event invites and offers of paid vacations in exchange for 'potential reviews or advertorials'.
Yes, the cyber chic like her, who are mostly in their late teens and early 20s, have become part of the scene.
New mall Tampines 1, for example, has launched a Blogger Programme where five home-grown fashion bloggers are invited to exclusive site tours and store openings.
Says Stephanie Ho, general manager of AsiaMalls Management which runs the shopping centre: 'We make it clear that there are no strings attached or payment involved so that they can blog about the mall freely, which is what we know our target audience would want.'
The blog stars also stormed the tent at last month's Audi Fashion Festival, rubbing shoulders with the likes of British fashion critic Colin McDowell and designer Gareth Pugh.
Says the festival's director Tjin Lee: 'The profile of bloggers tends to be younger and I want to reach out to
Generation Z, which I believe will be key in our development and support of local designers.'
Some of these hot blogs can draw as many as 6,000 unique hits a day.
Still, some may face credibility problems.
Says Wai: 'I don't think editors and journalists fancy bloggers much. Most of them go, 'Oh, I see,' when I introduce myself as one and I'm not sure if they mean it positively.'
Gui Kai Chong, who lectures on theories of communications and new media at the National University of Singapore, points out that only blogs that 'consistently present well-written, up-to-date, interesting and reasonably accurate information' will be well-regarded.
'Just like in the real world, readers will lose interest if the blog is not informative or accurate.'
There is no denying that blogs are a form of grassroots journalism.
Constance White, a former New York Times style reporter who is now eBay's style director, said at a panel on fashion blogging in 2006: 'Fashion used to be very dictatorial. The impact that blogs are having is (promoting) the idea that the whole population is taking control and ownership of fashion.'
Urban profiles the faces behind six local fashion blogs - Cherry Magazine, Fash-Eccentric!, Fashion Nation, One Sixty Notepad, Rock The Trend and Wottoncool - that are shaking the style status quo.
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| Wottoncool
wottoncool.wordpress.com
Started last year by National University of Singapore business student Josephine Lau (above) and Singapore Management University business student Sarah Swee, both 21 The enthusiastic duo post pictures of themselves discovering the latest trends, shops and cool hideouts. Perks of the job: We've received lookbooks and freebies from companies ranging from MasterCard to Wing Tai to Zouk. Downside: Feeling guilty about not posting new entries. Excuse me, are you an expert? We certainly don't dare to call ourselves experts. In fact, we are readers ourselves. That day would come only when we join Topshop as a style adviser or become a fashion editor at a magazine. | Fashion Nation
fashionation.wordpress.com
Started in 2006 by Tan Wan Qing (aka Stephie, left), who quit her job in the corporate finance industry in February to blog full-time and industrial relations researcher Dorothy Tan (aka Dottie). Both are 25 The blog's magazine-like format includes weekly columns such as a weekend guide, product reviews, personal style shots and celebrity interviews. The girls recently set up an online magazine, Manifesto, as well as an online shop, Shopnation, that stocks local and regional labels. Perks of the job: We have been sent free cosmetics, shoes, clothes and tech gadgets mostly from mass and boutique labels. We've also been invited to fashion events not just here but also abroad. The coolest one was an invite to Japanese designer Limi Feu's show in Paris last year. We didn't go because we both couldn't apply for leave on time. Downsides: Flamers who tend to leave nasty comments about how we're trying too hard. It's part and parcel of blogging though, so we've made it a point to reply unless they are vulgar or nonsensical. We also suffer from blogging fatigue. One day in the blogosphere is a very long time so, as tired as we may be, we try our best to update our blog regularly. Excuse me, are you an expert? It's the reader who decides whether to see us as experts. What happens on our blog is more an exchange than us dictating what to think. | Cherry Magazine
www.mycherrymagazine.com
Started in 2007 by Nicole Then, 23, a fresh information systems graduate from the Singapore Management University who is also a freelance writer and fashion stylist In it, Then shares street snaps and her thoughts about products and local fashion events. She also posts DIY fashion spreads. Perks of the job: The chance to cover industry insider events and do product reviews. At the recent Audi Fashion Festival, I got to take a snap of (British designer) Gareth Pugh. Downsides: Some brands get us to do laborious shoots and advertorials for them, only to repay us with freebies that we don't really need. Others would use our work in their own materials without crediting us. Excuse me, are you an expert? I don't think fashion blogs by established publications like New York Magazine and The New York Times would get everyone agreeing with them just because of their clout. The good thing about blogs is that readers can share their opinions. Fashion shouldn't be taken so seriously - individuals should decide what's best for themselves. |
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| Rock The Trend
rockthetrend.com
Started in 2007 by Temasek Polytechnic apparel design student Laila Lu, 18 A self-declared fan of fashion magazines, Lu pays homage to glossy tomes - particularly the various editions of Vogue - by reproducing their photo spreads and sharing her thoughts on them. Perks of the job: Apart from the invites to industry events, I've also been able to interact with foreign bloggers. Earlier this year, the blogger behind the New York-based Asian Models Blog sent me a copy of Vogue Italia which he bought when he was on holiday in Rome. It usually arrives on newstands here a month late so it was a real treat to get it early. Downsides: Being able to blog regularly about newsworthy content is stressful enough. It doesn't help that in the fashion industry, everything moves so quickly. Excuse me, are you an expert? I am definitely not an expert but I make it a point to state only facts that I gather from extensive Internet research. Or I leave questions in my posts that encourage discussion. | One Sixty Notepad
onesixtynotepad.blogspot.com
Started in 2004 by Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts fashion design student Dinie Rahman, 20, who muses on fashion trends and events in the minimalist blog, which has moody snapshots provided by photographer pal Ridhwan Sesapar, 21 Along with partner-in-crime Ridhwan, Dinie has also contributed illustrations and fashion spreads to Amsterdam-based cult fashion e-zine Mykromag ( www.mykromag.com). Perks of the job: I've received invites to trunk shows and fashion events. I think bloggers are a highly influential bunch who can put Singapore on the international map but there are still companies that are sceptical about us. They don't seem to trust our credibility and integrity as writers. Downsides: It gets pressurising trying to uphold my reputation as a fashion blogger and to look good all the time. People also tend to me judge me by what I write. Excuse me, are you an expert? I'm streetsmart and know the tricks of the trade. I also know how to push my content and make it different to attract readers. | Fash-Eccentric!
www.fash-eccentric.com
Started in 2006 by Wai Xiao Wen, 26, assistant director of external affairs at a school here There is a mix of fashion commentary, product reviews, contest giveaways, style shots and snippets on Wai's personal life written in a chirpy, down-to-earth tone. Perks of the job: I've been invited to fashion shows, store openings and industry parties. Freebies include hair services and travel opportunities. I sometimes take the initiative to approach companies. In April, for instance, I called the PR agency handling the Audi Fashion Festival and got a photographer's pass to the Christian Lacroix opening gala. Downsides: Time management. Fash-Eccentric! is a one-man show and can take up to a couple of hours to work on each time. I hold a full-time job so making sure I blog regularly can be pressurising. Excuse me, are you an expert? I might have a steady readership but it doesn't mean I'm an expert - I don't even know how to pronounce Hermes. It's like how Wikipedia is not exactly the most accurate news source but everyone uses it, even journalists. |
This article was first published in Urban, The Straits Times.
