nother edition of Inside the Blog awaits, with featured blog The Blonde Salad. Most of you may know the face behind the blog more than the blog itself – Chiara Ferragni.
Chiara is an international fashion icon, hailing from Italy and making significant impact in Europe and America. Similar to the previously featured Leandra Medine of Man Repeller, Chiara is a celebrity blogger. Her presence in the front row of fashion shows is desired by all types of designers. Her style has gained her front-cover photoshoots on Vogue and collaborations with designers such as Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, and Chanel.
Chiara actually got her start in law school. She had a passion for clothes and dressing up and simply enjoyed sharing her pictures online. She started her blog in October 2009 to do just that – share pictures. Less than two years later, it had reached more than one million visitors and she was receiving offers for partnerships with major brands. She dropped out of law school a few years later – only three exams away from completing her degree – in order to put all of her energy into her blossoming blog.
Evidently, she made the right decision, because she has skyrocketed to fame. However, she’s not a celebrity or a model. Some argue that she’s not even really a blogger – she’s a brand. She’s a digital entrepreneur who knows how to market her lifestyle. She works with a team of 18 personal friends, rather than just an agent or publicist, and this is what makes her impact extra powerful. In fact, the way she built this brand and business model is so innovative and unique that it has been examined by students at Harvard Business School, and she has also been named one of the 30 most influential people under 30 by Forbes.
Her secret behind the popularity of her brand is that she is always true to herself. She never tries too hard, and she never tries to be something that she’s not. She doesn’t conform to the traditional “fashion blogger” mold. Chiara simply does what appeals to her. She’s known for her wild and fun look and, because of this, targets a more youthful, sartorially-bold audience. Her followers are able to find her relatable and aspirational at the same time, in the sense that the fame she holds in the fashion world seemed to have come upon her suddenly. She was simply being herself, living her life, and sharing her own style, and is now doing amazing things. Today she’s making significant impact in the industry with her shoe line and brand.
To follow in Chiara’s footsteps the rules are simple: be yourself and don’t mold to anything. You attract attention if you’re different, and that’s what you want. Be appreciated for your uniqueness.
-Kalyxa Roman
Images courtesy of Instagram and Chiara Ferragni.