Who Needs Vogue? The Rise of the Fashion Blogger

Something that has become increasingly apparent over the past couple of years is that you no longer need to be the daughter of Donatella, or the muse of Tom Ford, to be considered part of the fashion elite. The rise of the fashion blogger has been nowhere more evident than at the recent string of international fashion weeks.

Fashion fans look to bloggers, rather than models for style inspiration

As Milan Fashion Week came to an end the majority of photographs on fashion and news websites were not of the models or the designers, but of bloggers who had attended the shows. No longer are fashion fans on the lookout for models whose style they can emulate, but instead they opt to follow fashion bloggers, who have begun to amass hundreds of thousands of followers on their various social media accounts.

Fashion bloggers have become the most influential spokespeople for the style world, people no longer look to the catwalk for inspiration but to their favourite bloggers. Street style sections of major fashion websites such as Vogue’s Street Chic are fast becoming more popular than photos of runways shows, but how have fashion bloggers and regular fashion followers managed to fight their way out of obscurity to become to most relevant of all the fashionistas?

It’s quite simple. These girls (and guys) make fashion relatable and accessible to the every day person. How many times have you seen a look on the catwalk that you think would never translate to real life? Well, the fashion bloggers find a way to do it. They also manage to find cheaper alternatives and ways of creating runway looks, sometimes, but not always, without a wheelbarrow full of money and a Fendi loyalty card. They’re all attractive, but in a way that doesn’t intimidate and make fans feel they couldn’t look equally as stylish in the same clothes.  The fashion bloggers have inspired people who perhaps didn’t have the confidence beforehand, to be bolder with their fashion choices.

Bloggers find a way to make bold catwalk looks, like this Roberto Cavalli coat, translate into real life

This has been picked up by the fashion industry who recognise that these bloggers now have a huge and devoted fan base. Nowadays, a company is probably more likely to sell clothes that have been seen on a blogger than are featured in a global ad campaign. Thus is the power of the internet.

The only downside to the increasing popular of fashion bloggers is that once they have become successful, most of them receive their items for free. This means that once again regular people may find themselves unable to afford the jam-packed wardrobe of an admired blogger. Their humble origins are also a thing of the past as some have been picked up for their savvy self-taught marketing and are now raking in a fortune through advertising and increased job opportunities.

Do you miss the early days of fashion blogging, before the one time hobby had become so mainstream? Or do you enjoy seeing your favourite bloggers becoming part of the fashion A-List?