A virtual minute with... fashion bloggers Les Berlinettes

Les Berlinettes

Tell The Last Miaow readers a bit about who Les Berlinettes are and where you're based.
Hi, it's written by me, Amandine, and my friend Karen. We are both French and both live/lived in Berlin. Amandine has been in Berlin for three years and Karen for almost two - although she went back to France a few weeks ago.

How did this blog come about? The name, the themes...
I began a blog two years ago, then stopped and wanted to do a new one with a friend, so that we could motivate each other. Karen writes more about music, about French stuff like Kitsuné, Yelle and so on, and I write more about fashion or post some music that I like, etc... We both do interviews with bands that we like. We already have interviews with the Drums, Delphic, First Aid Kit, etc... that you can see on You Tube at www.youtube.com/user/dieberlinettes

Time to name-drop: favourite fashion brands and why?
I love Chloé, Céline, Chanel. I actually love really classic brands or brands that are doing very crazy stuff. Or clothes that are impossible to wear in every day life. I would say, Martin Margiela, Starstyling (a label from Berlin), Louise Goldin, Kermit Tesoro (a designer from the Philippines), with whom we also did an interview.

Favourite websites?
I like to read the french journal Madame Figaro, especially during Fashion Week as they report on just about every show in Paris, New York, Milan and London; you can see each piece of a collection. I like to read blogs. Style blogs like StilinBerlin, The Sartorialist... I also like to watch pictures of the three most famous French bloggers: Alix the Cherry Blossom Girl, Pandora and Le Blog de Betty. Then I read fashion news on fashion blogs and sometimes I have a look on Vogue online, GQ or Glamour, but it's not what I prefer most, as the are so commercial.

Finally, where do you see your blog taking you in future?
I don't know yet. I do the blog because I want a career in fashion and I just want people to see I'm very interested in it.

http://lesberlinettes.wordpress.com/
http://twitter.com/lesberlinettes

A virtual minute with... Some Kind of Style

Fashion blogger Some Kind of Style is based in Germany, and I like her blog because she covers Berlin Fashion Week which doesn't get all that much attention in the traditional press (you know how  much I liked Berlin - check out my blog post, Eye on Berlin, from a few months' back). Here, she shares some thoughts, and made me a nice collage on Poyvore!

What's the difference between you and your blogging alter-ego?
Well, I might say it's kind of a Secret Agent Ego! I try to keep the two worlds apart at the moment...more fun that way for me. Sometimes the worlds collide but no one has gotten behind the secret yet!

What are your favourite fashion websites?
I often visit Trendland for information, as well as Frillr and Style.com, as well as many others...

What are you wearing this summer?
I'm definitely wearing flat sandals of all kinds, cool sunglasses and destroyed boyfriend jeans..or take a look over here: My Summer Style (http://www.polyvore.com/my_summer_style/set?id=20131568&stream=0) made you a quick Summer Outfit Collage...

A virtual minute with... The Beautiful and Glammed

An occasional series of interviews with members from the online fashion community.

Megan McCluskie

The Beautiful and Glammed (TBAG) is written by Susannah Edwards and Megan McCluskie, both based in London.

You are bloggers because...
Earning our stripes as fashion interns we decided to do a little something for ourselves. It’s fun and silly and given that we love so many blogs it felt right to join in the fun! It’s an amazing way to get involved in the fashion community and we love the immediacy of it all, you can get immediate feedback and take inspiration from so many fashion writers and all the cool cats that style themselves the world over. We’ve been really lucky and given that we do so many shopping edits it never feels like work – though our banks mightn’t agree.

What are your favourite shopping destinations / hangouts - on the street and online?
Selfridges, Liberty and gold old Toppers have all you need in London (and in the virtual world). Pixie Market, Colette and Oxygen (*see below) are great online boutiques too. A Sunday afternoon shopping around Spitalfields and Brick Lane is heavenly or along Columbia Road [that's East London - TLM].

What are your favourite fashion websites and blogs?
It’s a bit limiting to choose just a few, but we adore community.livejournal.com/fashin, fashionsquad.com, whowhatwear.com, elleuk.com, bargainistafashionista.com, nymag.com/daily/fashion/, refinery29.com/

Susannah Edwards

Got any blogging tips?
As with most things, you get back what you put in. Get involved with other blogs and keep posts frequent so people come back for more. And most importantly, enjoy!

What's the future for fashion and the internet?
The relationship between fashion and the internet will surely grow and certainly commercial magazines now have to work on their internet communication as the internet is definitely a better place for commerce and immediate information. I think fashion on the internet still lacks a certain creativity (though SHOWStudio definitely challenges this!) Certainly, the internet is the place for the more commercial side of fashion but I can’t see us ever wanting look at fashion shoots on our screens. Amazing magazines like Muse, Self Service, Purple and what-not couldn’t be replaced by fashion sites as they could never capture that true creativity.
thebeautifulandglammed.blogspot.com/
twitter.com/TBAG_Blog

A virtual minute with... Michelle Winter, Editor of Glitterball magazine

An occasional series of interviews with members from the online fashion community.

Why did you start Glitterball ?
I started Glitterball in April 2007 initially as a MySpace blog because I wanted to do something creative and expand my journalism skills (I was a first year journalism student when I started Glitterball). I also wanted to make something that wasn't available on the market because I was bored of the magazines I was reading and I wanted something fresh. Glitterball then developed into a zine I printed myself in 2008, but it was difficult to promote and be adventurous with it because it was in black and white. In April 2009 I decided to expand it into an online publication,  enabling me to attract a worldwide audience, primarily in Europe and North America, and bring colour to the pages.

Do you make money from it, or do you think you ever will, and if so, how?
Unfortunately at the moment I don't. I hope in the future to do so by making it a monthly printed publication, but I don't know how to start setting up a business.

What are your favourite shops, online and on the street?
My style constantly changes, one day I'll reference Gossip Girl and Ralph Lauren with school style blazers, grey skirts and head bands and the next I'll wear a glamour grunge lace dress a la Courtney Love or Kat Bjelland. I would say my style is mixture of cute, preppy and grunge, mixed with Parisian...I do love berets and breton stripes. I like to pick up clothes and accessories when I holiday in Europe; I'm half Slovene on my mum's side so I admire European style a lot. Lisbon has great markets where I pick up scarves, brazilets and handmade jewellery.

There aren't that many unique shops near me, except for one in Fulwell where I live - there is a great vintage one on Sea Road. I have to stop myself from going in too often or I will buy everything! I do like high street shops like Zara and Topshop but I put my own spin on what I wear from there so I keep my style unique. Often the same high street stores have more variety abroad, for example Zara sells things in Lisbon and Porto that I've never seen over here. I also love designer collaborations with high street stores because it means you can get limited edition clothing by great designers: most recently I bought a lot from the Pearl Lowe for Peacocks collection (she makes the cutest dresses) and the Henry Holland for Debenhams range. Portobello Market in Notting Hill is fantastic for independent jewellery designers; one stall, Junk Jewels, sells delicate charm bracelets and necklaces. Whenever I'm in London at the weekend that's where you'll find me! Charles of London sells quirky tops and dresses; I bought a fantastic David Bowie dress from them a few years ago which I love. I sometimes buy necklaces from independent designers on MySpace. I bought a wonderful 'J'adore' pink necklace from Raffles Bizarre Jewellery. French Sole sell the most comfortable ballet flats. I have two pairs and I love them!

Favourite fashion websites / magazines / blogs?
I recently came across this website after Daisy Lowe mentioned in a piece she was doing for Vogue: Spanish Moss Vintage. It's a great online site for cute dresses and vintage finds. I admire Handbag.com because it is always up to date with entertainment and hair, fashion and beauty trends; I particularly love the Week In Style section.

I don't read that many blogs, although I do like The Sartorialist and Go Fug Yourself. Go Fug Yourself laments bad style choices but a lot of the time I like the outfits even though I'm not supposed to!

Got any website / blogging tips?
Just be yourself. A girl once asked me to look at her blog and asked if she should change anything about it, but I couldn't make any criticisms because I think the way a blog is written and presented is a reflection on the person who created it. I once read that successful editors put their own personality into their magazine and I think the same applies for websites and blogs. Being original is key.

http://www.wix.com/glitterballmagazine/Glitterball-magazine
http://issuu.com/glitterballmagazine
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=74171051843
http://www.myspace.com/glitterballmagazine
http://twitter.com/GlitterballMag

You can read more Q&As with online fashion peeps here

A virtual minute with... Miss Likey

An occasional series of interviews with people from the online fashion community.

You are a fashion blogger because...
I remember it was my last year in journalism college, and after a few futile attempts at writers’ competitions (including the one Vogue has) and refusing to write about things that I personally dislike, I decided to write a blog. It meant I could keep my freedom. I don’t know how you felt when starting The Last Miaow, but with Misslikey I felt like it was my baby. And I was timid in the beginning - when writing for someone you have an editor, but here every reader is an editor in some kind of way; they decide what is good or not.

How long have you been blogging for?
From September 2008. Is it already 2010?

What are your favourite shops (online and on the street)?
Since blogging, I've become a little walking online shopping guide. I think my favourite shops are the ones that carry Karen Walker and Rachel Comey - I am utterly obsessed with both. As far as labels go, I adore Talula, Lyell and NZ ones Ruby and Stolen Girlfriends Club. From the high street, I am still a Topshop fan. My usual online shopping addresses are Opening Ceremony, Pixie Market, Nasty Gal and The Outnet.

Favourite websites / blogs for fashion news, inspiration etc?
Except The Last Miaow (I always pick up some useful inspiration), I read news daily from FashionMag.com, WWD, Style.com, The Cut, Refinery29, Fashionising.com, Vogue Australia online. Also I love Stylepress, and Fashion Gone Rogue. For celebrity bloggers, I love Yvan Rodic (Facehunter), Julia Frakes(Julia Lapin) and Diane Pernet (dianepernet.typepad.com/).

What's the most successful thing you've posted?
Hmmm, posts regarding red carpet events usually get the most hits, but I don’t do them that often (which doesn't say much for my business skills). Posts I consider successful are usually about quite anonymous people (designers or figures involved in fashion in some kind of way), when I interview them then write the story. I love when I feel that pure passion not damaged by profit; those individuals inspire me the most. Also, writing posts about a designer and then getting a thank you note from him or her - that gives me a feeling of solidarity, especially for a not-so-experienced writer like me.

Any fashion blogging tips?
Be yourself. Having a blog on your own is amazing, because you know you have freedom. Freedom means expression. And expression is art.

What's the future for fashion and the internet?
The internet will have more and more impact on the fashion business, as the online fashion community continues to grow. In this Zeitgeist everyone’s a critic, everyone can comment, everyone can have their five minutes. We've already witnessed some of the great things that can happen (take for example Alexander Wang: he is not just globally popular because of US Vogue and the CFDA - bloggers are the ones that helped him a lot). In this new age of online fashion, the industry is forced to be more ethical, more democratic and more available. And I am happy about that.
misslikey.blogspot.com
twitter.com/misslikey

Madonna Interview magazine

Madonna's featured in the latest issue of Interview, looking like a throwback to her '80s self.

See all the images here

A virtual minute with... Daria Werbowy Gallery

An occasional series of interviews with people from the online fashion community.

Daria Werbowy Gallery, authored by Missouri-based student Megan McGeorge, is a library of all things Daria Werbowy.  

Why did you start a blog about Daria?
I have been a huge fan of Daria for a few years now and originally made the blog for my own personal use. I'd been collecting her ads, covers, and editorials and wanted a digital way of knowing what I had and what I still needed to get to complete my collection. It was also just an easy way to put all of Daria's work in one place considering there wasn't one anywhere online (hence the name Daria Werbowy Gallery). I feel like I am pretty knowledgeable about Daria,and after a while I just figured I should share all of my Daria information to the rest of her fans. I have been blogging ever since.

Where are you based, and what do you do apart from blog?
I live in St. Louis, Missouri. Apart from blogging, I just finished my junior year in college and am majoring in Criminology. I have an office job during the day as well. You can usually find me hanging out with my boyfriend, best friend, or sister when I am not busy.

Where are your favorite shopping destinations - on the street and online?
When I go shopping I usually just head to my local mall and hit stores such as H&M and Forever 21. I wish I could name some cool vintage/boho shops, but I haven't really found any in St. Louis that I could say I shop at. I never shop online for clothes, I'm always afraid I won't get the right size or it just won't like right. The only clothing-related thing I have bought online was a few swimsuits from Victoria's Secret.
If you are ever in the St. Louis area, you must visit St. Louis Bread Company (also called Panera Bread in other areas). It's a very nice place to hangout and enjoy some great food.

Favorite fashion websites?
I'am always on The Fashion Spot, browsing model and magazine threads. I also like checking out Fashion Gone Rogue for any new editorials that I have missed.

Got any blogging tips?
I try to blog right when I hear new news. I like being able to say I was one of the first to post on something, you know? Many of your followers look towards you to bring them news when it happens, and when you post on something that happened a few days ago it doesn't seem to have the same effect. This doesn't pertain to many bloggers considering many blog about themselves and their own style, but when you blog about a specific person, you should be very quick in blogging. I also try to be very personable, seeing as how I am a fan of Daria's just like all of my readers. If I sound too professional or give off the vibe that I am just posting to get the news across, I don't think I would have as many followers. I am usually very excited in my posts, because after all, I am just another fan.

What's the future for fashion and the internet?
More and more people are turning towards making their own blogs to showcase their talents/styles, which is great. People get to do what they love even if they aren't professionals. I just hope we don't eventually turn to only having digital magazines or fashion shows. We need the real deal!

http://www.dariaw.onsugar.com/

Daria Werbowy with her number 1 fan, blogger Megan McGeorge

A virtual minute with... Alice Mary Barnes - redux

I asked Alice Mary Barnes, whose blog was featured in my last post, to give me a few of her favourite fashion spots in her homebase of Newcastle. Here's what she came up with:


Attica Vintage Shop on High Bridge is a treasure trove of vintage and period clothes and home furnishings.

Skirt Boutique also on High Bridge has a great range of unusual clothes and accessories.

There are loads of cool cafes and boutiques in Jesmond - Kitsch'n Cafe for amazing full English breakfasts and Jules B luxury clothing boutique are two of Acorn Road's finest.

Heaton has two amazing cafes - Heaton Perk (next to Heaton Park) has the cool coffee house feel of Central Perk in Friends. The recently departed Belles and Herbs cafe on Heaton Road is now called The Butterfly Cabinet and has an amazing menu of soups, sandwiches, and they do a mean english breakfast too. This usually has a queue out the door of hungover students on Saturday mornings!

There are some great vintage clothes shops in Newcastle - Best Vintage, Retro Clothing and Yellow Jelly.
alicemarybarnes.com

http://blog.alicemarybarnes.com/
twitter.com/alicemarybarnes

A virtual minute with... Alice Mary Barnes

An occasional series of interviews with people from the online fashion community.

Alice Mary Barnes is a Newcastle upon Tyne-based student, currently completing a degree in Fashion Communication at Northumbria University. She's a self-labelled fashion student/lover/admirer, specialising in layout design, some fashion photography and casting for fashion shows.

You blog because...
I want to promote my work to a wider audience and post videos/articles/photos that I love and want to share. My blog is still very much in it's infancy at the moment though as I have been so busy finishing off all my degree work and designing my website!

What are your favourite fashion blogs and websites?
Favourite blogs: Style Bubble - I LOVE Susie's style, she's extremely individual and supports new designers; Am-lul (Gala Gonzalez) and Luxenoir - they put together some gorgeous looks and both have enviable hair! And Show Me Your Wardrobe is fantastic. I love Jackie Dixon's photography and everyone she photographs have such a fantastic sense of style and sense of self. [Check out Jackie's Q&A with The Last Miaow here].

Fashion websites....FAR too many. Obvious websites like Style.com, Catwalking and Models.com, but I love The Fashion Spot forums and magazine websites too like ELLEUK.com.

What are your blogging tips?
Post as often as you can and make sure they contain style as well as substance. Always give the reader something to remember!

What do you think is the future of fashion and the internet?
The internet is such a big and powerful force in the industry now. Twitter, blogs and web-streaming of fashion shows are just a few things that are so important to the industry. My only concern is that all fashion shows will end up online or as videos; fashion is a tactile experience and we must not forget this. Fashion needs to be touched, felt and embraced, and sometimes I worry that the internet will take away the sensation of fashion as a very real experience for the consumer.

alicemarybarnes.com

http://blog.alicemarybarnes.com/

twitter.com/alicemarybarnes

BACKSTAGE from Alice Barnes on Vimeo.
http://www.vimeo.com/11401325 (the video is password protected, type in 'fashion')

A virtual minute with... Jackie Dixon, Show Me Your Wardrobe

An occasional series of interviews with people from the online fashion community.

Jackie Dixon, Photographer/Stylist and Founder of ShowMeYourWardrobe.com

I met Jackie years ago, when we both worked at British Vogue. Last year, she Facebooked me about appearing on what was then her new blog, Show Me Your Wardrobe. She came to my flat and we spent a hilarious morning burrowing through my closet. The resulting pictures hold a special place in my heart, as I was just a few weeks' pregnant at the time, and remind me of feeling thrilled and not a little terrfied. Since then, Show Me Your Wardrobe has become a huge success; here, the unstoppable multi-media-ette answers a few questions for The Last Miaow.

What are your favourite fashion blogs and/or websites?
http://www.desiretoinspire.net/ - I can spend hours on this one, piecing together my dream house.
http://www.realestalker.blogspot.com/ - I love a good snoop!
http://www.thestylerookie.com/ - an obvious choice maybe but what can I say, I'm under the Tavi spell.
http://www.mattheweadeslondon.com/ - and not just because he is my husband...
http://www.backyardbill.com/ - this is my friend Bill's site, he doesn't post as often as I would like him to but it somehow makes the site more special.
And The Last Miaow of course!

How have you noticed the fashion industry has changed towards you during the time you've been blogging?
I think a lot of people still don't realize that it's me taking the pictures for my blog, because I was a stylist first (or rather known as a stylist) they think that maybe someone else is the photographer so firstly, I have to get the word out that I am the photographer, that in general, I am now taking pictures. But as far as me and blogging goes, I've had a really warm reception because my site is all about other people and how fabulous they are, there is nothing negative on my blog, and it's totally selfless, except of course that they are my pictures and that I am the photographer (have I mentioned that I take the pictures...)

It also helped that the first person I shot was Juliette Lewis (as I was styling her at the time) and then of course my regular Show Me Your Wardrobe pages in ELLE magazine were a nice push too. I think I've been really lucky in that although I have a blog I also collaborate with magazines a lot - eg ELLE, The Sunday Times Style, the Telegraph and so on so am not seen as a blogger fullstop; maybe I am more of a stylist/photographer who also happens to have a blog...

What was your LFW AW10 highlight?
Twitter! I signed up and had such a giggle doing it and reading all the other things people were writing. For example, I was at the Bodyamr show chatting away and shooting Nicola Roberts and when I went back to my seat someone had tweeted, "spotted at Bodyamr, ShowMeYourWardrobe's Jackie Dixon snapping celebs". Hilarious! I must get on it a bit more though, haven't got the hang of it fully just yet.

What trends do you see emerging for the coming months?
Sartorially speaking I would imagine everything will be an homage to Celine - cut, colour palette and styling. It's amazing how one show and appointment (ie the appointment of Phoebe Philo) can re-shuffle a few opinions and fashion obsession. I will be channelling a bit of Celine for sure.

Otherwise I see plenty more bloggers and general online activity - Selfridges have just re-launched their website and Liberty are giving theirs a real push too; even Vogue has a blog now. I think there will be a lot more collaborations with bloggers and established fashion houses too (I, for one, have a few up my sleeve).

What's next for Show Me Your Wardrobe?
More shoots! I'm working on a lot of collaborations at the moment - I was part of the editorial team for Benetton's global casting competition to find the next face for their advertising campaign, called IT'S MY TIME. I flew out to NYC to shoot some behind-the-scenes pics for them too. I've also teamed up with Selfridges as they have re-launched their website; I shoot a new section called SELF STYLE taking pics of cool people I find shopping in Selfridges. I also did another Show Me Your Topshop (see what we did there...) pop-up studio in the new Topshop store in Newcastle: I shot 115 people on the first day, it was insane. I've never laughed so much in one day.

I've also started to do more studio shoots, applying the way I approach a Show Me Your Wardrobe shoot to a fashion shoot in a studio. I shot the beautiful Tali Lennox the other day and loved it, and also the very brilliant Paloma Faith. Watch this space - more fashion is definitely coming! And editorial/collaborations too.

http://www.showmeyourwardrobe.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/SMYW

A virtual minute with... stylist and online editor Jemma Tibbals

An occasional series of interviews with members of the online fashion community.

Jemma Tibbals works on the fashion desk at Handbag.com, and is a freelance stylist.

What are your favourite shops online and on the street?
I am a little allergic to buying online, but I have been lured in by The Outnet a few times. I love the V&A shop for fun accessories (I've just bought this hat) and although I’m yet to buy from it, Claire Incorruptible is an amazing site, selling vintage Alaia, Balenciaga and Chanel. Vintage fairs (Hammersmith vintage fashion fair is a good one) and charity shops are my ideal places to shop, because they’re cheap so you can buy something flamboyant and not feel guilty if you only wear it once. My favourite shops include Liberty, H&M and Petit Bateau; I also really love the dance shop Freed on St Martins Lane for wrap-around cardigans, which are a staple in my wardrobe.

Other than Handbag.com, what are your regular go-to websites for fashion info – including blogs, online magazines etc?
WWD, Style.com, The Business of Fashion, The Telegraph and Vogue.com are my everyday ports of call for news. Refinery29, New York Magazine, The Daily, T Magazine, On the Runway by Cathy Horyn, Fashionologie, Fashion Copious, Shala, RDuJour, Fashion Gone Rogue, Curiouser and Curiouser - the list is endless. Guilty pleasure: The Daily Mail website - don’t knock it 'til you’ve tried it!

What's the most successful thing you've ever published online?
My trend translated stories on Handbag.com get the best reaction. It’s a similar idea to Polyvore, which has proven ridiculously popular.

What are your favourite London hangouts?
Marie’s Cafe on Lower Marsh does delicious, cheap Thai food. Just down the road from there is ScooterCaffe - recently voted one of the best secret cafes by Time Out - which is a nice place to go for a drink. They have three cats - it’s a bit like someone’s front room. Do book shops count as hangouts? For the best unique finds I go to the ones on Charing Cross Road. I basically ride everywhere on my bike, you get to see loads more of London that way.

What's the future for fashion and the internet?
I think more of what we have now: Continued access-all-areas from fashion houses and fashion editors through the insights on their blogs, and lots more magazines going down the interactive route.

A virtual minute with La Fille Anglaise

A series of occasional vox pops with online fashion types.

You are a fashion blogger because...
I wanted to show my interpretation of the aspects of fashion I love. Now my thoughts are constantly consumed with everything from colours to trends to models.

What's the most successful thing you've ever posted?
I feel the editorials are most successful. An image can be a powerful thing and readers always seem to find inspiration from the setting, the garments, the models and the photographer.

What are your favourite shops (online or on the street)?
Topshop, Zara, Brick Lane in East London, Beyond Retro; online: americanapparel.co.uk, rokit.co.uk, makelemonade.bigcartel.com/

What are your favourite fashion websites / fashion blogs?
style.com, fashiongonerogue, cocosteaparty, am-lul

What's the future of fashion and the internet?
The internet proves fashion is accessible to anyone, whether it be a young teenage girl or a middle aged woman, and this is very inspiring.

La Fille Anglaise
http://lafilleanglaise.blogspot.com/
twitter.com/KirstieMarieee

A fresh face for 2010

Kasia Struss, the Polish model, is my hunch for a favourite new face for 2010. As well as featuring on the December cover of Vogue Italia, alongside Christy Turlington, Gisele and Lara Stone, and nabbing a few campaigns like Chloe AW09, she suits the new mood of restraint in fashion (see previous post). Here's a piccie of her I found on models.com, taken by Craig McDean in the most recent issue of Interview.