Fashion bloggers: the new era of influencers?

Fashion bloggers are arguably the pioneers of the large blogging community. Sure, there are many other kinds of bloggers out there and they cut across many different areas of modern life. From food, lifestyle, to technology. Chances are if you can name it, the blogosphere has it. The argument lies in the success of fashion blogs. As Amna Al-Falasi says, "the fashion blogger acts as a reviewer of a particular business/product, whether its a boutique, a designer, a fashion brand, makeup and other related products."

In her blog: The Rabbit Hole, Amna touches on the reasons behind the success of fashion bloggers and why they are still at the top of the game in an industry characterized by fleeting trends and extremely high turnover rates.

1. Many fashion bloggers start up their blogs with a purpose. Whether it is to showcase their talent in a particular area such as photography, good writing skills, being an excellent stylist, designer, artist or all of the above, fashion bloggers have something good to offer. The blogging community is filled with like minded people who may share the same interests so it is a great way for bloggers to enhance their existing careers or launch new ones in the future. 
2. Fashion blogs have become an important part of mainstream fashion media. They offer a lot of content, from how to wear tutorials, a breakdown of runaway shows, product reviews, a daily dose of inspiration. Fashion blogs are like a better form of magazines.  All that curated content by real individuals and easily available online!
3. The power and influence of fashion bloggers. Fashion bloggers challenge the dominant perception of fashion visual culture as something that can be worn by all women of different backgrounds, sizes and ages who all establish their own unique sense of style. For instance, Dolce & Gabbana is an Italian luxury fashion brand. Imagine their clothes on Asian women and you get an idea of where this going.  
4. Fashion bloggers play interchangeable roles. They can act as the journalist, the photographer, the editor, personal stylist, the advertiser, and sometimes all at once. 
5. Fashion bloggers are attractive to audiences. Consumers perceive fashion bloggers to be real and more genuine in comparison to other forms of fashion media. Fashion bloggers earn their credibility through stating their opinions about the fashion industry. They sit on the fence just between being an insider and an outsider of the fashion industry. They know more about the fashion industry than the average consumer, but they don't know enough to be categorized as an insider. The views of fashion bloggers are their own, untainted by external factors such as pressure from a specified advertiser or designer. It's certainly a refreshing change from traditional fashion media which is largely dependent on advertising and therefore unable to voice completely unbiased views. 
6. Influence of fashion bloggers. Designers are becoming increasingly dependent on the views of fashion bloggers. Their input is considered to be vital in the process of shaping their design collections as bloggers place them in direct contact with their targeted customers.

Amna also comments on the business side of fashion blogging. The toughest question for fashion bloggers is in determining when to charge and when to do things for free. There isn't really a clear standard in the blogging industry. She offers the following advice: 

• A blogger who first starts up their fashion blog should work on building good relationships with other fashion bloggers and brands. 
• Bloggers should treat up and coming brands and designers with flexibility. Compensation for making a blog post on the brand can be accepted in the form of a free garment or product. For an established brand, a win-win situation can be negotiated between both parties. 
• If a blogger is asked to work on a series of promotions on behalf of a brand within a specific time frame, then bloggers should most likely charge for their time spent on doing. However, if the blogger is presented with information on a brand or an event, it may be considered as editorial work and so it's not something to be charged. Ultimately, this is up to the blogger.