Every once in a while, bloggers come along that are so spot-on with their fashion tips and advice that they quickly elicit a large following. These are more than writers giving reviews on merchandise; these are inspirational figures that create a whole new way to experience clothing, in turn becoming major fashion icons that others look to in order to shape their own styles. When you have that much influence and respect in the fashion world, it only makes sense to take the next logical step: embrace ecommerce and start your own fashion brand. We feature some of the best, and most successful of these bloggers, turn designers below who prove that not only is making your own clothes the new ‘in thing’, but also that you can be very successful doing so.
Emily Schuman of Cupcakes and Cashmere
Starting out with her blog, Cupcakes and Cashmere, Emily increased in popularity and engaged in two collaborations and published two books before she settled in to invest the time and effort in her own line. Also called Cupcakes and Cashmere, the brand is light, fun and feminine, just like the personal style that fans have fallen in love with through her blog. Her line is available through Nordstrom and Shopbop. Rumor also has it that Emily will have a home line coming out, to be offered through Bed Bath and Beyond.
Elin Kling of The Wall
Elin Kling, former blogger of The Wall, launched her brand Totême in 2014, which is available on Net-A-Porter and the trendy SoHo boutique, The Apartment, as well as through her own ecommerce shop. Before launching her line, however, she had successful collaborations with Guess and H&M. This success gave her want she needed to branch out on her own – well, not exactly on her own, since hubby and business partner Karl Lindman has also been there every step of the way.
Chiara Ferragni of The Blonde Salad
Perhaps one of the most successful to have branched out from blogging to design, Chiara Ferragni launched her shoe collection, Chiara Ferragni Collection, in 2014; a line that has been successful enough to bring in millions and is available worldwide. Furthermore, Ferragni was featured in a Harvard Business Review case study, examining the success of her brand, which leads her to one more successful achievement and call for acclaim – being the first blogger to be profiled in HBR.
Rumi Neely of FashionToast
One of the “original” fashion bloggers, Rumi Neely launched her personal style blog FashionToast back in 2008. After her blog skyrocketed in loyal, eager followers, Neely was catapulted to fame and made into a fashion icon. It was therefore inevitable that she would come out with her own line. After all, what is there left to do when you’ve accomplished everything else? So that’s exactly what she did, launching Are You Am I in 2014 (a play on the initials of her name, R.U.M.I). Her slinky fashion line, that leaves very little to the imagination may not be for everyone, but for her loyal fan-base these skimpy pieces are very hot commodities.