The first web log was created by Swarthmore College student Justin Hall in 1994, and it wasn’t until 1997 that the term “Weblog” (short for“logging the Web”) was used by online diarist Jorn Barger. Programmer Peter Merholz shortens this to “blog”, and the rest is history: we’re now wading through the blogs of 7 million people on blogging sites, and 12 million through social media networks, like Facebook.
You make how much?
Fashion bloggers—if they’re social media-savvy and work hard for affiliated sales and brand collaboration—can rake in big bucks. Take Chiara Ferragni of The Blonde Salad, for example. At 10.2 million followers on Instagram and 1.2 million Facebook subscribers, this blogger reputedly made US $8 million in revenues a few years back. If you want to talk mainstream, the liberal and political Huffington Post news site rakes in $14,000,000. This is per month, people.
So we can see that blogging can make a lot of money, but what about positively influencing the world about issues like sustainable fashion and ethical brands? Here’s a look at five fashion and design bloggers who might not be raking in an annual seven figures but we believe are inspiring the world to be a better place.
It’s more than just about the money.
1. Miss Moss
Moss suggests decorating with vintage posters (Credit/Postirati)
Diana Moss is a designer and blogger from Cape Town, South Africa, who calls her blog a “Compendium of Radness”. Moss started her fashion, art, design and photography blog in 2009 to share her love for “visual treasures”. We especially love her take on anything vintage, whether it’s movie posters, photography, fashion or even eclectic mid-century homes-for-sale in Ohio. Random radness!
Designer and blogger, Diana Moss (Credit/missmoss.co.za)
Unlike other popular fashion and design blogs that are riddled with links to sponsors or ads, Moss stresses that she does not accept sponsored posts. Everything on the blog is handpicked and hers, and she only writes about or photographs things she truly loves. This blogger has a healthy handle on social media and posts regularly on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter.
Rest assured that whatever you see here is a true reflection of my taste.
Moss doesn’t just want us to see her stuff—she’s really excited about other bloggers and websites, too.
2. Fashion Me Green
My heart lies in creativity—Greta Eagen (Credit/fashionmegreen.com)
Abiding by “style + sustainability – sacrifice”, Jackson Hole, Wyoming resident Greta Eagan is a fashion and beauty creative professional. Along with offering professional makeup and styling services, Greta’s Fashion Me Green blog is beautifully uplifting and colourful, and features information about shopping, good reads and favourite products.
Greta’s 2014 book, Wear No Evil: How to Change the World with Your Wardrobe, discusses the pitfalls of fashion and ethics.
The book holds a wealth of information that’s useful both environmentally and personally, and Eagan’s plea for a “reboot” of how people shop and clothe themselves is a timely entreaty for change.
—Publishers’ Weekly
3. Fashion Hound
Faye has a eye for op shop gems (Credit/fashionhoundtv)
“Fashion Hound is all about reusing and reducing our fashion footprint,” says experienced television presenter, producer and writer Faye De Lanty. This upbeat video blog site covers eco fashion, vintage styles and thrift shopping. “I want to show you that second hand never has to mean second best”.
De Lanty partners with The Salvation Army to create exciting eco fashion initiatives in both Australia and New York City. Fashion Hound includes Faye’s own favourites, like cozy photo montages of holidays and organic gardening with her “Mumma”. Fashion Hound Faye says she is just like her dog Soho, sniffing out treats … only for her, this means exciting fashion discoveries in “Op shop” stores (Australian slang for charity shops), like an $800 pair of Manolo Blahniks for $25 in NY and an authentic Burberry trenchcoat for £40 in London (about US $50).
4. The Discerning Brute
Joshua Katcher, founder of the first vegan, ethically-made menswear fashion brand (Credit/discerningbrute)
Joshua Katcher started the men’s ethical lifestyle website, The Discerning Brute, in 2008, with a focus on “fashion, food and etiquette for the ethically handsome man”, as well as sustainability and ethics in fashion production. He is a fashion instructor at Parsons The New School for Design, and was voted one of the top 10 male bloggers by Veg News Magazine.
Katcher launched the Brave GentleMan label in 2010—the first vegan and ethically-made menswear fashion brand that uses “future-leather, future-wool and future-silk” materials. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) voted Katcher the “Most Influential Designer” of 2015, and Brave GentleMan was nominated as 2015 Vegan Brand of the Year at the Fashion Net Awards.
Joshua frequently tours with his lecture: “Fashion & Animals: The Anatomy of A Fatal Attraction”.
5. Kate Fletcher
Kate Fletcher champions “slow fashion” (Credit/ecouterre)
Fashion and design activist, writer, and lover of all things natural, Kate Fletcher might just be the person behind the buzzword “slow fashion”. This sustainability pioneer takes a bit more of an academic approach to this subject, just in case you’re more inclined to respond to ethically fashion dilemmas with your head and not just your heart.
Kate is the founder of Slow Fashion consultancy, where she works to foster change towards sustainability. She is also an inspirational speaker who has written over 50 scholarly and popular publications in the field.
Her most popular blog posts include:
- Fashion and Sustainability FAQs
- The Language of Fashion and Sustainability
- Fashion & Sustainability: Mike Barry & Kate Fletcher debate
- New Sustainable Design Film Release: ’50 Ways of Working Sustainably’
- Andean Culture, Fashion and Sustainability
So what’s our take?
It’s not that being a fashion influencer or a sharp-witted political news site is any less important, but perhaps they’re getting more out of us than we are from them. Meaningful bloggers want to share beauty and insight with their readers, and to possibility make the world a better place with their musings.
Written By: Adriane Rysz