Friday, March 06, 2015

When Fashion Hits the Spot



 


       Being a fashion student you always want to consider all your options within the fashion industry.
Recent Ryerson University graduate, Amanda Stines, has been in the position most of us are in now. She currently has Bachelor of Arts in English and Arts and Contemporary Studies with a honours diploma in Fashion Business Industry from George Brown College. She has gained experience within the Fashion Industry by having internships with Holt Renfrew, Seventeen Magazine, LOULOU Magazine and the digital magazine, The Kit. I was also an online fashion contributor for the GUESS Watches fashion blog, GUESS Access and currently run my own fashion blog, Amanda's Fashion Spot. By having these opportunities Amanda was able to have a career and basically live out her dreams. Through this Fashion Business Industry program, mainly the Fashion Journalism elective, Amanda was able to utilize the skills and use the information given to her to start her own blog and be successful at what she does.






       With being a fashion blogger you obviously have to know about fashion. The in's & out's. What's trending at the moment, what's coming back into style...etc. “Fashion is the something that I have always loved. When I was younger, I always expressing myself and fashion a way for me to do that”, says Stines. “ I used to enjoy spending time with my mother and aunts who loved fashion, shopping and reading magazines so their interests
rubbed off on me, “ she adds.  As a blogger their is more to it then what meets the eye. A fashion blog can be about many different things such as different types of clothing and accessory pieces, celebrity fashion statements and urban fashion trends. Most fashion blogs cover fashion from the biggest designer brands to an average bloke walking down the street.

 

       Amanda started her blog almost six years ago. She is still shocked to this day about how much time has passed.  “I started Amanda's Fashion Spot because I really wanted to obtain an internship and I struggled to find one so I decided to start my blog.” “ I felt empowered when I started my blog because I felt as if I had my own special place in fashion,” she states proudly.  Starting something that you feel strongly about can give you a sense of entitlement. When putting your all into everything there is an element of risk-taking. With Amanda's blog she's simply sharing her interests with other individuals. While having true personality.

 

       Everyone that knows the fashion industry well enough knows that there are perks when it comes to being a fashion blogger. “The perks of being a fashion blogger include having your own voice and creative freedom to write about and feature whatever you choose,” she says humbly. Thoroughout the duration of Amanda being a fashion blogger she has been able to preview select fashion collections before anyone else. “ I have received free products and it is always flattering when companies reach out to me and ask me to blog about them,“ she says. With Amanda being a fashion blogger it also helped her get chosen as one of the Canadian finalists for GUESS Watches One To Watch worldwide contest.

 

        Stines, gives credit to George Brown College and acknowledges that particular courses that were mandatory to the program helped her for the long run in the career and more importantly helped her with her career as a blogger. In fact, it was the Fashion Journalism course with Sarah Hood that awakened her passion for fashion journalism and inspired her to write about fashion. “I actually started my blog while I was taking the Fashion Journalism course! Being at George Brown College, I was able to learn to so much about the fashion industry and that made me want to have my own voice in the fashion industry which my blog allowed.” Her advice for someone who wants to be a succesful fashion blogger is firstly to determine what your intentions are. What do you want to do? Do you want to share your favourite outfits? Discuss fashion news? Write about the latest trends? Of course do what you want to do but be sure to have a main idea. Have a clear focus for your blog and stay consistent with your blog is the best way to have success as a blogger. “If a young fashion student would like to start a blog, I think that they should go ahead and do it! Right now, is a great and easy time to start a blog with the popularity of social media there are so many ways that someone can start a blog and express their fashion point of view.” she says. “Instagram is a great way to show your daily outfits or daily outfit inspirations and Twitter can also be used to write about your fashion points of view,” she adds. “Most importantly, no matter what profession you're in make sure that your always having fun and staying true to yourself.”  “Be who you are! Accept yourself as you really are, not as someone else thinks you should be. Do not take action or pretend to be someone else for the sake of gaining acceptance. “

 



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