9.06.2012

Independent Fashion Blogger Conference 2012: Recap

From Left Fashion Bloggers: Brooke Allen, Lauren Peacher, and Blyssa David

Over the past two days I was finally able to attend one of The Independent Fashion Blogging community’s famed conferences. For those of you unfamiliar with IFB (Independent Fashion Bloggers), it’s a blog and forum where independent bloggers from around the world congregate to share tips and learn about everything from the business of blogging to social media to having good content.  Two times a year, right before New York Fashion Week, this website creates and conducts a conference with many informational and rewarding panels and events. The event is also a wonderful opportunity to meet and connect to other bloggers in the community and people in the fashion industry.This was my first time attending this conference and I have to say that it was as good, if not better, than I expected it to be. I met a plethora of amazing people, learned so much about the industry, and left with a truly gratifying experience. If you’re currently a fashion blogger or thinking about starting one I highly recommend you join the community and attend the next conference. You and your blog will definitely benefit from it.

Derek Blasberg and Coco Rocha


There were many great panels at the conference, but the two keynote speakers are who I really felt I learned the most from. On the first day of the conference model and social media maven, Coco Rocha, interviewed fashion journalist, editor, best selling author and personality, Derek Blasberg. When people have asked me what kind of career I’d like to have I often answer “I want to be Derek Blasberg.” Blasberg is currently the editor at large of Harper’s Bazaar and senior editor of V Magazine and Vman, the fashion titles from arts collective Visionaire. He has previously contributed to Vogue, W, Elle, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal Magazine, and more. His career is highly covetable, competitive and the exact job I’d hope to have some day. Blasberg discussed how he got to where he is today and declared his eternal devotion to the magazine industry. It was great to finally hear him speak and take his advice on how to get to where you want to be: “Never say no.” Blasberg says he took whatever job he could get; from working at a newspaper to writing the credits at Vogue, he did it all. He was confident, persistent and it allowed him to become the fashion journalist extraordinaire he is today.

Iman at the Independent Fashion Bloggers Conference

Day two’s keynote speaker was super model and entrepreneur, Iman. Iman discussed everything from how she became a supermodel and icon to the creation and growth of her cosmetic line to the upcoming launch of her blog, Destination Iman. She first noted how the fashion industry has changed…and for the better. What she likes about the industry today is that “the perceptions of beauty and fashion have widened” and that now “fashion is no longer for the elite, it’s for everyone.” She talks about how difficult it was to attend a fashion show unless you were a prominent figure in the industry in the 70s and 80s. Today getting into shows is much easier. However, she did express her dislike for celebrities becoming figures in front rows and taking over fashion magazine covers, a spot that in her day was taken by a super model.  In 1989, while at the peak of her career, Iman chose to retire as a fashion model. She took a hiatus from the industry completely and explained “she had to divorce the industry in order to be taken seriously.” When she launched her cosmetics collection it was rare that a model did more than just model. In order for her to become a successful opportunity she had to completely leave the fashion industry and make them miss her. As a result Iman was able to create a successful business, one that was a new to it’s industry. During that time, there wasn’t much makeup out there for anyone who wasn’t white. She was able to change that. Today she is working on her blog, Destination Iman, which will cover everything from fashion to cosmetics to lifestyle and home. It sounds like it will be an amazing online publication and I can’t wait to see it.

Fashion bloggers attending the Independent Fashion Bloggers Conference


All of the panels were great and I’m so glad I got to here words of wisdom and advice from some of the top guns in the industry. I was also happy to meet a ton of other great bloggers from around the world. That said, I’m sure you can imagine that that conference may have had the most amount of well-dressed people you have ever seen. Of course I had to take some photographs of these great and fashionable bloggers!

Overall I really enjoyed this conference and I cannot wait for the next one in 2013. Check out IFB’s website and if you’re a fashion blogger I hope to see you at the next one! Also, look out for more photos from the Conference on my tumblr.

5 comments:

  1. wow, this is great that you took part in this conference! it sound very inspiring!

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  2. wow! It's great opportunity to inspire for the new season. Glad for you!

    http://fromprovince.blogspot.com/

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  3. Hi Sarah!! Thank for the pic! It was so nice chatting with you and I'm doing a post soon on new blogs I discovered through ifb and yours will definitely be on there :)
    Brooke @ what2wear

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  4. Looks like alot of fun! I wish we had something similar here xx

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