The first real hot ticket in Toronto this year, in my opinion, was the @Style panel discussion, part of the international event Social Media Week.  You had to get up pretty early to grab a spot on the RSVP list – naturally I’m a lark and signed up on 5:30am on January 29th, third on the list, seconds after Susan Langdon tweeted about it for the first time.

Four speakers, invited by Jyotika of exshoesme, brought four very different perspectives to the effects of social media on fashion.  At first I was a little skeptical – other than Cherie Federau of Shrimpton Couture, none of the speakers are bloggers – and even Cherie is primarily an online retailer, not a blogger.  So what sort of insights could an audience populated mostly by fashion bloggers expect?

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The first speaker was Susan Langdon of the Toronto Fashion Incubator (full disclosure – TFI is a sponsor of Final Fashion).  Susan introduced the new Social Media Guidebook (available here) that the TFI commissioned, and that I had a small part in contributing to.  The guide is made for fashion entrepreneurs who are unfamiliar with the current social media landscape and want to be able to use the tools available to help their brand. I haven’t seen the book in full yet so I can’t comment on it other than the brief overview Susan gave us; while the bullet points seem a bit jargon-y (what the heck does authenticate even mean?) the interviews with many interesting bloggers and entrepreneurs would be well worth the cost of admission.  The questions I answered for the guide were good ones and I gave very candid answers.

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The second speaker was Cherie Federau of Shrimpton Couture.  I was looking forward to hearing Cherie speak the most – the scribbly notes in the moleskine above are from her presentation (I don’t own a mobile, and I don’t live-tweet, ever). Of all of the speakers, I identify most closely with Cherie – not only do I admire her as a tremendously successful online entrepreneur, she is also enthusiastic and genuine with a great sense of humour.  Cherie is self-taught by trial and error (like me) and abides by a similar philosophy of relating to people online – essentially, be open to the world, stay on top of your correspondence, be a decent human being, and be true to yourself. Cherie’s talk offered the most real, applicable advice to living and working online.

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The third speaker was Dr. Alexandra Palmer, costume curator of the Royal Ontario Museum.  She began her presentation discussing buttons on 13th century jackets – and I was wondering what the connection was (because surely it wasn’t to buttons on mobile phones).  Over the course of her talk, her insight became a bit clearer – that the application of technology to fashion is what makes new fashions possible – for instance, the development of stretch fabrics made the innovation of pantyhose possible, and pantyhose in turn made it possible for women to wear miniskirts in the 1960s.

However, when it came to the application of social media technology to fashion, Dr. Palmer seemed dubious of the advantages – she expressed cynicism that the greater speed and dissemination of trends could do anything for the development of modern fashion, that somehow the overwhelming preoccupation with speed represented a sense of loss and “waste” to her. She drew some thoughtful parallels between social media and the development of the Jacquard loom, the first computer, which put many weavers out of work. She also discussed a bit about how technology is affecting the modern retail business – such as how prolific communication makes retail innovations like pop-up shops possible.  Another revelation on retail was about how shopping for clothing is so dependent on tactility – and how now bricks and mortar stores are being used by customers to try on clothing, and online stores are used to find the best price.

During the question and answer session at the end of the talk, I was able to ask Dr. Palmer whether she had any insights on how the invention of the printing press effected the fashion industry, and whether there are any parallels from that period of history now.  Her response was somewhat surprising to me – though she acknowledged that printing sped up the trend cycle, she dismissed that the technology of printing had a significant effect on fashion, which seems unlikely. Now I am more curious about this than before. Dr. Palmer is an esteemed historian and I have enjoyed reading her admirable work on costume history, but on media, she seems uncharacteristically uncurious.

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The fourth and final speaker was Lisa Tant, editor-in-chief of Flare Magazine. Lisa is the only EIC of a fashion magazine in Canada who is a prolific tweeter with a significant following online. She can seem surprisingly unguarded on twitter sometimes – just over a week ago she got some flack for “Sobbing to think that a 13 year old gets a front row seat to cover couture. No justice in this world.” which she obliquely alluded to in her presentation by saying that its best to avoid being “cute or sarcastic” on social media. I couldn’t help but find it a bit ironic that Lisa Tant would be telling a room full of fashion bloggers about social media the very next week – seating assignments really do seem unfair sometimes – and wondered if I could think of a slam-dunk question to ask her, but somehow I couldn’t.

Watching Lisa Tant speak, she seemed much more lucid and insightful than she appears on Twitter, which I think does reveal a limitation of micro-blogging. The major message I got from Tant’s talk was how magazines are concerned with the broader strokes of culture and celebrity – while what is important for bloggers is a sense of individual personality. Flare can be commended for recognizing the work of Tommy Ton before he became a phenomenon – but for the most part it seems like the publication is concerned with using the existing momentum behind individual brands – such as Lady Gaga and Perez Hilton, to drive the growth of the Flare brand.

This supports my own conclusions when it comes to the new-media vs. old-media discussion – that mastheads are becoming less valuable than individuals. Flare as a brand is not only hampered by its very corporate-ness (unsupportive Rogers policy tries to discourage the use of social media), it is more and more dependent on the brands of individuals to drive its own brand. Online, Tommy Ton is a bigger brand than Flare – and his fans will follow his work whether its under the Flare masthead, or Style.com, or on his own site.  I think that editors and old media say that the holy grail online is speed (Tant says “readers expect immediacy”) but the real prize we’re all after is actually an individual brand (Tommy often posts photos months after they are taken).  I think Tant knows this whether she says it or not – her own personal influence is getting pretty close to equal in numbers to that of Flare’s – I would even argue that it is more valuable in qualitative terms to Flare, and especially to Tant herself.

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All in all it was a terrific, thought-provoking morning, and the various perspectives provided some fascinating contrasts. If you attended, what did you think? I’m up for a discussion.

Hello, friends.  I am back out of the woods, for now.

If you’ve been following Final Fashion for more than a year, you know that I love the beginning of a new year.  I love making changes, making plans, and making goals.  Usually I make some personal resolutions (this year is all about skin and hair, among some more daunting ambitions), some business goals, and most importantly for you, some plans for the blog.  Last year was about posting a minimum of five times a week, a standard that I met and often exceeded.  Once the rhythm was set I found it an easy habit to have.

Once I did have that momentum going, and action was happening on the blog, I was able to start a unique sponsorship program.  I am incredibly grateful for the enthusiasm of my readers and sponsors – you all inspire me to keep Final Fashion going, and to make sure it is the best it can be.

As with keeping any commitment, I learned a lot.  And some of what I discovered is inspiring some changes in direction for Final Fashion in 2010.  In no particular order, here they are.

1. A more international focus. I love featuring the work of people that I know personally, and so Final Fashion has naturally become very Toronto-centric.  However, in 2010 I will be in the process of setting up a drastic life transition that will eventually take me out of Toronto.  Part of that preparation will happen on the blog – I’ll be reaching out more to foster internet connections with interesting people all over the world.  Also, I will no longer be posting local events – unless my sponsors or I am directly involved, or if they have relevance to people outside of Toronto.
2. More projects, less posting. Some of the most popular posts of 2009 were about projects – especially major ones.  This makes me very happy because I would love to do more projects, especially ones involving collaboration, new techniques, and even clothing design.  To balance a commitment to more studio work, I’m going to go easier on myself when it comes to posting frequently, and focus more on posting about the creative process, and of course exciting reveals of finished projects.
3. A monthly podcast. One of my favourite parts of blogging is the ability to have conversations, and I’d like to raise that bar even higher by having a monthly conversational podcast, featuring some of the smartest thinking people I know talking about fashion news and issues, project collaboration, as well as some more esoteric subjects.
4. Customized sponsorship opportunities. The transition from local to international will definitely affect the type of sponsorship that will fit on Final Fashion and I am up for the challenge.  In addition to the ability to connect sponsors with local influencers (for instance, with sponsored events), I am ready to come up with more ways to help sponsors make connections all over the world.  Want to do giveaways? Want to become the title sponsor for the podcast? Want to have a livelier online presence?  I would love to talk to you about your goals.
5. More audacity. Over the course of five years (!) of blogging, I’ve changed my mind many times about the level of transparency that is appropriate on Final Fashion.  Where do I draw the line when it comes to sharing my opinions, my hopes and fears?  Do I hide my weaknesses and failures? Do I have to avoid controversy? How can I be professional but still keep the humanity that makes a personal blog interesting?  The ability to navigate the nuances of so-called pro blogging has come with experiences, both positive successes and heartbreaking mistakes.  The way I feel about it now: the best blogging – as with writing and any type of art – is real.  I will not compromise expressing myself no matter what the medium, and I will strive to be as authentic as my ability to communicate will allow me.  Thanks to everyone who has rewarded me for pushing through the fear and being willing to take the risk of being real. I learned that I have nothing to lose and so much to gain by just being myself.

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions for the site – either by commenting or you can use the anonymous survey form.  I would also love to know what you have in mind for yourself in 2010.  What did you learn last year, and how have your experiences inspired you to make changes this year?

I am going to be taking some time away from the studio so posting will be few and far between until the new year.  Wishing you and your family peace and happiness, and a merry Christmas if you celebrate.  See you on the other side.

I am going away for a week for a big project, a little break, and some adventures, so I leave you with a sneak peek of the big project.

Thanks for your patience with site maintenance and correspondence – I’ll be back on November 20 with a big reveal, and a very exciting contest to make up for my absence.

Have a great week!

A model from Evan Biddell’s SS10 show.

Fashion week in Toronto is over.  It has been fun, absurd, exhausting and entertaining, as always.  I am very happy with the progress of the paper doll project – expect a few more to come next week as well as an announcement about the details of the paper doll book.  But first I need a little break.  I will be away from the internet until next Thursday the 29th.  Thanks for your patience.

Please forgive the slightly lighter and irregular posting schedule this week and throughout the month.  I am taking in the gorgeous summer weather up north for weekends in August.  Depending on when the rides are going it means that some weekends are longer than others so so it affects the rhythm of Final Fashion somewhat.  Thanks to all readers and supporters for your patience with posting and correspondence this month.  I hope you also have the privilege of enjoying summer outside and away from the internet, wherever you are.

As an experiment, I am picking some favourite books and DVDs from Amazon.ca and putting them in the far right sidebar below the sponsors.  Its a selection of items I recommend enthusiastically and will be updated from time to time as I figure this whole affiliation thing out.  If you are a Canadian reader interested in a way to support the site, consider purchasing these items by clicking the cover images.  Thanks!

So you may have noticed my fancy new second sidebar on the far right, constructed with geeky help from geekigirl.  This is a place for me to try some new things out.  Since January, I have been putting a lot more effort into the blog.  It has been bringing me a lot of new energy and traffic and opportunities – a lot of work but totally worth it.

More recently, I surveyed all of you for your thoughts on the blog – you can still take the survey if you feel like contributing your opinions and ideas.  I have been trying to come up with a way for the blog to support itself more directly – and more consistently – than indirectly supporting my business as a fashion illustrator.

From Google Analytics, I know that there are many of you as far as I am concerned – there is usually about 400 unique visitors daily – but as far as advertisers are concerned, those numbers are insignificant.  Final Fashion is just a tiny slice of a giant fashion blog demographic – and from an advertising point of view, not particularly useful.  You are all too smart to click on advertising, and for the most part you are not consumers; you are creators.

The survey results confirmed it – Final Fashion readers are amazing.  Many of you work in the fashion industry or the media, have your own businesses, are going to school, or have your own fashion blogs, and you are all characterized by a sense of curiousity and creativity – and influence.  All of you are the greatest reason for me to put my best efforts into the site.

I have discovered that when I do put energy into the site, it comes back to me in surprising ways.  The fact that I can make a living doing what I love is a credit to all of the good people I have met through this site.  You are all an incredibly supportive community and deserve better than Adsense.  So now that I am trying to come up with a way to use that second sidebar, I’ve decided to try something different.

Sponsorship.  This word implies a lot more than just advertising.  Here’s the deal:

• Developing Final Fashion has helped me build a network and a small business, and I feel that this energy can also benefit other, like-minded businesses in the same way.
• Many of my readers are also entrepreneurs who are looking for inexpensive ways to promote what they are doing to the people who matter, and many of them don’t have the time to develop a blog to this level of engagement.  Final Fashion needs a sponsorship program that is flexible enough for bootstrapping entrepreneurs like myself to get in on it.
• Sponsorship will also be tied in with what I do – all of the sponsor badges will be custom-illustrated by myself.  That’s right – if you’re into being a sponsor, you’ll get your own custom illustration to use online for a very reasonable rate.
• I want to know my sponsors personally – I would like them to be a part of my working life and be a part of the blog.  Sponsors will be selected as carefully as I select my clients.  That sponsorship is going to affect blog content is a given – so I would like to take it further and really open up the blog to those who are willing to invest in it.  Sponsors will get one post a month, in the same spirit as all of my posts – candid, personal and direct.  Up front, sponsors will also get some preferential treatment when it comes to referrals and posts – quid pro quo.  Sponsors will also be expected to put some of their own effort and ideas into the site to get the most out of the program.
• When explaining what I am trying to do with sponsorship on Final Fashion, I want people to think of it more like PR than advertising – just more direct, more authentic… and cheaper.

Any time you try something for the first time, it is a risk.  This whole sponsorship deal might work out the way I envision it, or it may turn into something different.  I feel incredibly lucky that Fashion Crimes has agreed to be a test case for sponsorship.  They are a Queen Street West institution full of pretty dresses, a great client – and gutsy enough to take a risk on an untested idea here.  My main contact there, manager Crystal Rickard, has agreed to let me take the lid off of the inaugural sponsorship so everyone can get a chance to see what it is and how it works out.

If you have any questions or suggestions for the sponsorship program, please drop me a comment here.  If you want to see the sponsorship rate card and ask questions about how it works, please email me here.

Over the weekend I attended IDS09, and one of the highlights for me was seeing a panel discussion with three top interior design bloggers – Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan from Apartment Therapy, Harry Wakefield from MoCoLoco and Grace Bonney from Design*Sponge.  It was an animated discussion moderated by Mark Challen of House & Home.  As always I find bloggers, especially popular bloggers, to be fascinating people – they are enthusiastic and articulate.

It was essentially a discussion about blogging rather than interior design.  Topics range from blog design, comment management, positivity, and the importance of great images.  I would have liked to hear more about their niche rather than the standard stuff you could hear at any social media convention.  All three are career bloggers who make their living by selling advertising.  The questions from the audience were all about “how can we make money from our blogs” which hardly draws on the unique experiences of design bloggers.  I guess its par for the course to get questions equivalent to the cliché Google search for “make money online”.  Read ProBlogger for that stuff, people!

The one thing that I wondered was why the other kind of blogger was not on the panel.  The furniture designer who blogs.  The textile designer who blogs.  The interior designer who blogs?  They are all out there – and some of them post to the same level of quality that the panel bloggers do.  Not every blogger is a mini-media empire built on advertising revenue.  But the other type of blogger doesn’t get the same kind of attention – despite the fact they have many interesting things to say as well.

I count myself as one of the “other bloggers”.  We fly under the radar for a lot of reasons – not least of which is the fact I have no idea what we are called.  We are described as making a living “indirectly” from our blogs, but “Indirect Blogger” sounds a bit misleading.  Kevin Kelly describes the phenomenon in terms of artists using new media to find their “1000 True Fans“, but that doesn’t suggest a pithy term to me either.  Any ideas?  For now, I’ll use the term Who-Bloggers, just because we often have to describe ourselves something like “Fashion Illustrator Who-Blogs”.

Another reasons the Who-Bloggers get overlooked?  They spend time doing things other than posting on the blog, so they can not post as frequently or build the same level of traffic as a Pro-Blogger.  The established media (like newspapers, television) is hooked on the idea that blogs are their competition and so there is an assumption that the only way to make money from blogs is the same way that the rest of the media does.

There are so many reasons why Who-Bloggers are awesome.  Perhaps we deserve a little more credit and the occasional seat on a panel about blogging.  Here are a few reasons I can think of:

• We are more focused on creating original content.
• Since we do things other than blog, we have more things we can post about first-hand as a participant rather than as an observer.
• Because our audiences are smaller, we can interact more directly with our readers.
• We get the benefits of being part of the media on top of the benefits of the other work we do – like event invitations.
• Blogging allows us to promote ourselves in a way that is cheaper than advertising, more personal and more genuine.
• We have to hold ourselves to a high standard just as much as Pro-Bloggers do, because making our living depends on it.

There are so many Who-Bloggers who have inspired me – I think that Gaping Void is probably the original Who-Blogger and has a huge influence on my attitude towards blogging.  In the world of fashion and design, there are so many I know of – makeup artists who blog, stylists who blog, graphic designers who blog, photographers who blog.  All doing really cool things, I find that when I open my feed reader, I pounce upon the more infrequent updates of the Who-Bloggers while the Pro-Bloggers frequent posts pile up into the hundreds before I feel like I have enough time to sift through all their updates.

How about you?  Are you a Pro-Blogger or a Who-Blogger?  As a reader, do you have any favourite Who-Bloggers?  If you are an artist, designer, or a service provider, how have you used your blog to build your business?