These Bristol freshers are famous fashion bloggers

How did you get into blogging?

Camilla: I got the idea when a friend started a blog. I was pretty young so the first few posts are really random/cringe/contain some appalling grammar. I think one of the earliest posts is about monkeys or something, which is obviously very relevant.

Camilla Ackley- Into The Fold

Amy Mace, Totalfashionjunkie

Amy: I went to a talk about fashion blogging at the V&A and thought it sounded like a fun thing to try. I’d never even heard of it before. The girl said it was a good way to get into fashion journalism and I was instantly interested.

Thinking about all those looming deadlines

At what point did you feel like your blog had become successful?

Amy: I definitely don’t feel like I’ve made it, there are so many blogs out there, mine’s really just a hobby. But going to places like LFW, meeting other bloggers and getting to know the people behind the blogs is always fun and makes you feel like part of the community.

Camilla: Having lots of comments, readers and campaigns is fun and a nice part-time job, but for me the best part has always been about the people you meet. I’ve made some great friends through it, meeting them at events etc. I obviously have goals from a business point of view, but money and exposure really isn’t my main focus.

Amy at London Fashion Week

How did you build up your following?

Camilla: The first few years I didn’t know you could get more than a hundred followers. In the third year I stepped up my photography quality and I started writing for magazines which got attention.

It sounds cheesy but being yourself is the best advice I can give. Try not to take it all too seriously- I mean, I’m posting pictures of myself on the Internet! You can’t take that seriously when you look at it objectively- for your own sanity. It’s a serious business, but if you’re not having fun, what’s the point?

Amy: Twitter and Instagram are definitely the best ways to attract traffic and share what you’re blogging about. It took me about a year to get the hang of the whole blogging thing and start to build up a proper following, so it was a slow process.

All black errything (except the T-Shirt)

What’s the hardest part about being a student fashion blogger?

Camilla: Finding the time- taking pictures, editing, emails. Also getting mobbed on the streets by fans. I like being younger than most, it opens up a new set of readers who can relate to you.

Amy: The hardest part is definitely finding the time to get posts up, because uni life is so busy. But the best part is being able to do something totally different from uni in my spare time, and go to fun events I wouldn’t have been able to go to had I not started my blog.

What’s the best thing about student fashion in particular?

Camilla: It’s pretty diverse, which is cool. Everyone jokes about how it’s just a sea of Nike and Parkas but really it’s not: everyone’s got their own thing going on.

What’s the best thing about being in Bristol?

Amy: Definitely all the nice fences and town houses that make good photo locations (Berkeley Square and Clifton village are faves).

Awesome matching jumper-door combo

Any fashion trends to embrace this spring?

Camilla: I’m actually pretty awful with trends, they can be fun but most of the time you find yourself looking through your wardrobe six months later wondering why you needed a floor-length furry pink coat. I think the 70’s are back though, which is obviously a great excuse to wear those flares that haven’t been cool since I was eight.

The trying to avoid eye contact with someone in the ASS library pose

What’s it like to be featured in magazines like Grazia or Elle?

Camilla: It’s always such an honour when brands like that want to get in touch and work together. I never expect it, so it’s a nice surprise when something like that pops into your email or when a reader says they’ve seen you in a magazine. It never feels real.

Amy: It’s always pretty exciting to be recognised, especially by those big publications. It makes it feel as if the time and effort I’ve put into my blog over the years is paying off.