Manolo in Mumbai
Manolo says, the Manolo has been mentioned in the Indian Express.
Thanks to The Manolo’s (no relation to “il maestro di tutti maestri” Blahnik) wit and sarcasm on shoeblogs.com, internationally, fashion blogs are getting as popular as web logs on entertainment and politics. In India, however, there aren’t many takers for fashion blogs or even ‘givers’ so to speak. A search for fashion blogs by Indians would hardly get exciting results, even fewer are as funny as their international counterparts.
“While surfing the internet, I do look at fashion websites but never blogs. If I want to read opinions on fashion, I would much rather read fashion columnists,” says Nonita Kalra, editor Elle.
Internationally, there are fashion blogs dedicated to topics ranging from makeup and wardrobe to even wristwatches. While their popularity has led to advertising revenue, the fledgling blog arena in India is not even half as professional. Meera Mittal, a fashion designer, was already writing on fashion for other websites when she decided to start her own site. But before that, she tested waters through her blog, styleasylum.blogspot.com.
“But it’s been a while since I’ve updated it. I don’t have the time or the inclination now. Even the response wasn’t encouraging,” says the 26-year-old. While Mittal gave fashion week updates, 23-year-old Meenakshi Srikandath’s blog is about “bitch-slapping” Bollywood celebrities’ fashion gaffes. And since in India, fashion is directly co-related to Bollywood, her catty style is likely to find more readers. “I enjoy making people laugh and I love fashion. Taking a cue from gofugyourself.com, I started bollywoodbitchslap.blogspot.com,” she says.
The Manolo always has the same advice for the aspiring fashion blogger: blog!
If you love the fashion and you have something to say that is entertaining or interesting, you will find your audience, but it may take many months to do so.
And now, in order to help his subcontinental fashion blogger friends to find the wider audience, the Manolo asks them to leave their web addresses in the comments section of this post so that he may add them to his blogroll.
Manolo shouts, let the thousand Indian fashion blogs bloom!
February 4th, 2007 at 4:31 pm
What a wonderful world we live in! Good to know!
February 4th, 2007 at 4:59 pm
iCiNG, at http://www.galadarling.com is my website where I write about fashion, style, aesthetics & how to live a more interesting life! & I love you. Hee!
February 4th, 2007 at 6:56 pm
While surfing the internet, I do look at fashion websites but never blogs. If I want to read opinions on fashion, I would much rather read fashion columnists,” says Nonita Kalra, editor Elle.
That’s a huge part of the problem, IMO; fashion columnists are going to toe the same party line as the mags, and don’t really give you an idea of what people really think about fashion, or how they adapt it in their own lives. The fashion industry is often in danger of solipsistically disappearing up its own backside and has completely lost touch with consumers (look at the disasters which often get praised at The Sartoralist, for instance: lots of chicly thin albeit homely people in drab, expensive clothing, bleh). The bloggers aren’t beholden to editorial policies or sponsors and can give a much better snapshot of what consumers are thinking–not what they’ve been told to tell the consumers to think.
February 5th, 2007 at 1:24 am
Well put, Doe! It’s good to read the opinions of the experts, but in the end those opinions don’t matter as much as the opinions of those who read them. Fashion blogs, and especially the independently run fashion blogs from all over the world, with their ability to display real-time comments from their readers, are often much more in touch with the realistic interpretations of fashion consumers.
February 5th, 2007 at 1:58 am
Hi I have enjoyed your blog tremendously. Have started recently to touch more on fashion as have just started work in this industry..this i where I blog about my life in fashion and my thoughts about the latest trends: xtralicious.blogspot.com
February 5th, 2007 at 10:55 am
I love The Manolo and have been ‘obsessed’ with fashion for many years (so much so, I hold a degreee in it). After being inspired by different fashion blogs, I recently started my own: http://www.glamorousadvisor.blogspot.com
February 5th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
I’d like to echo the call for more Indian bloggers about fashion. India is so technologically advanced, it’s funny that there are not more fashion bloggers. Of course we may be missing people who blog in Hindi.
-Chris
February 5th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
[…] The Manolo recently issued a call for more Indian fashion bloggers. Inspired by his call, I decided to go to India to recruit more myself…right now I’m sitting in the Singapore airport (a shopping paradise by the way) waiting for my flight to Chennai. […]
February 6th, 2007 at 5:43 am
Firstly, the shoeblog: loveitloveitloveit!!! It’s one of the reasons I started fashion blogging. I was very sceptical about blogging at first, and since I work in a newsroom I thought I would be laughed at if my blog wasn’t about politics… coz trust me, Indians looooooooooove politics!! But then I started reading your blog and other fashion blogs… and hey, u need fashion just as much, if not more than, politics. Here’s to Manolos and more!!! Muah!!!
February 6th, 2007 at 5:44 am
Firstly, the shoeblog: loveitloveitloveit!!! It’s one of the reasons I started fashion blogging. I was very sceptical about blogging at first, and since I work in a newsroom I thought I would be laughed at if my blog wasn’t about politics… coz trust me, Indians looooooooooove politics!! But then I started reading your blog and other fashion blogs… and hey, u need fashion just as much, if not more than, politics. Here’s to Manolos and more!!! Muah!!!
February 6th, 2007 at 6:04 am
Hello oh Manolo, so happy to find our article posted on your blog… the entire office is screeching louder than a metal-tipped stilleto to be mentioned in the world’s favourite blogmeister. I’m going to get a print-out and put it up on the noticeboard.
Keep writing and we’ll keep reading…
Bottom’s up….XOXO
February 6th, 2007 at 7:11 pm
hi! just wanted to say that i love the manolo. :) and now I love the manolo more because of what he will do which is to add my blog in the blogroll. :)
http://philosophicalstyle.blogspot.com
P.S. The manolo is already in my links I adore list.
June 30th, 2007 at 8:11 am
I am American(Based In New York) but Indian by decent and I have successful fashion blog. But I think the problem hereis the Indian fashion scene is premature it hasn’t been around for a while hence there’s really not much to blog about! In any case please do ass me to your blogroll none th eless and check out my site I think you’ll adore it. I adore yours. :) xx M http://www.hautemimi.blogspot.com Cheers
October 1st, 2007 at 9:49 pm
Hi, nice page.!
look on my pages:
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ok.. bitte
October 4th, 2007 at 4:35 pm
I’m Indian, and living in the country in question but I’m afraid my blog doesn’t really do much by way of talking about the Indian fashion scene- for the most part it doesn’t interest me. But I would be grateful if you could tell me of any real Indian fashion blogs that you know of.
http://lemontartletsandwinegums.blogspot.com/