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!