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Date Posted: Wednesday 27th September 2017
DIARY directory recently caught up with London-based fashion and style blogger Kristabel Plummer from I Want You To Know. Kristabel started the blog during her degree in 2008, and today it covers everything from fashion, travel, beauty, food, London and blogging. Kristabel has been featured in been featured in Stylist Magazine, Grazia France and the Evening Standard (making their Power 1000 list in 2013) and she's also written for Buzzfeed, The Debrief and Metro Online.
Date of Birth: | 17/08/1987 |
Country of residence: | London, UK |
Biggest Readership Locations: | UK, USA, Canada |
3 main areas of focus: | Fashion, Lifestyle, Travel |
Skin tone/type: | Dark or Deep |
Hair colour: | Dark Brown |
Hair type: | Afro |
Dress size: | 10/12 |
Shoe size: | 8 |
Height: | 5 ft 6 |
You also have a YouTube channel, will this ever be your sole focus? Do you think traditional blogging is at risk of fading out?
That would be amazing! YouTube is great for getting my personality across in a different way but I struggle with consistency. I also love writing too much! They’re tricky to compare as some topics may be more suited to a video, a blog post or both. People also consume content differently and I can equally appreciate a styling video by Lizzy Hadfield or witty Man Repeller piece. It’s definitely useful to be in both spaces and aware of their strengths.
Is there something else you’d like to branch into?
So much! I’m an ideas person, so ultimately I would like to create a network and bring the best elements of online interaction, offline. I held my blogger support group #YouCanSitWithUsLDN earlier this year as I saw that people were comparing themselves to what they saw on social media and going round in circles. It’s so important to have that real-life connection and I want to make people feel less alone.
Blogging can - to an extent - be seen as a numbers game, however, we know that numbers don't always measure up to engagement. What does success mean to you and how do you measure it?
I’m probably the worst person to ask as I always struggle when people consider me to be successful! I’ve realised that it’s important to have your own definition of what success is. Is it supporting yourself whilst being self-employed, reaching a certain level in your career or just doing what you love every day? It’s definitely been a journey for me and I’m trying not to beat myself up about it so much.
What advice would you give PRs looking to promote their clients through your blog? How do you think PR’s and influencers can work better together?
Definitely to check to see whether their client is relevant (I don’t feature animals, weight-loss products or fake tan, yet receive these releases) and how I’ve incorporated products before. There’s so much out there and it’s impossible to give each product a dedicated blog post. People also consume content differently now, so maybe a press launch would work better on Instagram Stories. We all need to be realistic. I know that brands won't have a budget for every campaign and wouldn’t want every post of mine to be sponsored. I would also hope that brands understand the pressures that bloggers face and new ASA regulations around gifted products. A lot of us are providing jobs for assistants, photographers, web developers, the list goes on. We’re different to that of a traditional media, we tend to start with no initial investment and have had to figure out a business model. I need to make sure I can pay my rent on time! If brands don’t have a budget and want a specific outcome, then they need to create an amazing experience. At the very least there should be decent light, I once went to a beauty launch in a dark, underground bar and couldn’t even see the products! Thinking like a blogger goes a long way.
What would be a dream collaboration that hasn’t yet presented itself? And what has been your favourite sponsored post to-date?
Probably designing my own collection! There is a great Racked article explaining that menswear is built to serve the body with numerous size options, but with womenswear, we feel like it's our fault when clothes don't fit. Traditional sizing is flawed and through shopping, I’ve realised that most clothing is designed for a flat-chested, slightly hourglass figure. It has definitely led to my own insecurities and it would be great to challenge that. I loved working with Etsy last year on their Resolutions campaign as it allowed me to learn a new skill, interviewing. I’ve now incorporated this element into my posts more and even though transcribing and condensing is a challenge, I always feel a sense of achievement when I hit publish.
What other bloggers/influencers do you follow and why?
At the moment I’m loving eclectic dressers such as Megan Ellaby and Katherine Ormerod, plus Sophia Rosemary, Karina Woodburn and Bubbly Aquarius who remix old and new. I also follow Spirited Pursuit and Marjorie Lacombe for wanderlust and Uzy Nwachukwu for amazing photography. There’s just so much inspiration!
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