Larissa D’Sa
With 1,17,000 followers, Larissa D’Sa is a heavyweight in the sphere of blogging. She started with a creative DIY blog named We Love Customade back in 2012. After much meandering in the space, for some time now, she has created a niche for her works. “I started We Love Customade out of frustration, really. I didn’t get through the third round of Pantaloon Fresh Face and I was so mad, that I started the blog to get out there and prove myself,” she recalls. Today, the 23-year-old is the face of a high street fashion brand. “I have tried a lot of things. I tried modelling for a bit, but that didn’t work out, then I became a tattoo artist (which I still am) and now I am a professional graphic artists specialising in illustrations,” she says. Very soon, a multi network channel approached her to make her own channel. This, she says, didn’t work out so well for her. “They basically take 60 per cent of what you make through your videos and give you nothing. In fact, all the video content I wrote also belonged to them — which, I admit was my fault because I didn’t read the contract properly. Then, I decided to finally forego that channel and make a new one, which also made me lose my followers,” she recalls solemnly. Larissa, who is more into vlogging that blogging, says brands are tricky in a way. When her YouTube channel was just starting out, she made a video on Fab Bag, the monthly grooming beauty products subscription. The brand liked it and approached her for more content for them. “They approached me saying they will be sending me more stuff and I just had to make videos. I was super psyched! I was receiving free products and all I had to do was make videos! Bring it on!” she laughs. In today’s scene, brands are tricky. When sponsoring brands, are you entitled to your own opinion, we ask. “This is why I prefer to not do posts on reviews. Sometimes, my opinion doesn’t match the brand’s. So collaborations for me, are generally with bloggers or vloggers I’m friends with — the rapport is more natural,” she concludes.

The Dapper Label wearing Tom Ford and OsbyOs.

The Dapper label
A business management student from MMK College in Bandra, Usaamah Siddique was working with a celebrity stylist when the idea of starting a blog of his own struck him. He’s one of the few male fashion followers with an enviable following. “Women’s fashion is easier to put out there — it is dependant on trends, but men’s fashion needs to be approached with a different style, because it isn’t loud and quirky. It is all about minimal styling and sticking to basics. You see, there is only so much one can do with men’s fashion and so, it is important to keep the content different,” he explains.

Today, Usaamah has his own made-to-measure label that goes under the same name as his blog — The Dapper Label — and has collaborated with popular men’s clothing brands like Hackett, H&M, Calvin Klein, and Dior perfumes. These internationally reputed brands approach Usaamah (and not the other way round, like in most cases) to showcase their products, with a sponsored post occasionally. Most times though, it works on a quid-pro-quo basis, where Usaamah gets the products and the brand gets the coverage. And the job’s rather impressive, it’s tougher than it looks, the young fashoinista assures us. “When it comes to maintaining yourself online, out of sight is out of mind. There are so many bloggers out there; if you don’t post often, you will be forgotten. And it’s not just about posting often, you also need to post quality stuff,” he asserts. “Many people think blogging just happens; that there is no work involved. But, we work really hard. From styling an outfit and looking for locations, to developing the story behind a post, we are working a lot.”