Sophia Rosemary – On Blogging & Being A Women In The Media
Avid dungaree wearer and style inspiration to over 160k followers, we caught up with Sophia Rosemary ahead of International Women’s Day on the 8th March to discuss Pussy Power and how she became the successful fashion blogger she is now.
Catch Sophia talking about Women In Media at Manchester University on Sunday 4th March. Click here for more info and tickets.
Our Pussy Power t-shirt is a celebration of women… a coming together to claim our own power and support others in a time where issues of sexual equality have been constant headlines across the news. Why is it important to you to celebrate International Women’s Day?
I think International Women’s Day is incredibly important because it allows women to come together, support one another and empower. It really encourages women to understand their potential and their value. I love the unity of it and how it really encourages everyone- not just women- to talk about sexual equality. It brings it to the forefront.
As a young women working within the sphere of blogging and being such an influential Instagram star, do you feel that you have a responsibility to project a certain message?
I think if you have a platform big or small than you have some level of responsibility to inspire others and I guess lead by example. For me personally it’s always been essential in my writing and on social media that women understand their strengths and feel good about themselves because I believe so strongly in female empowerment- it wouldn’t be right not to convey this message. I think if you’re using whatever voice you have with integrity that’s the main thing, if you don’t stand up for what you believe in than who will?
Tell us a little about your journey to becoming the successful blogger you are now in such a short space of time…
How did you find the confidence to begin your journey as a fashion blogger?
I started off on Instagram just posting my outfits and photographs which inspired me, I’ve always love fashion so it was just a natural progression this what my social media would revolve around too- my followers grew and this really gave me the boost I needed to start a blog. I’d grown a following from just being myself so I felt like I had nothing to lose but at least try and start a blog. I’m so glad I took a leap of faith in myself.
Did you have experience of the fashion industry before your embarked upon this journey?
Yes I worked in Merchandising for a number of years before I started my blog, I have a degree in Fashion Marketing and I did a lot of interning… Super experienced you might say! Haha!!
As there isn’t a college course for becoming an Instagram star (actually, I’ve just found out that there is!!) how did you find your feet? Were there moments of uncertainty when you started to work with brands or styling your photoshoot’s- has it all been quite a natural learning curve?
I think the really important thing to remember is try hard and always be yourself. It’s easy on social media to over analyse and compare and it can be very toxic because you’ll lose sight of who you are and effectively your own “niche”. I never felt uncertain working with brands because I’m always so sure to work with brands I love and I guess the same goes for styling my shoots- I wear the pieces I love, in a way I want to wear them. It might not always be groundbreaking but it’s me!… I’m totally googling Instagram college courses by the way, that’s crazy!
Who gave you that first push/ keeps you going?
My followers I guess! They made me realise that I had some sort of potential! Then after that it was my boyfriend- self doubt is all to easy so it’s nice to have someone always routing for you and reassuring me.
Where did you find your sounding boards? Is there much support within the industry?
It’s always great talking to other bloggers- it can often be a lonely job and there’s no official user book to guide you along. Talking is the best thing you can do! I’ve made some really amazing friends through blogging and it’s nice to have someone to reach out to for an informed opinion.
Are there negative points and how do you over come them?
I think you can often be so self-critical and easily feel like you have to appease. I definitely think there’s a part of you that needs a thick skin but you just have to learn not to take everything so seriously. You can’t win them all and you won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. Keep going!!
With a following of over 160 THOUSAND followers, do you feel pressure to constantly create new content? I wonder, do you ever get the fashion version of ‘writers block’, or are you constantly excited to explore whatever newness is around the corner?
I’ve got a list of really bizarre subjects I want to cover and I’m always adding to it. It can just stem from a fleeting conversation with my best friend or a comment I’ll see on Twitter or Instagram and I’ll think “hmm that’s interesting”… You can definitely get writers block, sometimes I’ll have been super enthusiastic about a subject at the start and half way through I’ll think “I have no idea where I’m going with this”. Those are the moments when you need to walk away and come back to it later on.
As a fashion blogger, is it important to you to make your personal style stand out from the norm?
I think you shouldn’t force it to be anything that it isn’t because than it’s not your personal style! I love dungarees and a tee and sometimes I’ll think “this is totally boring and everyone has seen it a million times before”… But they’re the posts that do well because people have a feel for what’s genuine.
What’s your favorite way to make a style statement and who was or is your all time style inspiration?
What is the greatest satisfaction about being a blogger? I love Jane Birkin, I love how boyish her style was. I think comfort is key- wear what you want as long as you feel good, don’t worry about what other people think! Greatest blogger satisfaction is someone telling you they related to something you’ve written, making people happy and inspiring.
So… what’s next for Sophia Rosemary – What’s your ultimate goal and how do you plan to get there, or have you already reached it?
Oh I don’t really know yet, I still feel like I’m finding my feet with blogging!… One day curate my own range on clothing? That would be cool.
If you had a motto, what would it be? You can’t win them all (I actually think I’ve already used it once in this interview haha!!)
Who would you love to style? That’s tough! I honestly have no idea!
Who would you trust to style YOU for a week? Leith Clark
Flats or Heels? Flats
Night In or Night Out? Night In
What is your fashion guilty pleasure? Converse
Less or More? Less!! I think….