The pinnacle of fashion influencing: running your own brand. The path to getting there, however, is challenging. You need followers (lots of them), a clear vision, and a sense of authenticity. When you've successfully checked off all those boxes—and more—as ladies like Danielle Bernstein and Chriselle Lim have, you're no longer just a blogger, but an entrepreneur and designer, not simply influencing what people wear, but creating it. In short, you're a power women.
These two ladies aren't the only tastemakers to dominate the Instagram/blogosphere. There are many more women who have forged major careers in fashion our of their modest blogging days. Below, we've highlighted 10 influencers to know and follow. Should you love their style, too, we've selected our favorite pieces from their brands for you to shop.
Arielle Noa Charnas of Something Navy
New Yorkbased influencer Arielle Charnas started her fashion blog Something Navy back in 2009. An OG blogger, if you will. Fast forward, nearly a decade later, Charnas is running her own namesake clothing line in partnership with Nordstrom. (She sold more than $1 million dollars through a collab with the retailer in 2017, in case you were wondering the extent of her influence.) Charnas happily documents her monthly fashion drops, from sparkly earrings to cozy sweaters, on the Something Navy Instagram account, and now shares BTS glimpses of her family life on her personal Instagram.
The Piece We Love:
Danielle Bernstein of WeWoreWhat
Danielle Bernstein launched her blog WeWoreWhat during her sophomore year of college; by age 26, she had landed herself on Forbes 30 Under 30 list (in 2017). The stylish influencer, who boasts a cool 1.9 million Instagram followers, has collaborated with a variety of brands to design everything from swimsuits to jewelry, and has two fashion lines under her belt: Second Skin Overalls and Archive Shoes. (Fun fact: The overalls line brought in $70,000 in three hours when it launched in 2016.) This entrepreneur's career in fashion is just beginning.
The Piece We Love:
Rumi Dowson of Fashion Toast
Rumi Neely or Rumi Dowson (her married name), was one of the first bloggers to jump into the design space, launching her "casual luxury" label, Are You Ami, in 2014. The line offers a mix of sexy mini slip dresses, cheeky swimsuits, and crop tops with west coast vibes. Dowson designs all the clothing, which are manufactured in the heart of Los Angeles. If you're one of her 683k Instagram followers, you'll notice the aesthetic of what she sells directly aligns with what she shares—it's all about being confident and showing some skin.
The Piece We Love:
Gabi Gregg of Gabifresh
Gabrielle Gregg started her blog in September 2008 and has since become a well-known influencer who champions body diversity in fashion. "I knew first-hand the lack of resources for younger, trendier women sizes 14 and up, so I decided to fill the void," she writes on her website. Gregg, who has 664k Instagram followers, has stayed true to her mission, launching collections with the likes of Swimsuits For All (the label offers sizes 4 and up) and Playful Promises, a lingerie line with extended sizes. She's ventured beyond collabs, and in 2017 co-founded Premme, a clothing brand specializing in of-the-moment pieces for women of all sizes.
The Piece We Love:
Chriselle Lim of The Chriselle Factor
Chriselle Lim kicked off her fashion career as a wardrobe stylist before launching her website, The Chriselle Factor, in 2011. On it, she covers every topic imaginable, from fashion and beauty to lifestyle and motherhood (she's a mom of two girls). Her style, in particular, is beloved by her 1.1 million Instagram followers, which is why it's no surprise Lim has her own fashion line with Nordstrom: The Chriselle Lim Collection. Lim's eponymous line includes affordable wardrobe staples (prices range from $59 to $189) that anyone can wear. If you're obsessed with Lim's content, you can even subscribe to her personal YouTube channel, where she has a "Catchin' Up With Chris" series.
The Piece We Love:
Chiara Ferragni of The Blonde Salad
I've unofficially dubbed Chiara Ferragni the Italian version of Kim Kardashian. Like the Kardashians, Ferragni has a fierce entrepreneurial spirit (her uber successful blog and footwear line, Chiara Ferragni Collection, became a Harvard Business School case study in 2017), lives an opulent lifestyle, and is married to an equally famous musician (Federico Lucia, an Italian rapper and producer). It's easy to forget the 31-year-old was once a blogger with a modest little site called The Blonde Salad, which has since been revamped. She's traded in her Abercrombie Fitch hoodies for Dior gowns and Vogue covers. With 15.7 million Instagram followers and counting, Ferragni is a force to be reckon with.
The Piece We Love:
Shea Marie of Peace Love Shea
Influencers have a knack for zeroing in on that one product they can build their brand around. For Shea Marie, it was bathing suits. She launched her luxury swimwear line, Same Swim, in 2015 and since then, her designs have been spotted on the likes of Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber. Sold on her website and through retailers like Shopbop, the swimsuits range from $20 for a top to $220 for a one piece. I'm patiently waiting for Shea Marie to launch her next big project. Perhaps it'll be a vacation-inspired shoe line?
The Piece(s) We Love:
Jess Hannah of J. Hannah Jewelry
[instagram align='center' id='BktcWyeAqN8']https://www.instagram.com/p/BktcWyeAqN8[/instagram]
Jess Hannah backed into the world of blogging, first designing jewelry, then later creating her blog. She now has more than 200,000 followers on Instagram. Her love for accessory-making began when she inherited a few of her grandmother's antique pieces. "From a young age, I was fascinated by the craftsmanship of them," she told The Coveteur. "I was obsessed with jewelry ever since.... [At one point], I was doing metalsmithing classes out of this old lady’s garage after school, because we didn’t have a jewelry design program at my school." After launching J. Hannah (pieces are made to order from solid 14k gold or sterling silver), the designer also, appropriately, released her own nail polish collection and has plans to tackle bridal jewelry next.
The Piece We Love:
Soraya De Carvalho of Style Is My Thing
Based in Nottingham, England, Soraya De Carvalho has quietly amassed 141k Instagram followers, including the likes of Law Roach, who styles Zendaya and Ariana Grande. On social media, Carvalho shares a mix of family shots and street style outfits, nailing the lighting in every photograph. While fashion appears to be Carvalho's calling, the blogger has also dived head-first into the world of hair extensions (no pun intended). She's the founder of Style Is My Thing Luxury Hair Extensions, which offers non-chemically treated hair sourced from Russia. If you're wondering what the extensions look like IRL, one only needs to scroll through this fashionista's Instagram feed.
The Piece We Love:
Vanessa Hong of The Haute Pursuit
Brooklyn-based blogger Vanessa Hong launched her blog The Haute Pursuit in 2010, and has managed to curate a style that's aspirational with a hint of attainability. "The blog was just an avenue for me to express myself through my clothing, my words..." she said in an interview to Hypebae. Outside of her blog, Hong has become a fixture at New York Fashion Week (her street style outfits are goldmine for photographers) and has modeled for brands like Calvin Klein and guest edited for Net-a-Porter. Fans seeking Hong's simple yet elevated style can shop her e-commerce site, THPSHOP, where she designs her own garments, accessories, and jewelry. In awe yet? I am.
The Piece We Love:
For more celebrity news, beauty and fashion advice, savvy political commentary, and fascinating features, sign up for the Marie Claire newsletter.
RELATED STORY
