An outfit in a white shirt and black trousers - not in a way to proclaim 'I only wear black and white and is therefore trendsetting stylish'. It's more to do with the things I've learnt this year from posting on this platform (year has passed, my birthday was last week). The first question that comes to mind to any fashion blogger would probably be 'what are you wearing'? An average person would probably expect to hear roll call of high-end luxury brands designer-everything, 'this is vintage AND from Paris' and other things... So I wanted to make this blog post to clarify some things here and there.

It's scary to think how much things can change in a year whether it is to do with your location or whatever you're up to. In short, whatever wherever this year. Having written on this platform has continued my interest to write about this creative industry and kept me at my feet. The experience has opened doors to places or events I would attend that never in my life I would think I would, with the addition to create a visual and editorial aspect of what I make of it. Blogging or anything really, I think most importantly is as we grow more, we realise what is good for us and become prouder of things we do. This year and a few months has clarified what I, simply put, was a [cover your ears] 'passion for fashion' to a next step.

To steer away from the mainstream way of blogging seems to be the way to do it. There's so many blogs and information out there, it's hard to say that creating The Bold Concept was not putting my feet into an oversaturated market (but then every industry seems to be nowadays, yet that hasn't, doesn't and won't stop us, so there). Though the much-repeated phrase, or if you've unheard of, puts it:

“Blogging is a dirty word in fashion”

Too often bloggers are put into a position where we are thought to be a group that comes from a non-professional background nor acquire the connections of a well-established company. Pursuing an originally non-profit hobby to money-making businesses (and so, frowned on upon). But yet bloggers do what they do; connecting the missing gap between where fashion is produced to its consumers which editors from magazines or large fashion houses lack the ability to. The new generation social media influencer giants.

I've also come to understand that too often people don't realise how each blogger is unique: some do OOTDs, some do editorials, some do more writing, others less, some everything. Conclusion is that there's no right or wrong. We're just different and that simply isn't understood enough.

People automatically assume certain things - rude questions like, 'do you have like ten thousand million followers on social media?' (and drawing conclusions that if you don't have few hundred thousands, you're no-one) or 'since you're a fashion blogger, which shoes should I wear?' (when how would one know unless you really have a good eye - styling is not for everyone) or 'do you get all your clothes for free?'. And to feed the appetite of these hungry curious souls, I can simply answer 'no, I have no idea and definitely not.' There's also that automatic assumption that your life is as perfect as PPP (picture perfect Paris) since you jet around the world, get paid to do so and simply have to take a few fun pictures. That's another BIG 'NO' since people forget the simple fact that only a limited amount of bloggers do so and what is posted online is only a bit (small or not) of my (and I can say for most bloggers, our) life.

Too often people think bloggers as one category. We're more like a class (think taxonomy, there's still order, family, genus and species, just saying). Since when do you really ask a person their occupation and actually know what they are doing.

And this 'outfit' represents that: not everything is what it appears to be. The whole idea that fashion industry is for the 'dumb and ditzy' is simply wilful ignorance; by no means am I saying that there are no people who sit in the front row (somehow) and go on their phone merely 'to be seen' - there are, yes, but that doesn't mean everyone does. The industry is also much larger than it seems - with its easiest distinction of the creative end and the commercial end. It's over-glamourised, sure - what you see online is perhaps not what it seems to be and it's often the fact in any form of media. When my friend asked me months ago what exactly is the direction of the blog, I had no idea. Is it a profession? Is it a part-time job? What are your goals? Who knows.

Before I created The Bold Concept, I didn't expect think I would be able to go to Paris to see the collections first hand, but equally I didn't expect to get into awkward street style cameras. A photographer once got his camera out and zoomed right into my face... Another even ordered me to not get onto a tram and then followed me on only to take more photos. It happens.

There are things that are meant to be heard with palms on your ears (as pictured above) and I've had comments saying that by creating this platform is a 'pretentious and vain'. But equally, again, inspiring and well-written. The solution really is to take everything into account and find a right balance. Because an industry is only as bleak as you choose to picture it and make of it.

To me these pictures captured all these feelings and the post written as I feel; but to others, they'll just be another few 'pretty pictures'. Nevermind that.

Photos by my truly amazing friend Josephine Cheng where you can find more at her site: http://josephine-cheng.com

To be continued... #tbc