Nour Arida Badawi, is a fashion enthusiast, Vogue collector, happy wife and blessed mommy, as she describes herself in her blog. She has 71 000 followers on Instagram.
Nour started off as a sales manager and led her way up to become the Fashion Buyer (the person who travels to choose collections) at Aishti, for more than 150 brands including Rag & Bone, Zimmermann, Theory, Vince, J-Brand and Frame Denim. Nour gained her popularity as a blogger during her pregnancy and launched her official blog one day before her daughter was born.
Edgy and minimalistic, as well as spontaneous, this fashionista is also very close to her fans. Her Snapchat Nour_arida gives a behind-the-scenes look into the daily life of a blogger. Above all, she is a genuine, beautiful person with a big love for fashion and does not let social media change her.
How do you differentiate yourself from other fashion bloggers?
I think when you remain true to yourself and to your fashion identity the differentiation occurs on its own.
Does your Lebanese heritage play a part in your blogging?
My Lebanese heritage does play a role in my blogging, but to a limited extent. It sometimes affects the types of subjects I deal with in my articles, especially when I try to address what might interest the readers in my country or in the Middle East. Yet, my heritage has not affected my fashion identity, as I regard this as something non-geographical, and quite personal.
“My Lebanese heritage plays a role in my blogging”
How much time does it take you to edit a post? What are your favorite editing apps?
It takes me around 1 minute to edit an Instagram post: to adjust the colors, especially when the picture is taken with a phone. I use the incorporated color editing tools (brightness, saturation, contrast…) in the Instagram App. I stay away from filters to maintain the authenticity of the pic.
How would you describe your recent fashion week experience (New York, Paris) and what would you say was the most exciting moment?
I would describe it using one word, amazing, I have two favorite moments in the shows: the first is the show’s entrance when we arrive and photographers and paparazzi are aligned waiting to snap pictures of our outfits. The second is the moment the first model steps onto the catwalk. There’s a certain adrenaline to it.
What advice would you give anyone wanting to become a fashion blogger? What does it take to be successful in the industry?
The main advice I would give any person wanting to purse fashion blogging as a career, is to discover their own fashion identity first. The blogging scene is over saturated and people definitely don’t want to see copies.
Regarding what it takes to be successful. In the industry, I personally believe that fashion blogging (if pursued as a professional career) needs solid fashion background and experience. It is not enough to pose and take a picture. You have to know the previous and upcoming trends, the brands and their messages and visions, the fabrics, the behind-the-scenes of the fashion world, etc. I personally acquired five years of extensive experience with Aishti, one of the biggest fashion emporiums in the Middle East. I was a fashion buyer, constantly traveling to choose collections for more than 150 brands – meeting with their creative designers – checking up on all their private viewings. This got me access to the fashion shows in the first place.
How does a fashion blogger make money, and how would you describe your business model?
A fashion blogger makes money from collaborations with local and international brands, as well as stores. A blogger is not only a digital influencer, it is much more than getting paid for a post. A blogger studies a brand prior to working with it, in order to fully understand its vision and messages. Then, the blogger works with brands to transmit a whole message (marketing, creative and branding aspects are all taken into consideration) on all social media platforms including the blog. So it’s more than a self-proclaimed title. It needs hard and consistent work, non-stop.
For more information
Blog: http://nfornour.com
Instagram: @Nfornour
Facebook: N For Nour
