Do you have an earliest fashion memory?
I do! It was back when I was still a teenager and I saw Vogue on the newsstand in my hometown in Georgia (a country in Europe). I was obsessed with collecting newspapers and magazines since childhood, but I never had a real fashion magazine in my hands. So that day, back in 2008, I was intrigued to see a beautiful model and the Vogue logo printed with gold foiled letters. I looked at that cover for a few days at my daily newsstand and asked for the price. It cost my weekly allowance, but I really wanted to see what was inside. One day, I “risked” paying around $15 for the magazine, and I never regretted it. It was a life-changing moment for me. I opened it, looked inside, smelled it, and said “I want to work here.” I still have a big archive of magazines with around 1000+ copies.
How did you get your start in the fashion industry?
After getting that Vogue issue, I googled to see other Vogue covers and discovered there were various editions of the magazine with incredible covers and editorials. I discovered W, i-D, V, Harper’s Bazaar, Pop, Love and many more. I was also a member of the Fashion Spot forum, where I passionately discussed fashion magazines. Later, I created a Tumblr blog titled “Glossy Newsstand” to share all of my favorite covers, editorials and campaigns. I had fun – even if I spent lots of time just refreshing magazine websites hoping to see their new cover.
Soon I realized I needed to have a real job and salary. Despite getting a diploma in Business Management, I started working as a digital manager of the Georgian fashion brand ANOUKI. By 23, I became general manager of the brand. Later, I started my own creative agency titled ARIAL BOLD and worked with Georgian and International brands in consulting, developing content, and organizing events and runways. Most of my fashion knowledge today is a reflection of my past work experiences. Even though I was happy with my job, I always had that nostalgia for my blog. I also had a nostalgia of STYLE.COM, and the COLETTE store (which inspired the blue color). Then the pandemic started. I had much less work to do, so I thought I’d combine my passion with my nostalgia, and STYLENOT.COM was born!
What makes something worthy of a post for you? Do you have any criteria?
Not really, I just share what I see and feel at the moment. Every time I go to the show or find some interesting info and feel “connected” with it, I go, “Oh, that’s a blue square” – and I just share straight away. I don’t want to be too serious. I always have some fun element with my posts because having fun is very important for me. It keeps me full of energy.
You’ve grown your platform quickly, and are followed by industry figures from Marc Jacobs to Daniel Roseberry. Were you surprised by the response, and why do you think people responded to your platform?
Honestly – yes! I was surprised by the speed of the response. Sometimes I think I’ve lived a life of several years in just one year. I am grateful to everyone who welcomed me and let me experience so much. As many people from the industry tell me, they love my love for fashion. And I really, really love fashion a lot!
Tell us about your new book. What made you want to create this, and what can readers expect?
Ever since I touched magazines, my dream was to have my own print edition. Since 2022 was a very exceptional and BIG fashion year for me, I decided to document it and create a memory of that year because I discovered so much for the first time. The book is a reflection of my Instagram page and contains my major fashion moments from 2022, mixed with my emotions and experiences. It’s a short but fun read, I hope! The book is titled “FASHION IN 2022”; it’s blue and square with 365+ bonus pages. I will do it annually, so you can have a memory of the previous fashion year all together in one small book.
Order the book ‘Fashion in 2022’ here.
