HYDERABAD: Which bloodshot shade of Estee Lauder goes with your skin tone? Where can we get some German silver trinkets in the city? How do we pair up velvet pants with crop top? Are thigh high shoes back in vogue? Should we splurge on Bobbi Brown or save by going for L’Oreal infallible? Like Neeraja Kona to Samantha, like Anaita Shroff Adajania to Deepika Padukone, like Shravya Varma to PV Sindhu, these fashion bloggers in the city are our style liberators and trend updaters, who virtually help us with trends ruling globally and become our panache redeemers through their blogs. If you are not following fashion bloggers, here are a few Hyderabad-based ones, whom you should add to your list right away
The Shimmer Girl
Meenakshi Pamnani’s suaveness was always discussed by her near and dear and she too enjoyed explaining them her process of slipping into that attire and make up. With fashion and beauty being her twin passions and blessed with communication skills to her advantage, she decided to become a blogger. Wife of cricketer D Ravi Teja, Meenakshi started her blog The Shimmer Girl, two years ago and today she has 60,000 followers on Instagram, more than a lakh for her blog - www.theshimmertales.com , 4,000 on Twitter and 35,000views on YouTube. “My basic investment was a good camera, photographer, outfits, accessories, mix and match clothes and a few good locations in mind. It’s my livelihood now. I usually get paid for blogging,” she smiles. Says the shimmer girl, “The first year was a huge struggle, but thanks to my friend Disha who helped me a lot to reach this level. Today, PR agents contact me for campaigns and events or any related promotions,” she says. Meenakshi is not just into fashion and lifestyle, she also blogs on food. “I wouldn’t mind writing travel blogs as I love travelling and do as part of my work too,” she informs. Meenakshi feels that unlike the bloggers from Delhi and Mumbai, Hyderabad bloggers has a dearth of opportunities for bloggers. “While opportunity is the biggest struggle, looking for good photographers, paying them and travelling to good locations is another,” she shares. “In the first three years, there is no break even. You need to keep creating good content and engage the audience. It involves endless thinking and sleepless nights,” she says. Chokers, bomber jackets, stripes, berry lips, sneakers, cold shoulders are ruling the trend charts.
Mirage Thy Vogue
Nanya Reddy’s fascination for fashion and lifestyle blogging is evident in her recurrent posts. She is known for putting together funky looks effortlessly. Wait, that’s not only reason why people love her for. She uses inexpensive stuff to create a classy and elite look. Nanya went live with her blog on Valentines’ day this year and there has been no looking back. “I have been blogging for 11 months now and during this journey, I got to know a lot about fashion, what’s trending what are the blunders people make etc. The perfect fashion choice is that one which fits our body type the best. So I gained knowledge on what body type needs what kind of styling. What are the backups and alternatives if the current look or choice is unavailable or has failed? I collaborated with national brands such as Khantil India, fades.in, Bewakoof official, Keune India, Mobicture and other Instagram based accessory brands,” she shares elaborately about her journey. The vogue lady has 4,000 followers on Instagram, 5,000-odd in Roposo and more than 3,000 on Facebook page. “Sometimes we get paid in cash, in some other, it’s the barter system,” she beams. Talking about struggles, she says, “I am a marketeer fighting her way through the corporate ladder. I get only one day a week to focus on it. The co-founder of the blog and official photographer for most of the blogposts till date and my brother to provide technical support to the website,” Crop tops replaced the traditional blouses and cholis and can be worn with sarees, lehengas and ghagras. Boots will work out as accessories to most of the winter apparels,” she concludes.
Fashion.Love.Travel
Divya Varam, one among the first in fashion bloggers in the city, has a colourful, classy and chic profile. Divya is also the founder of Sutra Snapperz, a wedding photography co. “That’s my profession, but I am also passionate about fashion, travelling , food, product reviews and anything that is even an inch close to creativity. So I thought of creating a journal where I can scribble whenever I get the time, and that’s how I started my blog Fashion.Love.Travel. I created my first in 2010. I write the style trends, being minimalistic and playing along, my travelogues, product reviews and anything that I fancy,” she shares with passion. Divya has 7,000 followers Facebook and Instagram. On how she involves in collaborations, she says, “Designers, cosmetic companies or any productions associations are being put on the web these days. We need to follow the designers, who we are aiming to work with and keep a close watch if they are calling out for any associations. I would say not just online, but offline work associations work better too, and gets you noticed. This was just one way, the other way is the product companies or designers look out specific blogger to write for them, and if your blog interests them then you might get lucky and get the contract with them.” What is in vogue now? “Metallics, metallics and metallics !!! It’s that time of the year where everyone is buzzing for the Christmas and New years’ eve party, and trust me choose your metallic and there you go looking like a celeb. Although gold and silver are the most loved, choose your hue (emerald green, reds, blue) and paint metallic this season,” she elucidates.