a day for fashion bloggers

all photos by elizabeth kathryn photography

two weeks ago, i had the great pleasure of attending

the first ever seattle fashion summit (for local fashion bloggers), stylish in seattle.

the event took place at coterie worklounge and was hosted by 

sydney mintle of gossip & glamour and alix rose.

to say the day was a 'whirlwind' is an understatement; after attending several 

advisory board meetings, emailing back and forth between generous sponsors and vendors,

and (some very serious!) outfit planning, the day was a success!

^^^ coterie worklounge is absolutely gorgeous! it was the perfect venue ^^^

i loved chatting and catching up with blogging friends and meeting a few

new faces, too! because the day was quite structured (with two panels and a 

guest speaker), i wasn't able to speak with everyone. i suppose that just means

sydney and alix will have to make this a quarterly event :)

^^^ i took notes on my phone during both panel presentations and when listening

to our guest speaker. a new notebook was gifted in our swag bags, which 

made following along throughout the day convenient and fun! ^^^

the first panel included jessica branning from neiman marcus, 

sabrina fenster from the shelf, danielle pepperl from brooks running, 

and samantha scharg from julep. these talented and inspiring women discussed

how to work with fashion brands. 

this first panel was of particular interest to me,

as working with brands, and establishing a professional and lasting partnership

with a variety of different brands, is a goal of mine. 

i enjoyed learning more about what brands expect of bloggers

and how to possibly approach a brand you're interested in working with - 

it can be an intimidating process!

the second panel was entitled 'the business of blogging' and featured 

cori robinson from dress corilynn, taylor horn from thataylaa, 

moorea seal from moorea seal, tiffany ishiguro from t&j designs, and 

cassandra lavalle from coco kelly.

each of these incredible women have launched their blog (or website)

into a second concept and subsequent career. for example, moorea seal began her 

journey with a small etsy shop and now has a vast online store, brick and mortar store 

in belltown, seattle, and is working to complete her second book. 

#girlboss

i greatly enjoyed the insight these women offered to bloggers 

who hope to someday make this a career. they shared both their successes

and the hardships they've encountered along the way. it was 

an honest and eye-opening conversation. i think what stood out most to me during this 

panel was the importance of staying true to your story - whether blogging, 

designing clothing, making jewelry, etc. 

^^^ and of course, i have to mention the food; pastries, coffee, and the sandwiches at

lunch were all delicious (and those cake pops!!!) ^^^

^^^ and the keynote speaker for the day: amanda zurita! ^^^

amanda is a stylist, writer, and tour guide in europe for rick steves. 

talk about amazing!? she discussed the importance of exploration, 

pursuing your passions, and simply doing what you love. my favorite quote 

of the day? 'the people in this room aren't your competition, but 

people you can learn from and collaborate with.'

blogging is a great passion of mine. if i could do it full-time, 

i would in a heartbeat! for now, however, it is my creative outlet for writing, 

exploring all things fashion, and sharing bits and pieces of my day to day life

(as well as the adventures and mishaps along the way). 

i often catch myself thinking, 'why don't i have as many followers as her?'

or 'why wasn't i at that event?' or 'how can i work with that brand?'

all these comparisons are trivial. and unnecessary. they leave 

you feeling defeated (or perhaps that's just me?). rather, i want to

be grateful for the connections i have made, the partnerships i have 

begun to foster, and feel content with where i am in this great blogging adventure.

i left the conference feeling slightly over-caffeinated, but both elated and inspired.  

i am eager to put the wisdom and knowledge that was shared

throughout the day to good use! 

xoxo.