This past weekend I had the privilege to attend Lucky FABB West for the first time, which was held at the beautiful SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills. Lucky FABB is the Fashion and Beauty Bloggers conference put together by Lucky Magazine, and I was so excited to be invited as I am still such a new blogger. The guest speakers included Nicole Richie, Coco Rocha, Aimee Song, Wendy Nguyen, January Jones, Olivia Lopez, Shea Marie, Sophia Amoruso, and Eva Chen who is Lucky Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief. The topics included everything from Search Engine Optimization, taking selfies, how to handle negative people, trends, partnering with brands and working with an agent.
Eva Chen with Nasty Gal founder Sophia Amoruso. She started her store on eBay and turned it into a multi-million dollar empire.
Eva Chen with Coco Rocha, supermodel and one of the founders of the Model Alliance that stands up for models against sexual harassment, eating disorders, and making sure models are paid and treated ethically and fairly in the workplace.
Before attending this conference I had only actually known one fashion blogger, so of course I was in for quite an experience. The first thing that struck me is that to be a blogger you really have to be a leader! You have to create and edit your own content, be a self starter, and really put yourself out there every day. It’s a tough road… especially in the beginning when you are trying to gain fans, so it really takes a lot of courage and belief in yourself and having a unique point of view. The other thing that really struck me, was that I had never been in a room full of so many girls (and a few guys too) that cared as much about shoes, clothes, accessories, interior design, travel, cooking, homemaking, throwing parties and lifestyle as much as I do! In a certain way I realized blogging was almost going back to this old-fashioned era where women put together great outfits and shared fashion, recipes and lifestyle tips with each other as a way of life. Blogging just takes that to a new level because now we share by tweeting and instagramming… and we buy a lot more stuff online, which is how blogging has become a lucrative profession for a select few.
Eva Chen with Nicole Richie. I am a big fan of Richie’s line House of Harlow 1960, and was really inspired to hear her speak. I especially loved her advice about supporting and nurturing other women.
Lucky FABB is held twice a year (in New York and Los Angeles). I am really hoping to attend the conference again in the future, but for now I thought I’d share a few things I learned for anyone attending for the first time:
1) Arrive early and save yourself a good seat. You’ll want to get good photos and actually be able to see the speakers up close. Plus it will be much easier if you want to ask a question.
2) Bring a good camera and get your photos out of the way early in the day. There are lots of opportunities to get photos of your own outfits, as well as photos with other bloggers. It’s a good idea to do this first thing while your makeup and hair is still fresh and before you get too distracted by everything else is going on.
3) Have a business card. You will be meeting a lot of fellow bloggers and brand representatives and people will be asking for these.
4) Stay focused on the agenda and brands… My friend Jamie Walsh of Glam Latte shared some great advice which was to do your main socializing at lunch and before and after the conference and spend the rest of the time taking care of business.
5) Wear comfortable (yet fashionable) shoes.
6) Keep up with your social media while at the conference. This is one place where it’s not only appropriate to instagram and tweet during the conference, but it’s also expected!
7) Take notes and get cards from the people you meet so you can follow up with them.
Bloggers chatting and texting at Saturday’s networking brunch.
I am wearing a Marc by Marc Jacobs dress, BCBG booties and a Chanel bag.
xoxo,
Lisa
