Roller Disco Queen

I was one of the many people cheering when Navaz Batiwalla came out as Disneyrollergirl last month. This was timed perfectly as her new website launched a few weeks later. Navaz has been blogging since 2007 and is now regarded as a revered fashion blogger but then the number of followers on her blog. Twitter and Facebook speak for themselves. Disneyrollergirl has been acknowledged by various media outlets such as FT.com and i-D for her services to blogging. She was also featured in The Independent and Grazia recently and The Times has listed her as one of 40 bloggers who really count. Disneyrollergirl covers everything fashion related from shopping, style, catwalk shows, store openings and inside tips. When she is not blogging Navaz works as a freelance fashion editor and consultant for various brands.

What made you start blogging?
In 2007 I was working on a magazine and just liked the idea of having a more personal outlet to share all the extra stuff I was getting to see. As a fashion 'insider' I had a lot of access to behind the scenes that I
thought it would be interesting to share and comment on.

Describe the concept behind Disneyrollergirl.
It's my personal outlet where I can share my opinions and observations of all the fashiony goings-on in my life.

Over the last year bloggers have really made an impact at fashion shows and in the media, how do you think they will continue to push the boundaries over the next few years?
I think it's about continuing to have a personal take on things that your audience can relate to. Whether that's personal style, opinions or even fashion reviews, you need to have a unique point of view. Bloggers tend to be keen to try new things, new technologies, so I see them as taking the lead in terms of fashion media. They can be more experimental too as generally they are one-man-bands so can make fast decisions on trying new initiatives with their publications.

You have a huge following, do you ever get stressed about maintaining such a high standard?
No, I did go through that phase but now I just do what I can when I can.

What do you do when you are not working on your blog?
I do a combination of fashion writing, styling, consultancy and illustration.

Describe a typical day in the life of Navaz Batiwalla.
Wake up, check emails in bed, get up, have a coffee meeting or showroom appointment, do some window-shopping-slash-research, do some writing, answer emails, work on blog, go for drinks/dinner, check emails/Facebook/Twitter. Or I might spend a whole day researching articles or a whole day prepping for a shoot - showroom appointments, model castings, photographer meetings, unpacking clothes.

Where do you source your stories from?
I get a lot of information from Twitter so that's where I get most of my news stories or simply from talking to other industry people and listening like a hawk! Or I go through my archives for old shoots, photos etc because that means I have a good mix of current material and older, more personally-relevant stuff.

What are your favourite glossy magazines?
Fantastic Man, Harpers Bazaar (UK), Vogue, Elle, Red, Teen Vogue, Grazia, Pop, Lula, Self Service and Arena Homme Plus.

Name five blogs that you read religiously. 
Jacky Blue, Style Bubble, Business of Fashion, Fred Butler Style and Into The Gloss.

How do you see your blog evolving over the next two years?
Ooh I couldn't plan that far ahead! I want to have a wider variety of content and do some video content but I haven't decided exactly how. I don't think you should plan too much, it's nice to allow for spontaneity.

You can read Navaz;s blog here.

You can follow her on Twitter.

Fashioning February: At Your Liberty

Being a fashion blogger can be quite contentious at times but being an anonymous blogger has got to be pretty tricky. But this is exactly the role that Sasha Wilkins held on and off for a good few years before she decided to come out around this time last year with a brand new spanking website. Sasha wears many hats such as style journalist, editor, broadcaster as well as social media consultant and divides her time between London and New York. During her time in blogsphere she has become one of the big guns in fashion blogging and gathered a lot of media clips in newspapers and magazines; you will meet very people in the industry who have not heard of her or come across her blog, Liberty London Girl (LLG). So I just had to have her as my Blogger of the Month for Fashioning February and I was ever so delighted when she obliged.

What made you start blogging?
I started LLG in September 2006 as a place for personal writing. I only managed a couple of entries, and re-started it when I wanted to keep a journal of my life in New York for my family and friends when I moved to Manhattan in January 2007

Describe the concept behind LLG.
For the first three years of LLG there was no concept, no grand plan. I just wrote�I didn�t speak to publicists; I didn�t plan my posts�it just happened. Now that LLG is my full time job, I describe the site in two ways now: beyond the personal blogging about my life, firstly I see it partly as an insider�s guide to all manner of things, taking readers to places they might not necessarily either have access to, or the means to explore themselves, be it backstage at a fashion show, on the road with a rock band in America or inside an extraordinary hotel room.  I also describe it as, �What to read when you want to know where to go, where to stay, what to do when you get there, and what to wear whilst you are doing it all.�

Over the last year bloggers have really made their mark at fashion shows and in the media, how do you think they will continue to push the boundaries over the next few years?
I don�t know that that many bloggers have really made their mark at fashion shows. Access is still pretty limited, and it�s a small band of bloggers that really gets to see it all. (I don�t think any access I get counts as I�ve been in the fashion industry for years.) But I do think that blogging has changed the way we look at news gathering. The immediacy and personal voice of blogging have changed the media landscape forever. It is certainly true that bloggers are one of the main reasons that we no longer perceive print journalists as the gatekeepers to news and information, and I am sure that bloggers will continue to set the agenda for change.

You have a huge following; do you ever get stressed about maintaining such a high standard?
I�ve written for publications like The Wall Street Journal, which has an audience in the millions, numbers which I don�t even dream of for LLG, let alone aspire to, but the difference between print journalism and blogging isn�t about numbers: it is that it is so personal, so direct. I know how strongly I engage with the blogs that I read and I presume that readers do the same with mine. That is an enormous responsibility and one I don�t take on lightly, but I just continue doing what I have always done, and hope that my brilliant, funny, engaged readers stay along for the ride.

What do you do when you are not working on your blog?
I have a company, LLG Media, which encompasses the blog, and my thriving consultancy business, LLG Consults, which helps luxury goods brands and public relations agencies engage effectively with the world of social media. I do still occasionally file copy for print publications as a journalist.

Describe a typical day in the life of Sasha Wilkins.
My blog has become my business, so much of what I do is connected with it in some way. But to be honest, apart from the actual blogging, my working day is pretty much identical to what it was as a fashion editor, as the people I work with and talk to don�t seem to treat me any differently from when I worked on magazines. A typical day would start with a 9.00am working breakfast in one of the places that style PRs like to take press, so in London that�s The Wolseley, Dean Street Townhouse or Cecconi�s, and in New York Balthazar or Caf� Cluny. After that I will either go home to deal with my giant, headache-inducing admin list, research stories, take photographs, read a vast amount on�line and, of course, blog, or I will stay in town to take more meetings, visit designers and showrooms, probably do a lunch or coffee with a designer or PR and then work in the afternoon at Soho House in either London or New York, which I use as a base and which are very useful for sole entrepreneurs as they have wi-fi and lots of power points, before going (very briefly as I loathe parties) to an evening event, maybe a launch or store opening, or heading to a studio to appear on a news programme for the BBC World Service. I rarely turn off. But I did write recently about making time for a work/life balance and I am trying to keep to that resolution, by going out for dinner with friends or heading to my lovely sister�s for supper with the dog in front of the TV (and not writing about doing either!)

From where do you source your stories?
I write about everything in which I am interested. That could come from off the top of my head, a book I am reading, a comment a friend has made, a press release, a publicist�s phone call, or something I have seen in the street. The simple answer is everywhere.

What are your favourite glossy magazines?
I have every copy of British Vogue dating from 1989 onwards and a huge affection for Conde Nast Traveller as that is where I started my career. I�m very interested to see what both Stefano Tonchi does at W and Sally Singer does at T, as they are clearly both brilliant editors. I do like a good read and The New Yorker, Vanity Fair and Red in the UK are perfect for that. And, of course I take Grazia weekly.

Name five blogs that you read religiously
Fashion Editor at Large, Kingdom of Style, Textbook, What Possessed Me and Backwards in High Heels.

Last year you switched platforms from Blogger to having your own website, how do you see LLG evolving over the next two years?
I have lots of plans! Exciting ones, for me anyway. I can�t divulge most of them I�m afraid, but I can tell you that there will be a lot more video on LLG, and that I am collaborating with Mercedes-Benz UK in February at London Fashion Week for the third time on the Voices of Fashion project, where I will be Tweeting at @MercedesLFW from 01 Feb, and blogging for them here.

You can read Sasha"s blog here.

You can follow her on Twitter.

Don't Kill Bill

What exactly does a working socialite do? Well in Bill Uko's life that involves working as a communications consultant, running his own company as well as attending New York University. This is all juggled while dividing his time between Nigeria, Ohio and New York - oh and of course there is his blog, Hanging Out With Bill. Bill started blogging in 2009 as a way to share his thoughts and ideas on his passions which include pop culture, fashion, events and life in general. I caught up with him to find out a bit more about what it is like to be a working socialite.

What made you start blogging? 
I started blogging because I wanted an outlet to share my thoughts, views, opinions and run commentary on the things that interest me without any censorship stricter than self-censorship.

Describe the concept behind Billuko? 
My blog description encapsulates the concept of my blog��a working socialite's commentary on life, pop culture, fashion, events and everything that interests him� that�s basically the concept behind my blog. It�s a platform where I can comment on things that catch and hold my interest.

Over the last year bloggers have really made their mark in society, how do you think they will continue to push the boundaries over the next few years? 
Self publishing is one of the most powerful aspects on the Internet. Good bloggers who provide good journals will continue to rise to the top because blogging is basically a niche market and as long as people continue to prefer the opinions and views of 'real people' as opposed to company generated 'copy', blogs and their authors will continue to flourish. Some will be absorbed by mainstream media, but there will always be a slice that flies in the face of norms in that exciting way that brought bloggers to prominence in the first place.

Where do you get ideas for your blog? 
Hmm�my ideas come from events around me, my love of fashion, people, the media and sometimes the random thoughts and issues that I find myself grappling with in my alone time.

What do you do when you are not working on your blog? 
I work as a communications consultant and I also run a company called Fab Inc Universal we manage talent (models specifically). We also handle productions (media and events) and our flagship media production is called Grow Up, a show that I host on radio.

Describe a typical day in your life. 
The best thing about my life in my opinion is the fact that there is no �typical day�. My activities vary greatly from day to day depending on what project I�m handling at the time and that�s how I like to keep it.

What are your favorite glossy magazines? 
Vogue, GQ, Esquire, Vanity Fair and lately I�ve been buying and enjoying Mode Magazine (a Nigerian Men�s lifestyle and fashion magazine)

Name five blogs that you read religiously. 
My love of entertainment news leads me time and time again to Crazy Days and Nights and Rhymes with Snitch. And the fashion bug keeps me reverted to London Fashion Trends, Manolo - The Shoe Blogger and Bryan Boy. These are probably the five blogs I visit most often.

How do you see your blog evolving over the next two years? 
Doing this interview with you has changed my views on blogging considerably. Over the next two years I will streamline my blog in a way that enables me to provide quality content that has relevance to my readers whilst remaining true to myself, and I�d like to be able to update in a constant and efficient form.

You can read Bill's blog here.

You can follow him on Twitter.

The Lady Presents

I came across LadyM Presents during the summer when I was covering Clothes Show London as it was one of the blogs that had great coverage on the event. LadyM Presents was created by Rachel Montague-Ebbs in September last year and is a hybrid of fashion, beauty, boutiques, lifestyles and accessories.  As a fruit importer by day and blogger by night you could say that Rachel has the best of both worlds as she is able to work on both passions. Her work has also caught the eye of the media and Rachel has been featured in The Kent on Sunday and on BBC Radio Kent. She took time out to answer some questions about her blog.

What made you start blogging?
My salsa dancing partner asked me one day "what do you do that's creative?" as a fruit buyer by day the answer was "not much, apart from salsa dancing." So I decided to start a blog - originally on Blogspot -
about my daily life.  I realised that the blog was quickly turning to being more about fashion - especially when I did the feature "Dress Challenge - wearing a dress to work everyday" (I work in quite a casual
environment). I met the fabulous Jez of Torpedo Juice who offered to create a brand and design a website for me and Lady M Presents was born.

Describe the concept behind LadyM Presents.

LadyM Presents is an online magazine for fashionistas. I would say that it is turning more into a features magazine than a blog, as it is less about my own style and life now.  I feature up and coming designers who I think deserve some promotion, boutiques both online and with physical stores, beauty professionals and occasionally the odd feature in the lifestyle section too. It's basically a platform to promote amazing talent in the fashion industry, who may lack recognition at the moment and also an
opportunity to explore trends and styles which is something I just love writing about.

Over the last year bloggers have really made their mark in the fashion industry, how do you think they will continue to push the boundaries over the next few years?

The position of the blogger has moved forward in the world of fashion in recent years. We now get invited to fashion weeks, have our own lounges at events such as Britain"s Next Top Model Live. We have to ability to feature collections and news practically instantly and the internet continues to have a strong presence in the industry so the bloggers (usually unpaid) provide a lot of free marketing and an online presence for a lot of events and brands. I followed New York Fashion Week by reading tweets that were sent from the front row of the main catwalk shows, it gets information out there instantly and also widens the audience.  Bloggers are often seen as a lower class in the fashion world but they hold an important place and are the future of new ways of promotion and marketing in a competitive industry.

You are based in Kent, how do you keep in touch with all latest trends in beauty and fashion?

I have a lot of links to fashion houses across the world via Facebook and Twitter. I also sign up to all the main websites such as fashionista.com and Fashion Insight for all the latest news. I work with some leading PR companies across the world to get updates on latest collections from designers and boutiques.  I am also fortunate to be able to attend London Fashion Week and New Zealand Fashion Week and get to see the next seasons trends first hand.

What do you do when you are not working on your blog?

My day job is completely different. I am an importer of berries for major UK supermarkets, I get to travel, sourcing products but its not all glamour, I spend a lot of time in the office programming, number crunching and problem solving. When I'm not at work you'll normally find me on the treadmill or in a spin class as well as salsa classes every Wednesday.

Describe a typical day in your life.

There is no typical day. It depends if I'm in the country or not. Normally I'm in the office by 7am. As we say in the industry "strawberries never sleep", so its a long day. Then I head to the gym, catch up with my friends over dinner and usually head home, check out Twitter for the latest gossip and news, check the analytics of LadyM Presents and email designers and boutiques that i have met at fashion weeks or events who I would like to feature on the site.  Usually I have two evenings a week when I am writing features or researching and then an afternoon at the weekend.

What are your favourite glossy magazines? 
I have a subscription to Vogue, Elle, Stylist and Grazia (the poor postman!) I love the way Elle is written, I think my style of writing is very similar. I love the weekly arrival of Grazia, its a quick taste of fashion and celebrity news that is well put together and their photo shoots are always amazing. Stylist comes with me on any trip or I pick it up at the airport.

Name five blogs that you read religiously.

Clothes, Cameras and Coffee from the very talented Roz, I interviewed her recently and was amazed at her talent considering she is so young. Of course London Fashion Trends, it's different, well written and fresh. I must admit I'm more of an online magazine and glossy magazine reader rather than blogs.

How do you see your blog evolving over the next two years?

I see it becoming a fully fledged magazine, I hope to take on some contributors as there are not enough hours in the day. I would like it to become more international, so to have bloggers in New York, Paris, Moscow, Sydney - just broaden the horizons. I'd also love to have "house designers" - designers who we follow closely and work with in developing their brand so that we can understand their collections and be on trend all the time.

You can read LadyM Presents here.

You can follow Rachel on Twitter.

Age Is Nothing But a Number

As you know there are lots of fashion blogs out there which I soak up regularly but when I need that extra bit of depth I check out That's Not My Age. Started in 2008 by a seasoned fashionista, the blog covers  good style in fashion, interiors, design and art. It also looks at fashion trends, street style and icons in fashion. That's Not My Age is so revered that it has been mentioned in The Guardian, The Independent, Easy Living and Stella magazine. The anonymous blogger took time out to answer a few questions about her blog.

What made you start blogging?

I started That�s Not My Age over a year ago because I felt there was a gap in the blogosphere for women like me. I focus on life, culture and style but try to make sure that it's a real rather than an airbrushed or botoxed version, and that everyone I talk about is over 40.

Describe the concept behind That's Not My Age?
The name stems from the idea that when you get to a certain age, denial kicks in and you start to knock a few years off (I know I did!). So to try and overcome this, I like to champion the fact that actually, people over 40 are pretty cool, they�ve established their own singular style and aren't swayed by trends. And there's nothing wrong with being middle-aged, just look at Jarvis Cocker, Tilda Swinton, Mary Portas and my current style crush Suzie Bick (saw her at a party on Friday night and she looked fantastic).

Over the last year bloggers have really made their mark in  the fashion industry, how do you think they will continue to push the boundaries over  the next few years?

Blogging has become a way of life and will continue to have influence � I'm a member of Handpicked Media which is a fantastic idea: an independent bloggers' collective run by Krista Madden and a team of experts. We meet up once a month to discuss financial opportunities, technical stuff and most importantly to socialize. I think blogging will continue to exist alongside mainstream media. Most websites now have a blog as another way of promoting a brand/company/product. I�d like to think that there will be greater transparency in terms of advertising and product placement (something Handpicked Media is very keen on), which is still very much a murky area. 

You come up with a lot of unique stories on your blog, how do you get your inspiration?

Ah thank you, so nice of you to say � but quite a tricky question to answer! I�m inspired by lots of things; what�s in the news, people, art, music, fashion, travel, and I suppose living in London helps, there�s always so much to see and do.

What do you do when you are not working on your blog?

Eat, sleep, work.

What are your favourite glossy magazines?

Ooh now this should be easy to answer but I�m not very good at lists and I�m very fickle so my favourite �anything�changes on a regular basis. My mum buys me a subscription to Red, I like the Observer�s Food Monthly and most other Sunday supplements.

Name five blogs that you read religiously.

Disney Roller Girl

The Sartorialist

Fashion�s Most Wanted

The Women�s Room

Fashion Editor at Large

How do you see your blog evolving over the next two years?

Oh blimey, I would like to think that That�s Not My Age will get an update sometime soon but I�m such a Luddite, I�m not sure I�m capable of anything too complicated. I�m just not very good at all that tech-y stuff. So if there�s anyone out there who�d like to help, please make yourself known! Content-wise, I�ll continue to focus on stylish, talented  people over 40 for inspiration.

You can read That"s Not My Age here.

You can follow her on Twitter.

That Dapper Blogger

Terence Sambo is certainly a die hard fashionista; as well as being a Junior Fashion Editor for FAB magazine he is constantly tweeting updates on the fashion industry and updating his two blogs. Men's Fashion and Lifestyle Afficionando was launched in 2008 and looks at the true elements of style and One Nigerian Boy was launched earlier this year and covers arts, music, style and fashion from a Nigerian perspective. I caught up with him to talk about his blog, One Nigerian Boy and his inspirations behind it.

What made you start blogging? 
I can't exactly point out the main reason why I started blogging but I happened to get bored during the research for my final year project and started spending loads of times reading blogs. One blog in particular I Luw Fashion which is now known as Berkeley Magazine and now defunct use to be one of my fav reads. It was written by a Black Swedish boy of Ugandan descent, Hassan Luwalira. Reading his blog motivated me to start mine as I felt I had something to contribute to the fashion industry.

Describe the concept behind One Nigerian Boy. 
Its like my mirror into the world of African fashion and Style. I also add reasonable doses of myself into the blog.

Over the last year bloggers have really made their mark in the fashion industry, how do you think they will continue to push the boundaries over the next few years? 
Most people see blogging as a fad which will soon fade out. That's so untrue, if anything I think its print media that will fade out. Blogging is a lot more personal and give the readers a more direct contact with their favorite fashion writers. Even magazines and businesses have started their own blogs and bloggers are now getting front row seats at fashion shows besides 20 year industry veterans. The future can only be brighter for bloggers.

You come up with a lot of unique stories on your blog, how do you get your inspiration? 
My inspiration is drawn both from my environment and my online journeys through various blogs and even sometimes interesting topics being discussed on twitter.

What do you do when you are not working on your blog? 
I'm junior fashion editor of FAB magazine and times I'm not blogging it's either there's work I'm doing for the magazine or reading. I hardly watch TV in fact I prefer You Tube because I can watch it while doing other things online. I'm also learning French at the moment so that keeps me busy.

Describe a typical day in the life of Terence Sambo. 
When I wake up, I reach for my Blackberry, reply to emails, go on Twitter (yup, twitter addict) head downstairs turn on my laptop (I converted my dining room to my work station) and check comments on my blogs and reply them. I check new updates from blogs I follow, check updates from Facebook, post my blog links on Facebook and invite people to join my blog network. After that, I prepare my to-do list for the day, freshen up, walk the dogs and settle down for some study (usually via audiobooks on my ipod) After that, it's blogging, tweeting facebooking and basically social network whoring if I don't go to the book club or I don't have french classes that day.

What are your favourite glossy magazines? 
I.D, Dazed & Confused, Super Super, FAB, Essence, Arise, Vogue Hommes, GQ UK and Wonderland.

Name five blogs that you read religiously. 
Just Jaiden James, I'm The Only One On My Street, Jak and Jil, Paris Most Wanted and Dapper Kid.

How do you see your blog evolving over the next two years? 
Hopefully I gain a lot more daily hits and maybe turn it into a profit generating medium. I also intend to change it to a dotcom site and change the outlay to a magazine type. Then an online magazine and maybe an annual issue. Who knows.

You can read Terrence's blog here.

You can follow him on Twitter.

Be Beautiful: Scandalous Beauty

Erin Bailey describes herself as a Starbucks drinker, make-up enthusiast, Neo-Soul viber and a natural hair rocker but in blogshere she is a superstar. Since she started blogging a few years ago, Erin has become one of the most popular beauty bloggers in the game. Her YouTube video tutorials which gives advice on hair and make up are watched by over 31,000 people and she is the founder of Brown Beauty Blogger, Inc which is a Ning group that acts as a community for women of colour who are into make up. On top of that Erin has been voted Essence magazine's top ten beauty blogger and is also a guest editor of Fashion Bomb Daily. I caught up with her to find out about beauty, life and blogging.

What made you start blogging?
I realised that there weren't too many resources for Brown people who love makeup. I had already been posting makeup looks on message boards for years. So, I created a screenname on Blogger and started writing.

Describe the concept behind Scandalous Beauty?
I love the look of banged out, fierce, sexy makeup.  It doesn't have to be 10 colors, it could be neutral, or just focus on the lip.  Either way, it's all about hot makeup.

Over the last year beauty bloggers have really made their mark in blogsphere, how do you think they will continue to push the boundaries over the next few years?
Hopefully, sooner or later the editorial industry will look at us as resources.  We now have some of the same connections as top beauty editors.

How do you get your inspiration for your posts?
Sometimes it's just looking through a magazine, sometimes it's readers questions.  I always carry a notebook with me because I tend to think of ideas during random times of the day.

What do you do when you are not working on your blog?
I'm probably catching up on episodes on Food Network or Sex & the City. Otherwise, I'm at work. lol

Describe a typical day in the life of Erin Bailey.
Hmmm. Wake up around 7am and make a cup of coffee.  Then I blog, research and email for a few hours. After that, it's off to work. I will start school in a couple of weeks, so it will all change pretty soon.

What are your favourite glossy magazines?
I have to read Essence, because it's almost the only place to see Fashionable Brown Women anymore.  Other than that, I read Elle and Harper's Bazaar, sometimes Vogue.

Name five blogs that you read religiously.
Afrobella, Black Girl with Long Hair, The Fashion Bomb, Steamy Kitchen and Afroniquely You.

How do you see your blog evolving over the next two years?
By then, I'd love for it to be more of an online magazine.  I'm really trying to narrow down my focus, and expand on that.  I'm currently working with my best friend who is a project manager.  She's helping me fine tune the site as far as business goes. I'm beyond excited.

You can read Erin's blog here.

You can follow her on Twitter.

Culture Club

When Matilda Egere-Cooper announced that she was launching a new blog called The Cultural Expose' I was intrigued. I follow about a zillion blogs, all of which are fantastic so I was curious to see what this one would be about. The Cultural Expose basically follows Matilda's life from a cultural perspective; art exhibition, film releases, TV programmes, music, food, travel - it is all here on this blog. Matilda is an established music journalist who has written for publications such as The Independent, i-D, Blues and Soul, Dazed and Confused and the BBC. On top of that she also works as photographer and covers portraits, events, documentary and human interest stories. I caught up with Matilda to find out to find out about life as a blogger, photographer and journalist and to find out where she finds the time to do it all. 

What made you start blogging?
I started my first blog, Waltzing Matilda, in 2004 as a sort of online portfolio for all my music journalism work.  I recently launched a new blog on April 1st called The Cultural Expos�.

Describe the concept behind The Cultural Expos�.
I have quite an active social life when I'm not working, and I've always been the go-to person among my friends in terms of knowing about different things to do or places to go. So I started the blog as a document of my own "urban adventures", but also as a guide for people who might be into arts, culture, activities and travel and want to know what's going on.  Saying that, there's A LOT I haven't done in London yet, so I'm trying to rectify that while I still live here - and I'm all for inspiring and sharing the love, so if I'm getting hook-ups, I want people to get hooked-up too and try something new.

You recently changed your blog over to The Cultural Expos�. What were the reasons for this?

I've recently developed myself as a photographer - and I wanted to do something where I could combine writing and my photography that was distinctive in its own right.  If you check out my older archives on Waltzing Matilda, all you'll see is music coverage, but it started to lose it's focus a bit.  It still exists though.

Over the last year bloggers have really made their mark in the media, how do you think they will continue to push the boundaries over the next few years?

I think bloggers will start to define themselves by producing more original content, one particular blogger I respect for this is Jamal Edwards at sbtv.  This kid (he's only 19) has created his own hip-hop & grime entertainment channel and produces all the videos himself.  Understandably, he's one of the most popular sites out there at the moment in his field. Similarly is The Sartorialist - a fashion blog consisting of street photography created by the site's author, Scott Schuman.  Eventually, these types of bloggers (if they wanted to) can license their content to interested parties because the value will be second-to-none, really.

How do you get your ideas for your blog?

Well, it all started with Speed Dating.  I organised a night out with some friends and when I blogged about it, I was quite surprised by the number of people who were surprised that I did it.  So it had me thinking - what are the things that people a) have never considered doing b) would do only if someone else did it first c) have never heard of d) never had the time to do but would make time for it? With this in mind, I started getting ideas through conversations, reading newspapers (you'd be surprised what you come across in the classifieds LOL) and magazines. 

What do you do when you are not working on your blog?

I'm a freelance journalist, photographer and journalism tutor. 

Describe a typical day in the life of Matilda Egere-Cooper.

Ha ha!  Never a typical day with me, unfortunately.  But a week tends to be a combination of researching, writing, teaching and mentoring, lesson planning, managing my blog and social networks, doing my 365 photography project, eating good food and going somewhere. I'm also doing an evening French class at the moment, so I "try to" study every morning lol.

What are your favourite glossy magazines?

British Journal of Photography, Rolling Stones, Photo Pro Magazine and Essence. 

Name five blogs that you read religiously?

soulculture

Pinboard Blog

iamthenublack

londonfashiontrends

k-hartley.blogspot

How do you see The Cultural Expos� evolving over the next two years?

The photography and travel focus will grow and I'm already working on a project which will be developed later this year.  I'm also keen to develop a community so hopefully that will be established in a couple years time too. 

You can read Matilda's blog here.

You can follow her on Twitter here.

Welcome to Home Sweet Home

Well it is another bank holiday and that means one thing � time for some DIY. The property market may still be in a slump but people are still obsessed with their homes. The proof? Well property programmes are still popular and interior magazines are flying off the shelves. Also with Grand Designs LIVE kicking off tomorrow for the 6th year promising to be bigger and better it looks like homes are here to say. The environment you inhabit is very crucial to your state of mind; crappy home life equates to a pretty crappy state of mind. Which is why I so embrace blogs on interiors and crafts which show how we can make our homes a beautiful place. Therefore you can imagine my bemusement when I read an ever so snarky piece in Jezebel having a pop at a selected bloggers who focus on these things, accusing them of being pretentious and responsible for making other people feel inadequate. Come on Jezebel, get a grip! I enjoy reading your website and I enjoy the snarkiness when it is deserved but randomly attacking bloggers for having creative and inspiring blogs is just petty.

Anyway all the nastiness aside, over the last year I have noticed that the interior bloggers have developed a strong community so I have decided to celebrate this by launching Home Sweet Home. Which is an interiors special that will consist of articles and reviews relating to all things home related. We have a lot to look forward to such as a review of The Selby, the much awaited book by Todd Selby, an article on Open Houses where artists throw open their homes to the public so they can check out their artwork but tomorrow we will kick off with an interview with Jeska Hearne from Lobster and Swan who is our Blogger of the Month.

She Bangs, She Bangs

Muireann Carey-Campbell never fails to make me laugh with her satorial and snarky wit on her blog, Bangs amd a Bun. She covers nearly everything from relationships, fashion, music, travel and life itself - all with amazing aplomb. In February she reintroduced vlogs on her blogs where she muses about the perils of mother nature and she also has a fantastic section called 'Please Bitch' where she doles out some tough advice to those who really need it. Muireann started her blog in 2007 when she was living in Canada as an outlet for her creativity and since then she has made a mark as a very popular blogger as well as a colourful character on Twitter. She took ten minutes out to talk to me about life in the blogging lane.

What made you start blogging? 

I left England in 2004, not long after graduating and having worked for a couple of music magazines. I lived in a few countries and by 2007, found myself living in Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada. I'd wanted to get back into writing after experimenting in other career fields. I really wanted to write more lifestyle/fashion type stuff, but my portfolio was full of music journalism and it was limiting me when I applied for jobs. I was managing a small accessories store at the time and spent most of my days surfing the net. That's when I came across blogs and just immersed myself in them. I'd never really heard of them prior to that. The more I read, the more I thought 'I could do that!' and I started jotting down some ideas of the types of things I could put on a blog of my own. 

Describe the concept behind Bangs and a Bun. 

Well, if I do say so myself, I'm a good story teller. In a group of people, I love to hold court with a funny anecdote and make people laugh. My mother said to me years ago 'you should write the way you talk', and I've always tried to follow that. So I try to write like I'm just having a conversation with a friend. The early posts on Bangs and a Bun are just funny anecdotes from my travels. A lot of them are based on emails I used to send my friends and family. They'd always write back to me saying 'you're so funny, you should write a book!' Once I used up all my good anecdotes, I had to evolve the blog somehow, so just focused it in on topical issues, but I always keep it funny. Bangs and a Bun is essentially a humour blog about fashion, relationships, music and the quirky things in life. 

Over the last year bloggers have really made their mark at fashion shows and in the media, how do you think they will continue to push the boundaries over the next few years?

I think newspapers and magazines took a hell of a long time to understand how much of a force we bloggers are. The great thing about blogging is that we build up such a connection with our audience. They know us and can communicate with us. We're not huge companies with hundreds of staff. We abide by our own rules and aren't restricted by having to cover one thing or the other. I think in that sense, especially when it comes to fashion, there's more honesty in blogging. Blog readers trust their host to give them the real lowdown. Our coverage doesn't have to wait to be in the paper tomorrow morning. Since we're in the age when everyone is online and wants their information not now, but right now, bloggers definitely have the edge. I think in the future, this is just going to grow. We'll see more and more bloggers on the front rows and if the magazine and newspaper journalists feel like we're taking their spot, they're just gonna have to up their game! 

 

You come up with a lot of topical issues on your blog, how do you get your inspiration?

Could be something I see, a conversation with a friend, something I say on Twitter that gets a crazy amount of response - really just all over the place. As corny as it sounds, one of my favourite things in life is to make people laugh. Nothing makes me happier than giving someone that big guttural, eye watering chortle. So if I say something and it gets that kind of response, my first reaction is: 'I've gotta blog it!' 

Describe a typical day in the life of Muireann Carey-Campbell.

I work in my family business. We publish nine community magazines in Leeds. I'm the features editor for those, so that keeps me busy from 9-5. Anyone who follows me on Twitter knows that I tweet my way through the day like a mad woman! My evenings are usually spent blogging or researching. I'm re-learning to play piano at the moment, so I'll get a little practice in for that. I also just got into boxing training recently, so I'll go work out once a week with a bunch of sweaty dudes with broken noses. I'm also very into film, theatre and dance, so if there are any events going on around the city involving those, I can usually be found there. 

What are your favourite glossy magazines?

I'm not nearly as much of a magazine junkie now as I used to be, as I spend so much time online. My favourite mag is New York Magazine which is actually a weekly and it's not even available in England, so I'm at a bit of a loss without it! They always have really great articles and an awesome style section (they also have a crossword at the back, which is the only one I can ever seem to come close to completing). I don't read any of the women's glossies anymore - I can't stand how one dimensional they all make us seem, like all we give a crap about is our clothes, boyfriends and diets. I like to think I'm a little more evolved than that. If I buy any magazine these days, it's usually The Fader or Complex (which is a men's mag, but is probably one of the coolest mags around).

Name five blogs that you read religiously

 

Gawker

Self Absorbed

Cajun Boy in the City

The Jaded NYer

The Rawness

How do you see Bangs and a Bun evolving over the next two years?

I've been getting more into video blogging recently and have been getting some great feedback, so I'd like to continue with that and hopefully keep improving - it's still a little cringeworthy to watch myself on video! I've been approached recently about getting involved in several different interesting projects, so I hope there'll more collaborations in the future. I'd like Bangs and a Bun to keep building a name on the interweb and eventually be the go-to girl when people need a funny commentary on bad fashion or bitch slaps.

 

You can read Muireann's blog here.

You can follow here on Twitter here.

Dancing Queen

Yoruba Girl Dancing is a blog that covers cultural observations as well as the personal musings of Bim Adewunmi. Anything from films, books, TV, food and shopping are covered here with Bim sharing her random thoughts with us. Created in April this year, Yoruba Girl Dancing is a honest, funny and thoughtful insight into the life of a writer and freelance journalist living the London life. I took time out to catch up with Bim to discuss blogging and other things. 

What made you start blogging?

I�m a freelance journalist by trade � mostly newspaper and magazines and some online stuff. I was working as a temp at a charity because journalism work was so scarce, and so the blog came about, mostly to keep myself in the writing habit. Of course, it took my sister badgering me (in the best possible way!) for me to actually start the blog, as I was dragging my feet so much. 

Describe the concept behind Yoruba Girl Dancing?

Um, there isn�t one, not exactly. I started out with a completely vague idea � write what you know and like and hopefully inject it with a bit of humour. My remit is wide � London, popular and not-so-popular culture, news, family life, fashion � anything that catches my eye, really. The outcome is definitely eclectic, as I have diverse tastes. But I think people like the mix � I know I do. 

How do you think bloggers have made an impact on the media?

I think the blogosphere has democratised the way the public consumes information - anyone with an Internet connection and something to say can be a blogger. Of course, it�s not always an unqualified success, and quality varies wildly, but I think it means that if you can find a niche, people are out there reading. I guess that�s both a bad and good thing. I reckon newspapers will go down the �personalised news� route eventually. 

Yoruba Girl Dancing is full of high culture observations; how do you keep your blog fresh?

Wow, high culture � what a compliment! I write about things I like and follow in my everyday life, so I guess I try to keep my experiences fresh. If nothing else, they provide fodder for the blog. Plus, I live in London � the most exciting city in the world! There�s always something going on. 

What do you do when you are not working on your blog?

I�m a telly addict and love watching old movies - one of my all time faves is Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. I recently learned to ride a bike, and then received a bike for my birthday, so I�m trying to master that. I really love reading and I�m in the middle of writing a collection of short stories. 

Describe a typical day in the life of Bim Adewunmi.

I�m most definitely not a morning person! I drag myself out of bed as late as I possibly can and log straight onto the web. I pick up the news of the day, and check my emails. As a freelance, the ideal situation is to be working on commissions. If I�ve got none on the go, then I�m pitching - it�s a very up and down existence. Throughout the day, I�m on Twitter, and the blog � researching and writing and also authorising comments. I don�t really have a firm �finish work� time, but try not to work late into the night if I can help it. In the evenings, I try to take in as many of London�s charms as I can. This sounds far more interesting than the more common reality - I�m often slobbed out on the couch watching telly with a mug of tea in my hand. 

Where do you source your stories from?

All over the place. I subscribe to a few press services, so I get a mishmash of things coming through. I also have a look at some American sites to see what�s happening across the pond. Because the blog isn�t strictly news-focused, anything and everything can act as a trigger for a post. 

What are your favourite glossy magazines?

My favourite of all time, Jane, died a few years back, so I tend to get it all online now. I do like Colures (whenever it�s out), Arise, and Marie Claire UK and US. 

Name five blogs that you read religiously

Oh man, I can�t narrow it down to just five! Seriously, I think I killed my Google Reader... I�ll try: London Fashion Trends, Womens Glib, Harlem Loves, Ill Doctrine and Jezebel.

How do you see Yoruba Girl Dancing evolving over the next two years?

I recently got featured on the Wordpress front page, which resulted in my highest visitor numbers so far, so though tiring, I�d love to have that kind of traffic everyday! I love writing the blog, so I hope I still find it interesting in the future � I want to keep getting better. I�m currently into writing posts for series, so I�d like to have those properly established with readers too. I also love the ideas of having guest bloggers � we are a community after all, and I think we need to utilise our resources more.

You can check out Yoruba Girl Dancing here. 
You can follow Bim on Twitter here.