Online Fashion 100

How many times have you picked up a magazine and come across a guide to the movers and shakers of fashion, business and media? London's Most Influential People by the Evening Standard and The Media 100 which is brought to us by The Guardian. Now we have Online Fashion 100 which gives us the heavyweights behind the UK's online fashion industry. Online Fashion 100 is a 'who's who' guide for everyone who wants to know about online fashion and in there you will find entrepreneurs, bloggers, marketers and photographers. Online Fashion 100 is brought to us by Leon Bailey-Green who is an online fashion consultant, digital marketing strategist and blogger. After reading this guide - which is well overdue - I decided to seek out Leon and ask him a few questions about this exciting project.

How long did it take you to compile the list and did you have anyone working on it with you?
I began working on it in January, although most of the work went into it six weeks before release. I did everything myself - the research, writing, images, design etc.

How did you get The Independent and Schway onboard?

They were really keen on the idea and it was great to get the support from both of them. Schway is going to be everywhere soon!

I am a big fan of Nicky Hambleton-Jones and was delighted to see her involved in the project. However, some would say that she is an 'interesting' choice. What were your reasons for choosing her?

I've met Nicky and all I would say is that she's creative, business savvy, successful and genuine. She was an obvious choice to give an all round view of the impact of online in the fashion industry.

We had four bloggers in the top 40, do you think that we are now at a stage where bloggers are taken seriously and seen as here to stay?

I should stress the list is compiled in random order to make everyone equal. I think there is still a way to go but nowadays if a blog can demonstrate its visitors numbers and quality of audience it'll go places, and be taken seriously.

What are the medium and long term plans for Online Fashion 100?

Medium term, it's a secret! But long term I can tell you that there will be another one in 2010 around March. I will use a panel to suggest names, but it will still be my final edited choice and will continue to contain names of those on the fringes of the industry not just those deep in it.

Your own blog is very lively, how much of your time does it take?

I find it quite relaxing. When I write it gets me thinking. I get a lot of emails from brands, pr agencies and students, asking for advice and opinions. That's the rewarding side and makes it all worth it.

Describe a typical day in the life of Leon Bailey-Green.

Working, lunching and numerous meetings!

I have a few exciting things coming up like my next eBook which is going to take quite some time to produce.

You can download a copy of Online Fashion 100 here. You can also check out Leon's fantastic blog here.

Leon supports www.b-eat.co.uk

Photo courtesy of Metropolitan Hotel

Ten Years Younger

Can somebody please tell me why is everyone hating on Nicky Hambleton-Jones aka NH-J? The presenter of Ten Years Younger has been on the receiving end of some brutal attacks in blogsphere since her programme, returned to our screens last week. Take this scathing article penned by Kathryn Flett in The Guardian where she describes NH-J as neither warm nor empathic and then our mates at TV Scoop had to get in on the action and called NH-J a gruesome fashion Nazi.

Ten Years Younger is kind of like an extreme version of Extreme Makeover where Nicky totally revamps a haggard looking female (occasionally male) with the aim of shedding ten years off their age. The transformation is totally amazing and you have to see it to believe it but then considering the amount of work that they have to endure how could they not look good? We are talking cosmetic surgery in the name of botox and chemical peels, basically whatever it takes to sap the wrinkles out. Then there is teeth whitening, new veneers or braces and this is all before they go anywhere near hair, clothes and make up. I really like this programme and find it very entertaining, I also love NH-J and I find her endearing. Her advice is honest and straight to the point and her results are fantastic and more importantly she leaves her charges looking and no doubt feeling like a million dollars.

Flett and co have criticised her tactics of humiliating her charges by parading them on the street and asking strangers their age. Ahem, excuse me but the perceived age of the charge is one of the elements of the programme and a crucial part at that. Of course it must be a dent in the ego to hear people say you look like you are 50 when you are only 33 but if you have gone so far down the road that you stop caring about your looks then I doubt that you will be too devastated about what complete strangers think. Anyway the flip side is that the charges get to flaunt their new look and make the public eat their words. Don't hate the playa, hate the game. 10 Years Younger is simply compelling and a much superior programme than the insipid How to Look Naked which is a blatant rip off.

Ten Years Younger airs on Thursday at 8.00pm on Channel 4

You can check out NH-J's cute website Tramp2Vamp here