Love 'em or hate 'em, fashion bloggers have completely changed the fashion industry over the years. And no matter how hard IMG tries to keep them out of events like New York Fashion Week, one thing is for sure: between book deals, high-profile appearances and designer collaborations, the blogging community isn't going anywhere.
But the amount of money they're now making for these projects and appearances may surprise you. Women's Wear Daily reported Thursday that bloggers' incomes are on the rise, moving up into... wait for it... the millions.
Bryan Grey-Yambao, a.k.a. BryanBoy, is known for his sassy attitude, love of the finer things in life (like fur coats and Balenciaga bracelets) and tweets like this one:
Friend: "I can't believe we have $8,000 of Chanel canvas between the two of us"
— bryanboy (@bryanboy) June 7, 2014
Apparently, at this point, he can afford to buy that much canvas Chanel all by himself. “I’ve made enough to live comfortably and be able to not wear samples and buy my clothes retail,” he told WWD.
But, unlike celebs who get paid an exorbitant amount simply to show up in the front row of a designer's show, the top bloggers are earning their income in a number of new ways -- namely, branding themselves. Designing a line of handbags or taking on a certain persona (ie: a man repeller,) has catapulted them into tastemakers and style influencers, even if they are not actually reporting on anything.
"They are not passing themselves off as journalists. Instead, they’re brand stars whose voices are subjective to what they do or don’t like at the moment — often times dependent on which companies will pay them the most," WWD said.
So what does that mean for us? Well, we're probably all in the wrong field of work (just kidding). It means that as long as we continue flocking to these sites for style inspiration, and double-tapping their artfully crafted Instagrams on our lunch break, their appeal and profitability will continue to rise.
Of course, since you can't beat 'em, you could always join them.