'Like' me? Then buy me

YOYO CAO

(yoyokulala)

She has garnered attention for her minimalist, menswear-inspired style and her enviable closet is filled with designer items. Now, social media star Yoyo Cao is scoring a hit with her own designs.

Last month, she showcased her second runway collection for her brand, Exhibit, at Singapore Fashion Week. The label was launched last year.

Featuring flared trousers, off-shoulder dresses and other monochrome designs with tulle and pom pom details, Cao says her designs are for confident women who exude positive energy.

Now that she has her own label, she has replaced the South Korean fashion brands which she used to stock at her boutique, also called Exhibit, with her own designs.

She opened her boutique at Far East Plaza five years ago using her personal savings. Her parents run a business in Macau.

"I felt there was a gap in the market. People were buying either very cheap or very expensive clothing, so I thought there would be room for my label," says the 27-year-old, who is single.

The Macau-born Singapore permanent resident has more than 94,000 Instagram followers tracking her fashion exploits.

Internationally, she is featured regularly in the street-style coverage of various fashion titles. Earlier this year, she was given an award by New York Magazine's The Cut fashion blog for being the best-dressed during fashion month.

"Creating my own label was always part of my plans; it's just that when I opened the shop, I felt I wasn't ready because I was too young," says Cao.

Delaying plans to launch her own label may have been a good call, judging by her current online popularity, which has benefited the brand.

For her strong online following, she was appointed an ambassador of L'Officiel Singapore magazine. She attends and covers major fashion shows around the world on behalf of the magazine, which gives her a chance to learn from the best.

"It's inspiring to attend the shows of international brands. Even if I don't get to speak to the designers, I'm picking up tips just by watching," says Cao, who is a self-taught designer. She works with a team of designers, including Angie Chia, the brand's creative director.

The business graduate from a private institution counts designer Phoebe Philo at Celine as an inspiration for her simple yet detailed styles.

In addition, her status as an Instagram star makes her account an ideal advertising platform for her own brand. Cao mixes and matches her luxury pieces and Exhibit designs with finesse, offering her followers plenty of styling ideas.

So far, business has been brisk for the fledgling brand. The first collection managed to sell out and she says she has received many pre-orders for the new collection. Prices range from $89.90 for a top to $239.90 for a maxi dress. Her label is produced by a clothing manufacturer in Singapore.

These days, she gets a bigger rush from street-style photographers shooting her in one of her own designs. One of the first few pieces she was shot in was a pair of black overalls, which she wore to the Issey Miyake show at Paris Fashion Week last year.

This sort of exposure has spurred her to make plans for an e-commerce site to meet numerous international enquiries.

"It is a huge sense of fulfilment for me. It tells me that I'm doing something right," she says.

How did you manage to grow your social media following?

When I opened the shop, I also started a Facebook page to give people ideas about how to mix and match the clothes that we sold. It didn't take much effort; we just took photos in the store.

When Instagram started getting popular, I got an account to share my life. I didn't plan on making it about fashion, but the first time I posted a photo of my outfit, I got hundreds of 'likes', so I thought it would be a good marketing tool for us to reach people.

You're on Snapchat too. Why did you decide to get on this social-media platform?

I like Snapchat a lot because it reflects the real me.

You can see me being silly, as well as check out my doodles.

On Instagram, everyone is uploading such perfect-looking photos that it's hard to tell someone's real personality.

People have said that I look intimidating, but if you take a look at my Snapchat account (Yoyo Cao), you'll realise that I'm not.

Instagram is like a portfolio for my work, not so much about my personal life, so it has to look a certain way.

How would you describe your style?

I think my character plays a part in the way I dress. I'm a straightforward person, so my style is minimal. I can be boyish one day and girly another.

Have you always been interested in fashion?

Yes. I've been heavily influenced by my stylish parents. They love shopping. When I was younger, they would take me shopping all the time and show me what is considered good fabric. My father has more shoes than I - he has at least 100 pairs of loafers alone.

How long does it take for you to put an outfit together?

Not that long. I build an outfit based on a single item. If I have a pair of pants which I want to wear, I'll pick items to go with that.

Your skin looks amazing. Are you big on skincare and beauty as well?

I love reading about skincare. As a teenager, I read a lot about pimples because I had some, so I would say I have a certain level of knowledge. I would share tips with my staff on how to squeeze blackheads without enlarging pores and leaving scars.

I don't usually use a lot of make-up. I try to drink lots of water and refrain from eating too much fried food.

As your life is so public, tell us something that not many people know about.

I'm careless. Every time I leave the shop, I'll leave something behind. Sometimes, I can leave without taking along my bag. Fortunately, I haven't lost anything yet.

MIROSLAVA DUMA

(miraduma)

Dressed in Chanel from head to toe, with her tweed jacket casually draped over her shoulders, Russian street-style sensation Miroslava Duma, or Mira Duma to her 1.1 million Instagram followers, commands a presence online, as well as offline.

She was in town last month to launch the Singapore edition of fashion, beauty, culture and lifestyle website Buro 24/7, which she launched in Russia in 2011.

While her Instagram account (miraduma) reflects a carefree lifestyle as she zips from city to city for fashion events, there is a seriousness about Duma in real life.

The 30-year-old was all business as she spoke to Urban about greater digital domination with her fashion website, which she describes as the "Reuters of fashion". The Russian version gets 1,400,000 unique visitors every month.

"I just found out that there are four Hermes stores in Singapore. There is only one in Moscow and I thought that we had a big luxury market.

There is a lot going on in terms of fashion and luxury in Singapore, so it's logical that we are here," says Duma, who was a former style editor at the Russian Harper's Bazaar.

Since its launch, Buro 24/7 has expanded into seven other countries and regions which are not typical fashion hubs - Croatia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the Middle East, Australia and Singapore. Up next are Malaysia and Turkey.

The company also has two offline projects - Buro Canteen, which is a city-cafe concept, and Buro Beauty, a styling agency.

The sweet-faced and petite (she is about 1.52m-tall) style icon was born in the Tyumen region of Siberia. Her family moved to Moscow in 1991 when her father became head of an oil company there, and later a senator in the Federation Council.

In the mid-2000s, when street-style photography pioneers, such as Tommy Ton and Scott Schuman, were just starting out, Duma was one of their frequent subjects.

Today, not a fashion season goes by without photographers documenting her demure and colourful looks for the likes of Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Elle and Style.com.

"At the beginning, I think my role as a street-style star may have helped Buro 24/7, but now, I think the partners whom we work with know me as a person who also works hard," says the mother of two young children. Her son is four and her daughter is five months old. She is married to entrepreneur Aleksey Mikheev.

On occasion, Duma interviews fashion designers and writes for the website. She admits that she is not great at writing, but better at negotiating business deals.

This trip to Singapore also saw her attending fashion shows during Singapore Fashion Week, visiting the Blueprint trade show and giving a talk at Lasalle College of the Arts.

At the talk about the power of social media in the fashion industry, Duma states that she does not upload "selfies, photos of my reflection in the mirror or kids" - a rarity for a social media star.

"There are so many other people who already do that. I think people who follow me want to see different things.

"My Instagram may seem boring with Buro-related stuff and industry matters, but that's the way I am."

Growing up in Russia, what were some of your observations about fashion?

There was a fashion stagnation in Russia for more than 70 years after the Russian revolution in 1917. Stores were empty and you couldn't buy anything.

In the 1990s, when opportunities came about (the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991), people started enjoying designer brands, expensive cars and jewellery, and I observed this process of consumption as a teenager.

People bought things which were over-the-top with lots of logos, but it was logical because they were finally able to possess such things.

Today, Russian women have an effortless style.

What are some of the Russian brands that people should look out for?

Vika Gazinskaya, Vilshenko, Walk of Shame by Andrey Artyomov, Nina Donis and Alexander Terekhov. These are some of the most popular brands in Russia. They have a good reputation and are doing well commercially.

You have a petite frame. What are some of the things that you take note of when you get dressed?

Dressing up is like a puzzle - sometimes, it works and sometimes, it doesn't. Now that I have two children and a lot of work, I don't have too much time to ponder over it.

The best tip that I can give is to look in the mirror before you go out, just to make sure you don't look silly.

About 99 per cent of the clothes in my wardrobe has been altered.

How many luggage bags do you take with you when you travel?

I don't take that many. This time, I took only one suitcase.

What is your most prized possession?

The Chanel 2.55 bag from my mother, which is more than 20 years old. It was her first Chanel bag. I still carry it once in a while and I hope to pass it on to my daughter one day.

How many mobile devices do you carry with you?

I have two phones and I'm trying to get used to the Apple Watch, but I'm not quite there yet.

Who are your favourite Instagrammers?

I follow more than 1,400 people who are telling the world about the exciting things they are seeing each day. I think they are all my favourites.

MARGARET ZHANG

(margaret__zhang)

An encounter with Australian fashion blogger Margaret Zhang might find her running between the front and back of her camera.

The photographer behind the shots of her on her blog and Instagram account is none other than Zhang herself. That is to be expected when you have a tripod and self-timer.

The 22-year-old writes, styles, shoots and poses for Shine By Three, a fashion blog which she started out of boredom.

"I quit doing ballet professionally, went back to high school and was bored, so I started the site not knowing what other bloggers were doing," says the business and law student at the University of Sydney, who is not married.

This interview took place at Din Tai Fung restaurant at Wisma Atria during her lunch break with her friend, Australian designer Dion Lee, before a series of back-to-back engagements.

Dressed in a bustier top from Australian high-street label Cameo, which she likes for its "Balenciaga-esque vibe", and pants from Michael Lo Sordo, she reveals that this was also yesterday's outfit.

"I think I've worn this top four days in a row now, but layered with other things," declares Zhang proudly.

Aside from a short course in film photography at the age of 12, she picked up most of her skills through trial and error.

Her blog became a launch pad for a career in photography, styling and fashion consultancy, thanks to its intellectual take on fashion. About two years after launching her blog, fashion brands and magazines started contacting her to work with them.

She has since styled and shot for publications such as Harper's Bazaar Australia and Harper's Bazaar Thailand; Nylon magazine; fashion website Buro 24/7; Elle magazine in the United States and Australia; and fashion blog The Coveteur.

When she was in town on a two-day trip for Singapore Fashion Week, she went behind the lens for a L'Officiel Singapore fashion spread.

"The blog has definitely helped with projecting my work. Other photographers tell me that I'm lucky to be working as a photographer at 22 because at this age, one would usually just be assisting," says the daughter of an engineer and a gynaecologist.

Beyond photography, she has done guest-buying stints for luxury fashion store Matches Fashion and is a global ambassador for beauty brand Clinique.

Her blog gets between 350,000 and 400,000 visitors each month, and she has more than 429,000 followers on Instagram.

"I don't offer advertising or sponsored posts. No one can pay me to write or post anything on Instagram. It's more about monetising my skills," she states firmly.

While her style is cool and edgy, she speaks with girlish excitement about school, work and putting her law education to use one day.

"I'm going to wait for the intellectual property space to develop a bit more. It's so grey right now and I don't think it's a priority in the international legal space," says Zhang, who is majoring in intellectual property law and media law.

She adds: "The blog has evolved organically over the past few years. The blog is more than just a hobby."

How would you describe your style?

I have a tomboy style with a feminine edge. Today, I'm wearing sneakers with menswear-inspired pants and a feminine top. I'm all about the dress-over-pants look. I'll never wear a dress on its own unless it's a long one for an event.

What do your parents think of fashion blogging?

They thought it was just a phase. My dad, who is an engineer, thinks I run a shop. My parents don't understand what it is that I do, but they are supportive because they can see that I can support myself and I'm happy.

Name some of your favourite designers.

Dion Lee, Raf Simons and Wes Gordon. I love what Alexander Wang is doing at Balenciaga.

How did you get such nice pieces of clothing at your age?

I bought the majority of my clothes. I make one or two investment purchases every season.

As a stylist, I borrow stuff for shoots and, sometimes, I'll model them too.

I don't drink alcohol and coffee. I also don't smoke. When you think about it, those habits cost thousands of dollars a year.

What other opportunities have come about because of the blog?

I've met incredible people whom I look up to - designer Thakoon Panichgul is one of them. I never imagined that he would know who I was, but in February, he reached out to me, which was a surreal experience. The power of the Internet is amazing.

You also have a personal Instagram account. Why is that so?

There are things that I wouldn't want to share with the world. Some of the things are not pretty or part of my aesthetic.

How do you divide your time between school and work?

I spend about six hours in school and four hours on work every day. I travel about once a month on average, but for the past two months, I have been doing so every week.

Every February, I'll do the whole fashion circuit - New York Fashion Week, London Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week.

In September, I'll go only to New York and Paris.

staceyc@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on June 5, 2015.
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