7 things in her bag: Aimee Song

Unlike some of her contemporaries, fashion blogger Aimee (pronounced aw-mee) Song offers no lengthy commentary on trends and fashion news.

Instead, Song, who is better known by her online moniker Song of Style, lets her OOTD (Outfit of the Day) photographs do the talking.

"I'm not a fashion expert and I've never studied fashion; all I know is what I like and don't like," says Song, who turns 27 at the end of the year.

Her visually driven blog (www.songofstyle.com), which showcases her distinct girly-grunge, California-cool style, attracts four million viewers a month.

With 1.5 million followers on Instagram, she is ahead of other top fashion bloggers, including Nicole Warne of Gary Pepper Girl (880,000); Leandra Medine of the Man Repeller (622,000) and Bryan Grey Yambao, also known as Bryanboy (505,000).

However, Italian blogger Chiara Ferragni (www.theblondesalad.com) takes the lead with 2.5 million followers on Instagram.

Song, who was here to attend an event by local beauty brand Skin Inc two weeks ago, says that she never expected such a huge following.

In real life, the Los Angeles-based Korean-American looks every bit like her photographs, with her sun-kissed skin and tousled waves.

"I think it's because I'm relatable. My dress sense is a mix of high and low. I'll invest in great handbags and shoes, but you'll also see me in clothes from Topshop and Zara," says Song, who was wearing a top from Japanese label Sacai, miniskirt from Topshop and heels from Italian label Giuseppe Zanotti.

The interior architecture graduate started her blog in 2008, while attending an arts university in San Francisco.

What was meant to be a blog on interior design morphed into a fashion blog after she received stellar feedback from readers when she uploaded a shot of an outfit she wore.

Song, who is also an interior designer, offers home styling tips on her blog occasionally.

But with fame comes a price.

"When I lived in San Francisco, I used to have a lot of stalkers. To be safe, I no longer take photos near my home because the streets are so recognisable," says Song, who is dating a graphic designer.

Even though she does not tag the location of her photographs, she says that stalkers have their ways of locating her.

"One managed to get the hotel front desk to put his call through to my room," she says, adding: "It's all very strange, because I'm not a celebrity."

But she may as well be. According to fashion publication Women's Wear Daily, an increasing number of fashion and luxury brands are hiring fashion bloggers, such as Song, to promote their brands.

Top bloggers can earn a sizeable income through brand collaborations, blog links and appearance fees.

A Women's Wear Daily report last month states that top-tier bloggers can get close to US$50,000 (S$62,110) to appear at a high-profile event.

"If that's true, that would be amazing," says Song, who declined to reveal how much she makes as a blogger.

Since starting her blog, she has starred in digital campaigns for Michael Kors and 7 For All Mankind, as well as curated content for online multi-label store Piperlime.

Last year, she worked on a line of T-shirts and sweatshirts for online boutique eLUXE, which is still available.

One of her latest collaborations was with luxury brand Diane Von Furstenberg. As part of the 40th anniversary of its wrap dress this year, the brand recruited Song to wear the iconic dress for a digital marketing campaign.

Despite her success so far, Song has set her sights higher.

She will be launching a T-shirt line with her younger sister Dani, 26, later this year and plans on designing other fashion items, although she did not provide a timeline.

"I really enjoy the design aspect of fashion and I think I have an idea of what people want," she says.

This article was first published on July 18, 2014.
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