Successful blogger becomes celebrity

One of the best ways for individuals or companies to get noticed is to start up a well-written, engaging and frequently updated blog, as fashion expert and avid blogger Scott Schuman learned first-hand. Only a couple of years ago, Schuman was just one of tens of thousands of North American bloggers, yet earlier this week he was given a spot to popularize his blog and meet fans at Holt Renfrew, Toronto’s most prestigious clothing store.

Schuman’s blog, The Sartorialist, was launched in 2005 and it offered readers fascinated by the world of fashion something a little different. Rather than featuring the photos of models in fancy designer clothing, Schuman went out onto the streets of North American cities and took photographs of ordinary people walking and going about their daily routine, in order to provide a more realistic glimpse of how average citizens actually dress. Schuman viewed fashion as an expression of democracy, as everyone could choose what type of image they wanted to show the world and the values that they wished to portray.

The Sartorialist turned out to be a huge success. Schuman’s blog attracts an average of 120,000 hits per day and as he admitted in an interview with the Toronto Star, this creative blogger was able to turn a serious profit from his blogging “pretty quick.” Companies also seem to listen to the most prominent and popular bloggers and as such, some of the largest designers and style magazines regularly turn to Schuman for his expert advice on fashion and on what might be popular with consumers. Schuman’s blog also sparked the interest of the artistic community and his photographs are now sold as prints for over $1,200 each and displayed in New York City art galleries.