Sisters Parisia and Lydia are the girls behind the popular Abu Dhabi blog. Angela Beitz caught up with Parisia for a chat about the blogging world.
Tell us about your blog
The Fashion Hub (TFH) is a fashion and style portal which enables the fashion-forward community of today to get an insight into both mine and Lydia’s (co-founder, also my sister) daily outfits, as well as being updated on both the local and global trends, in addition to promoting up-and-coming designers and acting as a promotional platform for them.
When did you start it?
July 2012 was the launch of The Fashion Hub, so it’s been just over a year now.
What are the pitfalls and upsides to being a blogger?
Because TFH is based both in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, there are different ups and downs. However, since Abu Dhabi is an evolving city in terms of fashion, I think that it’s a great time to start something like a blog or a company, because there isn’t as much competition in comparison to other cities like Dubai, therefore you can be instantly recognised.
What do you love about blogging?
The thing I love about being a blogger in Abu Dhabi is that there’s such as a variety of different people, cultures and styles, so combining that and intertwining it into some form of inspiration for daily outfits has really influenced my outlook on blogging as well as dressing. However, I do wish there was more attention to events in terms of the arrival of new collections, collaborations, and so on, enabling a growth in the fashion scene here.
How do you decide what to write stories about?
I think society itself inspires what I write, I’ve always been intrigued by how other people dress and why they dress that way. I love to deconstruct outfits whether on people or in a shop, I love the creation of an ensemble and the story behind it. But mostly, just reading magazines, books, websites, looking at other blogs, gaining inspiration and ideas from that to inform our readers of what’s new.
What are some of the hidden gems you have found while blogging?
I don’t think in terms of hidden gems there are as many as expected, because everyone knows about the few fashion boutiques here. But when we take pictures of outfits, I love to find new locations and I think this city has so many diverse areas, varying from architecturally interesting buildings to more cultural, low key areas, which enables our blogging pattern to evolve.
What advice would you give to aspiring bloggers?
Don’t be afraid of putting your style out there, I was nervous at the beginning of TFH, thinking, ‘what will people say?’ Will people like the way I dress? But to be honest, if you’re motivated and focused on really succeeding in the blogging world, then do it. Yes, it is very competitive and hard at first to get recognised, but building up your own brand for yourself is the best feeling.
Visit The Fashion Hub at www.the-fashion-hub.com.
