CHICISIMO: A COLLABORATIVE STYLE BLOG

Name: Maria Arenaza
Blog: Chicisimo
Age: 37
Location: Started in San Francisco, CA. Now in Spain. Who knows what will come after.
Occupation: Chicisimo

Q:  When did you first Chicisimo? How has it changed since then?

A:  I started Chicisimo at the end of 2008 because I was addicted to personal style blogs. Chicisimo has changed a lot since the beginning - what started as a blog is now becoming a community of girls sharing their personal style.

I was fascinated with the concept of "real fashion on real people". Thousands of girls all over the world are documenting what they wear each day. They are sharing pictures of their outfits with everyone. They are inspiring each other, and hundreds of thousands of other girls. They are setting trends. For me, they are the new fashion icons, and thats why I am building Chicisimo.
 
Q:  How do you decide what to post?

A:  At the beginning, I'd post looks I'd like. Then, I decided to post looks that represent what people wear, regardless of whether I liked them or not. Now, there are many girls sharing their style directly!

Q:  What fashion sites and blogs do you read daily?

A:  This is a difficult one. I read hundreds of fashion blogs and personal style blogs. Did I say I'm addicted to blogs?

Q:  What's your favorite time of year for fashion?

A:  Around February and September, during the fashion weeks... when you can see the new collections for the next season. I love the huge amount of fashion activity and street style, which goes hand in hand with the fashion weeks.

Q:  Who reads your blog? Do you pay a lot of attention to reader feedback?

A:  Girls from the US and Europe mainly, but there are many girls also from Asia and all over the world - we are a very international community.

Feedback? Oh yes! In fact, I'm building Chicisimo with the feedback and support of hundreds of awesome fashion bloggers.

Q:  How do you see your blog changing and expanding?

A:  It is evolving a lot. It will give more tools to personal style bloggers to share their looks and discover awesome fashionistas. It is actually now going through a transition period. Chicisimo started as a blog, me featuring looks, and now it's becoming a community with more and more girls are sharing their style directly.