I have wanted to write the story of my journey into blogging for a while now; the truth of the matter is, I did not wake up one day and decide to pursue this venture, instead, I naturally gravitated into it. I have always been an old soul and have felt quite out of touch with my generation. For this reason, I stopped following popular culture and celebrities, turning my eyes to icons from the past, movie directors of the 60s and 70s, combined with iconic designers of the 1950s. As a teenager, rather than talking about boys or what to wear for the next party, my attention centralized around fine-art and my quest to disclose beauty. I longed to be in environments which enabled discussions of philosophy, aesthetics and styling to occur. I had a genuine feeling that most dialogues were superficial and did not carry meaning. For this reason, I made an internal vow to myself to only settle for honest expressionism, only settle for meaning and individuals that have an identity that is true to themselves.

Instead of following the masses at Sixth Form by attending outdated clubs and alcohol-infused parties, I felt more comfortable in the art room in front of my canvas, in the corner of a crowded room behind my sketch pad designing a couture dress or at home behind my computer editing imagery or writing articles. I could see that the general maturity of school was still fixated on childish principles about how ‘hot’ you were, how ‘good’ your body is or if you would go on a date with so-in-so – I was not interested. I was regarded as popular yet did not try to be, which made me seem a little mysterious. The sudden popularity actually made me feel more and more disengaged resulting in my eventual attempt to find real connections via the blogging site Tumblr.

At first, no one took it seriously but for me, it formed a cushion that the real world did not give me. There I grew my love for curating and sharing imagery, I developed my aesthetic and shared my love for vintage. I created a community that shared similar interests to myself and for that reason, there lay a level of trust and companionship. I allowed myself to be vulnerable, to express my sensitivity and frequent sadness. It is there I realized that my supposed flaws are what made me relatably human and exposing them proudly showed other individuals that they can as well. I did not try to put on a facade and never have done, I’m excruciatingly real and abrupt with my emotions. I often felt like being fragile or ‘too soft’ is a setback but I began to realize that empathy is an exceedingly valuable tool that few have.
Openness and genuineness online combined with my imagery and porcelain doll look helped me to grow a following of 30,000 users by the time I was 16 years old. Instead of thinking to monetize, I saw the platform as a positive outlet that fuelled my fascinations with the world. I wanted to be a positive role model that younger girls would aspire to. I then took the next step, to create a WordPress blog primarily exploring vintage fashion including the stage wear of male musical icons. I also began to put great focus on my love for skincare and skin products to enhance our natural beauty. My icon was Dita Von Teese and while those were getting highlights for summer, I was longing to go darker, wear a red lip, stockings, a flair dress and some Louboutins.
My blog became interlinked to my Instagram channel @roseofibis and there, my brand became one. As I have got older, I try to channel the raw sensitivity that I feel with visuals; the fragility of soft fabrics and feminine pastels creating a ghostly haunting ambiance. I aim to progress more photographically creating Tim Walker inspired images. I want to focus more on interior art direction, incorporating my favourite brands but most importantly, to be a visual storyteller disclosing the things we hide behind a smile.

What I am wearing in the photos?

I am going for a very casual, around the house, comfortable look. I am wearing a gorgeous fine-knit jumper with frill detailing from Femme Luxe Finery which can be found here. I am also wearing an American Apparel check skater skirt which I bought on Ebay as the sizing for the new AA store is a little questionable. If I was going to go out, I would grab a white blazer and my go-to black heels for a chic, on-the-go look.

The pink satin panel bodysuit is perfect for relaxing around the house on hot days when wanting to feel glamorous but comfortable. It’s really comfortable and lightweight. Despite seeing some girls wear it with jeans out, I prefer to be a bit modest and feel it’s a little too provocative for outerwear so I am more comfortable wearing it as pyjamas (which makes you feel even sassier). To find the pink bodysuit, click here.