Karen Nguyen is a fashion blogger from the United Kingdom everyone should be following. She hasn’t been blogging for a very long time but she is definitely an individual who is making her mark in the industry and is doing a very good job at it. Not only am I a fan of the work that she does, but I also had the pleasure to talk to the lovely Karen and get to know more about her as an individual, and her journey as a blogger.
Tell me a little bit about yourself
My name is Karen Nguyen, I’m 17. I am ¾ Vietnamese and ¼ Chinese. I am currently doing my A-levels studying 4 subjects, which include Art Textiles, Economics, Business studies, and Maths. I’m a UK fashion blogger/influencer and currently a Boohoo and 21buttons brand ambassador. I’m an introvert, yes, introvert. No one really would guess that I am from my socials but I am really shy. As soon as you get to know me though, I’m like a crazy child.
Describe how you got into blogging and what inspired you?
I got into fashion from quite a young age. I always use to draw/paint since nursery, if not I think even younger. I’m pretty sure I still have some of my work back then kept somewhere. If you didn’t know, I’m also a nail art technician and I have worked in some salons before and I used to post a lot of nail art pictures on my Instagram and the engagement was insane, but most of the pictures are now deleted. As I got older, I got into blogging through finding inspiration through social media such as Instagram and YouTube. I started off on Instagram just posting things that I love and sharing my own style with others. From that, my platform grew and brands started contacting me. After a year or so, I decided to create a blog after reading a post from one of my favourite bloggers on why you should start one and she really inspired me to create my own blog. From creating one I’ve gotten a lot of opportunities and have met a lot of new people who have the same interest as I do.
How would you describe your own personal style?
Classy, Chic and Minimal.
As an Asian creative, do you think you’ve had any challenges as a fashion & style blogger and if so what have you done to overcome them?
As an Asian creative, I don’t think I have faced any major challenges but I feel like it’s quite hard to grow as a London blogger when you’re an Asian creative. So I am quite proud of where I am now with what I am doing. I never knew that I would get so many opportunities, I remember when I was young watching YouTube videos of fashion bloggers and looking at their socials being inspired and thinking “omg I wish that was me” and here I am now.
I noticed that you’re a Boohoo Student Ambassador, what has your experience been like with them?
My experience with them has been AMAZING. Being a Boohoo ambassador gave me so many opportunities to grow as an individual and for the programme to grow as a whole. They gave us a lot of tips and a lot of encouragement, also suggesting to create social platforms that I didn’t have such as YouTube, which is why I started my YouTube channel. It allowed me to attend events such as press days to view the next upcoming season styles, festivals and training days. Also for my content to get shown on their socials. They are very supportive to myself and the other ambassadors to evolve and grow individually as an influencer/blogger and I couldn’t thank them more than enough.
For people who want to get into blogging, what would be two very important things you would suggest?
To be interested in blogging you really have to have a huge passion for it. Not just because you want a large following or free stuff. Blogging may look easy but in reality, it’s not. It takes a lot of time, hard work and dedication.
I suggest starting off on Instagram. Firstly, I think that you should make your Instagram page a reflection of yourself, which is what blogging should be — to express your personality and style. It’s really important to be confident in yourself and not caring about what others think. Just do what you love. Don’t think you need a DSLR camera. I mainly use my iPhone 7 plus but I also have a camera which I mainly use for filming.
My tip to them is that they should make sure that they post consistently and that their images are good quality, sharp and clear. Also sticking with some sort of theme. Before posting you should think “would someone repost this?” This is a great way to grow your audience when your content gets re-posted.
You obviously you have a passion for fashion, do you plan on having a career in that industry?
Yes, I do plan to have a career in this industry, I think I might want to get into Fashion PR or Fashion Merchandising and Buying but I’m still not 100% sure yet so I’ll just see how it goes.
Where do you see yourself and your blog in the next five years?
In five years, I see myself with a fashion degree of some sort, working in the fashion industry and for my blog and other social platforms, I hope to grow even more as an individual as well with other fashion bloggers and brands to influence and inspire people.
To find out more about Karen, follow her Blog, Instagram and Youtube channel.
