Claire Sulmers started out as a fashion blogger and has quickly morphed into a multi-media mogul. The granddaughter of a Haitian immigrant, Claire claimed her piece of the American dream in the mid-2000s via The Fashion Bomb, a fashion blog. She took fashion journalism to a level unknown to the niche, by integrating edgy commentary with a personal flair. The fashion entrepreneur earned a spot on Ebony 100, that magazine’s oh-so-prestigious list and has asphalted the path for other fashion bloggers. A recognized influencer, Claire has gone to heights even she, the ever optimistic dreamer, never dreamed of. She once aspired to write for some of the world’s biggest fashion outlets—now, the little project she started years ago, is considered as one of the world’s biggest, go-to fashion outlets. At one time, she wrote for Essence magazine. Now, her Fashion Bomb empire is consulted alongside Essence, and sometimes even before Essence.
So, what can we learn from Claire Sulmers’ journey?
1. Learn from mistakes and move on.
For a while, Claire was hosting her blog on .blogspot.com. This was just fine….but she she had neglected to purchase the domain for her brand. Someone snatched it, and as Claire later told Black Enterprise, said individual was asking a fortune to sell it back. How could someone high-jacked her brand’s domain from her? She could have sat there and asked herself that question over and over. Instead of weeping all the water out of her body, Claire purchased an alternative domain. She continued to work on building her brand, and bombers know to go directly to that domain, and not that other one. When certain social media platforms started to get popular, Claire hurriedly signed up for the username for her brand.
2. Stay motivated, encouraged….and know your value.
If consumers of color are often ignored, how much more a media mogul who’s trying to cater to them. Claire watched as mainstream newly-blogging, fashion bloggers were being praised in the media for doing what she had been doing for years—except of course targeting women of color. She watched as they got sponsors, fashion lines, exclusive invites, and collaborations—while she (and her audience) were being ignored. She continued to make a go at it, and with time, mainstream media outlets—from Glamour, New York Magazine, Time, to Teen Vogue—took notice, featuring her or referencing her. Brands like Toyota recognized her power and the buying clout of her audience, and came on ship as a sponsor.
3. Don’t think you’re going to get where you want to be within 24 hours. It takes hard work, baby.
Everybody wants a blog like The Fashion Bomb, and want loyal readers like Claire’s. They want to be invited to Mercedes Fashion Week, want to be on prestigious panels and get courted by big brands…but without putting in the actual work. It didn’t happen to Claire in the scope of one day. It took moving to France, when all the French she knew was what she had learned from class, and all she knew of Paris was what she had read online. It took years of working without any applause or recognition—or pay, for that matter. It took juggling freelance assignments while pumping and creating original content for her brand. No, you won’t get there over the course of a 24-hour day, but with non-stop, hard-work, you can get there.
4. Cherish your heritage.
Claire stated in an interview that upon immigrating to the United States, her grandfather changed his last name from Silmé to Sulmers because he wanted to blend in. Claire wants to claim that back, and told a fashion reporter that if she ever has her own fashion line, it’s going to be christened Silmé.
5. Once you get up there, don’t forget you were once down there.
As a graduate of Harvard University, little Claire Sulmers dreamt of working in the fashion industry. But that industry isn’t exactly easy to break into as a new pair of good-fitting pumps. Claire remembers this and created “Breaking Into the Industry” series on her website, where her readers can get priceless insight into what it takes to work in fashion. While some have maintained a proprietary attitude towards the wisdom they’ve gained, Claire makes it a point to share hers. Additionally, she’s given a slew of college students and grads their first taste at working in fashion through internships and writing opportunities.
There you have it Kreyolicious cheries…5 Success Principles We Can Learn from Claire Sulmers, better known as…The Fashion Bomb.
[Photo Credit: Angela Weiss, Jason Merritt, and Vivien Killelea]
FASHION BOMB WEBSITE | FASHION BOMB ON TWITTER | FASHION BOMB ON INSTAGRAM
CLICK HERE TO READ OTHER ARTICLES IN KREYOLICIOUS’ SERIES 5 SUCCESS PRINCIPLES WE CAN LEARN FROM….It’s my newest series. Hope you like it.
