At one point or another, we need someone to tell us how it is– no matter how brutally honest. That is especially true when it comes to clothing/stylistic choices, of which Allie Barke has no trouble doing. Allie runs a blog, Allie’s Fashion Alley, where she works to emphasize her the importance fashion holds in our everyday lives. It is, as she says, one of the keys to happiness and success. Plus, she adds an opinionated twist to all of her posts, making her work not only inciteful but also engaging. She has collaborated with Teen Vogue, Akira, NBC’s The Voice and much more. Needless to say she is taking the world by storm. I had the opportunity to catch up with Allie amidst her busy life as a Junior at DePaul, member of DePaul’s Fashion Society, and successful blogger and here is what we discussed:
Alright, let’s start with the basics! What year are you at DePaul? What’s your major? Any Minors? What organizations/clubs/activities are you involved in at DePaul or just in general?
I’m a junior majoring in Business Management and Entrepreneurship. I’m involved with the DePaul Fashion Society (we’re in the process of planning our spring fashion show).
You have a really successful blog, Allie’s Fashion Alley. What is it all about?
My blog focuses on giving style advice that’s very opinionated. Recently, I’ve also branched out into giving advice to other bloggers.
What sparked the creation of Allie’s Fashion Alley?
I’ve loved fashion ever since I can remember. I wanted a place where I could share my voice on my own terms.
How did AFA first begin?
I started my blog in high school. I had no direction of how I wanted my blog to look or feel at the time, but I just started and it was a major learning experience.
What were some struggles that you have faced concerning your blog?
There are so many blogs out there, so I struggled with setting my blog apart from the rest. I’ve also come a long way in terms of the design of my blog. I’m really happy with how it looks now, but it took a long time to get there.
A few weeks ago we met you at a Her Campus event put on by Roosevelt’s chapter, Girl Boss Night! You were one of the six girl bosses mentioned! What is your #1 girl boss tip for our readers?
As an entrepreneur, you have to be extremely receptive to failure. No one gets anything perfect on the first try. If you can’t bounce back from rejection, you’ll never succeed.
You definitely seem to have a lot going on; how do you balance it all?
What works best for me is to dedicate blocks of time for just school work or just blogging stuff. At the start of each week, I open up my Ban.do planner (having a pretty planner that you want to use definitely helps) and split up everything that I need to get done so it’s not overwhelming.
Do you have any advice for aspiring fashion bloggers?
It’s so easy and inexpensive to start a blog, so there’s no reason not to. But, if you want to turn your blog into a job, you have to treat it like any other business. There’s a huge time commitment and you have to spend money to make money.
Who is your Role Model(s):
Hard to choose, but sticking with the blogging theme, I would say Chiara Ferragni. She’s built a major business that started with her blog. Harvard Business School did a case study on her, which I still need to read!
Now let’s focus on some fast facts:
Favorite food: Mexican
Favorite color: Red at the moment, but it changes a lot!
Favorite artist(s)/band(s): I don’t really listen to music.
Favorite quote: “Life isn’t perfect, but your outfit can be.”
Favorite class thus far at DePaul: Popular Romance Fiction
Coke or Pepsi? Neither
Twitter or Instagram? Instagram
Night in or Night out? Night in, usually
Concerts or Movies? Movies
Saver or Spender? Saver
Go to clothing piece? Skirts
You have a free night, what do you do? Try out a new restaurant with friends or just relax and stay in.
Guilty pleasure? Desserts
What are you binge watching right now? New Girl
Check out Allie’s Fashion Alley and follow her on her various social media outlets to stay up to date with her posts, opinions and today’s latest trends!
Like her facebook page
Follow her on twitter: @alliebarke
Follow her on Instagram: @alliesfashionalley