I was recently interviewed for BeautifulStranger.tv. The interview questions were great but unfortunately as they only have limited space, they had to edit down my answers. I wanted to post it in its entirety, so here we go!
The basics:
Name
Gala Darling
Blog
www.galadarling.com
Occupation
Writer, fashion editor, international playgirl & nomad!
Home
Currently, New York City, though I am originally from Wellington, New Zealand.
What you are wearing in your photo:
* Pink flower crown by Which Goose on Etsy
* Vintage 1950s dress from eBay
* Yellow bow belt by World (NZ)
* Black & white polka-dot shoes by Pleaser
* Purple embossed satchel (it says ‘Miss Darling’) by the Cambridge Satchel Company
On life as a professional blogger/internet entrepreneur:
Tell us the story behind your site … Why did you start blogging and what keeps you going?
I started because I was sick of having a real job! I am a creative person & it seemed like the perfect outlet. I have been blogging since before it was called blogging — I coded my first personal website in 1997! I love the internet for the way it brings people together, & the opportunities it presents for sharing information & ideas. I have been an internet junkie for 13 years!
If you knew then when what you know now, what advice would you give your newbie self when you started out in this field?
Maybe this sounds egotistical, but I don’t think I’d advise anything different. I feel like the path I’ve taken has been perfect for me. The mistakes I’ve made taught me the things I needed to learn, & my successes have showed me where to focus my energy. I did have moments of frustration at the start, because sometimes I felt like I didn’t know what I was working towards. When that happens, you just have to keep the faith.
If you could only use one social networking tool/service, what would it be?
Twitter. Twitter. Twitter! It’s such a great way to connect with people. I used to be a major IRC geek, & would be online all day chatting up a storm. Twitter is similar, except there’s a character limit! It also helps you to feel like you have comrades. Writing is a very solitary pursuit, & I am mostly alone in the house while I do it, so it’s fantastic to be able to bounce ideas off people in an instant.
Without these gadgets, I might not survive a day … :
I was recently given a Kin phone & it rocks my world. It’s quite excellent, perfect for a social nerd comme moi. I take my point-&-shoot digital camera (Leica D-Lux 4) pretty much everywhere, & my MacBook Pro is a given! I also need music (constantly) — I have some little Bose media speakers plugged into my MacBook which are amazing, & Bose headphones (& my iPod) for treks across the city.
How has digital media changed your life as a writer?
Big question! I have always been writing, ever since I could spell my name, & as a child, wanted to be a writer more than anything else. English class was my favourite, & I excelled in it — my stories were always the ones chosen to be read to the class, I won prizes, all that stuff. When I started using the internet in 1996, it freaked me out & sapped me of my confidence because I suddenly realised that the world was FULL of talented writers, many of them more intelligent, more skilled & more accomplished than I would ever be! It put me off for a while, but thankfully, my NEED to write is something I actually can’t control, & so I started journalling online in 1997. I never really stopped.
Putting your work online is an incredible thing. You get instant feedback, which is like an addiction — you want the hit, you feel the rush, it’s amazing. It can be a gift & a curse. As a writer, you can’t be too focussed on your audience, or your message & your truth becomes dilated. But at the same time, you can’t ignore them, because without an audience, it’s like talking to a wall. Walking that line is tricky, a continual balancing act, & can be really hard if your ego is too closely intertwined with your work. (You are not your work!)
A while ago I started a podcast series called Love & Sequins, which is a monthly email subscription service. Every month, I look at a particular topic — say, love & relationships, or friendship, or manifesting your dream life — in more detail. Each chapter is at least 10,000 words & arrives as a PDF with an MP3 of me reading it aloud to you. It has been wildly successful, & is really satisfying to do. Blogs can only be so long, after all, & it’s great to really dive deep into a subject. I plan to publish it as a book soon.
What NYC haunts call you their mayor? (… on Foursquare or unofficially!)
Any of the Ninth Street Espresso locations — I’m there every morning. When I walk into Betsey Johnson in Soho, they crow, “Miss Darling!”, which just goes to show how little restraint I have when it comes to fluffy dresses & glittery shoes. & I have been to Meet @ The Apartment about five times this month. Did you know there are naked ladies concealed in the wallpaper?
In the world of fashion blogging, what would you like to see change?
I’d really love for people to stop thinking of it as “us versus magazines” or vice versa. That kind of thinking is really limiting & divisive. Let’s get together to create something bigger than our two industries!
And what do you hope remains the same as the sector evolves?
I love the individuality of blogging, & the fact that most bloggers don’t feel beholden to certain designers or companies. What they write is real & without an agenda.
Who would be your dream to meet in the fashion industry – or the business world at large – and why?
I am extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to meet & speak to several fashion industry icons, including Patricia Field, Marc Jacobs & Betsey Johnson. They are all so vivacious & full of love for life! I could die happy if I met Karl Lagerfeld. He is one of the most creative, interesting, prolific artists I can think of.
On your style:
Define your personal style (10 words or less)
Orchidaceous!
Who/what influences your fashion decisions?
What I wear mostly depends on where I’m going, though I am pretty inappropriately dressed at the best of times! Usually whatever is newest in my wardrobe is what I want to wear, though sometimes I will just have an idea in my head (“stilettos with candy-coloured socks!”) & have to go with it, regardless of the weather, occasion or consequences! Right now I am obsessed with the silhouette of 1950s skirts or dresses worn with fetish heels. Can’t get enough!
Who, in today’s world, do you predict will gain fashion icon status?
I think Jazzi McG (www.jazzimcg.com) will be an it girl/power-editrix/style icon within the next 5 years. The girl has so much passion & drive, she is exceptionally knowledgeable & she is effortlessly stylish in a way I’ve never seen before.
If you could only choose 3 other fashion websites or blogs to read daily, what would they be?
My top 3 blogs are probably not fashion-related at all. I love Mystic Medusa (www.mysticmedusa.com) & the personal blogs of my friends. I still find people’s real lives more interesting than anything else.
Favorite online shopping destination?
I love eBay & Etsy for vintage treasures, ModCloth for sweet dresses, Gilt & Ideeli for super-sales & Amazon for pretty much everything else…
Favorite real world (offline) shopping destination?
Patricia Field, Opening Ceremony, Forever 21, Uniqlo, TopShop, Bergdorf Goodman, Betsey Johnson, Tarina Tarantino, Kiki de Montparnasse, Victoria’s Secret, Coco de Mer, weird little goth stores, MAC Cosmetics. Quite the mish-mash!
What item do you long to own?
Nothing, really. Shocking, I know! I feel like I have reached my shopping saturation point right now!
If you could only keep 3 items in your closet, what would they be?
I have a vintage white faux fur coat which is the perfect length & deliciously warm — I wore it all winter & suspect I will have it for the rest of my life. Black Frye boots are an essential staple in my wardrobe — I have them in various styles & they never fail. Finally, probably a Betsey Johnson dress. I have a few, but my favourite is this one: http://www.flickr.com/photos/galadarling/2859450559/ I call it my psychedelic Barbie frock & it is absolutely perfect.
What are your top 3 essential beauty products?
Clarisonic Pro (every morning). Hyaluronic serum (every evening). MAC Cosmetics PlushLash.
What’s your signature scent (right now)?
Flowerbomb by Viktor+Rolf. But I tend to rotate between that, Miss Dior Cherie & Lolita Lempicka. I like to smell like dessert!
And finally … :
How are you going green?
My site is 100% carbon neutral & has zero emissions. I’ve also reduced my carbon footprint by twittering more, rather than sending out 10,000 paper letters for every status update! ;D
I was in the New York Times.
more magic all the time
