Jamie Cullen is a leading lifestyle blogger from Richmond, and is known for his ‘dare-to-wear’ style and infectious sense of humour on his Instagram stories! After over a year and a half of blogging, and collaborating with brands such as Next, Boohoo MAN, Innermost and Haagen Dazs, The Blogger Programmegrabbed a coffee with Jamie to chat all things fashion, brand collaborations and being chased by tourists on a recent trip to Paris during a photo shoot!
Jamie, you're one of the leading men's fashion bloggers in the UK, racking up over 1K likes on your daily outfit posts - how did it all happen for you?
So I’ve been blogging now for over a year and a half. I initially started following a lot of fashion bloggers and realised that most men were posting very streetwear focused images, a style which is 100% not me. I prefer super skinny jeans and floaty loose shirts, so I thought if this is what I wear, there must be others who do the same. One day I just started posting my looks and flash forward to now I have grown my follower base.
How did you decide that men's fashion was your niche? Have you always been interested in fashion?
I have always loved fashion, I actually got accepted to London College of Fashion to do Fashion Comms at 18, but opted for a more traditional university.
What have you learnt from being a blogger and what skills would you say you have developed from it?
I think that it has really taught me about grafting, you have to put a lot of effort, dedication and commitment into it. It has also really cemented the value in patience, things don't happen overnight, you need to really commit and stick with your passions for them to flourish.
Is blogging a full-time job or do you work a day job? If so, would you ever throw in the day job to blog full time?
No, I actually work full time. I work for a Media and Entertainment Media Owner, and I look after the media partnerships there, so fairly similar to blogging in the sense of advertising, but just a different media type from online.
What's been your favourite collaboration and why?
I did a big campaign with Invisalign recently which I loved. We spent a whole day out with the client, shooting a load of their media campaign for online and in-store which was great! It is always fun when you get to meet the clients on campaign shoots.
Are there any brands you would love to work with?
So, I have just signed off a campaign with Ralph Lauren which I am so excited to be a part of. Other than that I love travelling so any opportunities that allow me to see the world would be amazing!
How do you think your Instagram has changed from when you first started to now?
I think there are little things that you learn over time as a blogger. My photos used to be shot on an iphone, and now I have a proper camera, I used to just edit my photo in the Instagram app and now I used proper editing tools. It’s things like that, I think you only learn 'on the job' per say? Funnily, I now have started using my iphone again for photos, but I think this is more of a reflection of how important decent cameras are becoming to people.
What are your thoughts on the Instagram algorithm? Any tips on beating it?
I’ve never really noticed a difference if I'm completely honest. I know a lot of people have issues with it and say its massively affected them, but day to day I very rarely notice or worry about it. Some photos may get 1,400 like and some may get 850 likes, but as long as I like the content I put out there I'm not too fussed.
Who are your biggest Instagram inspirations or bloggers you have a lot of respect for?
I think Sarah Ashcroft is a given, she shows that if you put the craft and work in, that Instagram can really take you places. I also adore Beth Sandland, her feed is beautiful and while I do know her personally, I think even if you didn't, through her captions and stories you really get an honest reflection of her as a person.
Any advice on how to make paid collaborations more organic and feed-fitting?
I think that as long as the product is something that you would naturally use or talk about then it will fit anyway. If you are mainly talking about fashion and lifestyle and all of a sudden I talk about a lawn mower it would jar a bit, unless I had started talking about buying a home myself? It’s hard because people do need to make their living, but also hundreds of paid campaigns that aren't relevant make it hard to stick with.
Is it true you were chased around Paris by tourists and even asked to pose with one of their babies!?
Haha yes, I’ve just come back from a blogger trip in Paris which was incredible, and while we were shooting on different days, we had various groups of tourists stop me and ask for photos with me. I’m not entirely sure if they thought I was someone famous or just because they liked what I was wearing, but it was certainly an experience!
How did you hear about The Blogger Programme?
I first went to your London fashion week party, it was so fun and great to meet new bloggers and clients!
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