Tumblr Sending 20 Fashion Bloggers to New York Fashion Week


[ Models at the Donna Karan show at February's New York Fashion Week. Photo by Jamie Beck, From Me to You blogger. ]

Tumblr is sending 20 fashion bloggers who use Tumblr -- including four of the 24 it sent for February's event -- to cover New York Fashion Week Sept. 8-15. About 20% of Tumblr's 20M blogs are fashion-related.

From our research, it does not appear Posterous, WordPress or SquareSpace has ever done something similar. This is the only vertical in which Tumblr has organized blogger access to a major event.

Founded by David Karp in 2007, New York-based Tumblr has raised over $40M to date from investors including Union Square Ventures and Sequoia Capital. The company is set to raise anywhere from $75M to $100M, which would value the company at $800M, according to a report last week from the Wall Street Journal.

The Tumblr team spent a few weeks reviewing submissions from fashion bloggers, Tumblr Fashion Director Rich Tong explained in a post.

"We were looking for individuals who not only create and curate some of the best content on their respective blogs, but who also recognize this as an opportunity to begin developing their careers within the fashion industry," Rich writes.

Some of the blogs chosen include Girl with Curves, a personal style blog that offers outfit inspiration and shopping tips, How To Talk To Girls At Parties, a hipster-esque inspiration blog for the "sartorially inclined," and High Like Fashion, a runway and editorial blog.

For NYFW in February, all bloggers not based in New York received complimentary flights and accommodations. Tumblr arranged dinners and cocktails with a roster of brands and designers and gave bloggers access to several shows.

Jamie Beck, the photographer/blogger of From Me To You, live-blogged NYFW.

"It was incredible," Jamie Beck tells LAUNCH via email. "The access to events, shows, presentations we were given allowed us to get up close and really photograph the beauty of the fashion and scene taking place."

Jamie says the experienced helped advance her career. She felt honored when Tumblr asked her to come back.

"As a photographer, I want to be able to capture the best work possible and what Tumblr gives me is that platform, freedom, and support to do just that," Jamie writes. "I really think Rich Tong must be super human for what he accomplishes. Now that I've experienced what it takes to survive fashion week, we will be much better prepared this season and hope to produce ten times the amount of content."


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