Chameleon-like, resilient. Determined to stay relevant in a perpetually evolving environment like fashion. Fifteen years after his debut as a blogger, Bryanboy is still on the edge with 2.9 million followers on TikTok and a lot of credibility among industry insiders. Since 2007, the Filipino content creator has been able to always reinvent himself and is currently collaborating with fashion editor Katie Grand at her latest project, the Perfect Magazine, as International Editorial Director. Istituto Marangoni London hosted him for a conversation about his achievements and his advice for future professionals.
Here’s what he told us in 12 quotes.
1. I like to be defined by my work; I feel like I still have a long way to go. It’s an ongoing process.
2. As I get older, I need to be more responsible with what I put online. It’s so easy to be negative and to criticize, but I must keep in mind that the people who read my posts are also human. I’m not gonna be like «This designer is crap» or «This is horrible». There are so many people who work behind what a designer does, or what anyone does for that matter. So, it’s easy to be negative, to bully around, but over time I feel like it’s not what I wanna do.
3. We [content creators] will always be here. It’s fascinating how back in the days, when I started going to fashion shows in 2008/2009, a lot of traditional media had no idea how to see us bloggers. The media back then didn’t know how to categorize us or how to treat us, but we’re over it; now it’s 2022 and we are literally consuming so much information from content creators.
4. I think it’s pretty sustainable [the content creator’s career] but at the same time you need to look at different platforms and not identify with one only. I started as a blogger, then I moved to Instagram, then to TikTok. So as long as you have a voice and you are able to tell stories and continue to be relevant, then of course it is sustainable.
5. Fashion is a very small industry built on relationships. And this is the most important thing that people should remember: everybody knows everyone. You could meet someone who’s a PR intern now, and five years down the line they’re vice president for a brand’s global communication. So, for me, I’ll be honest, one of the reasons why I’m still around 17 years later, even though I don’t have a million followers on Instagram, is the relationships I have built with the people I have worked with since the beginning of my career. They were the ones giving me a flow, the ones who found me relevant. And these are the most important things that you can treasure in this industry.
6. Whenever I consult with brands, I really don’t want to be the person creating content. I think I can do this easily. I love the idea of developing a creative strategy that other people can use with my vision, that’s more exciting than me posting a bag. From a creative point of view, this is more fulfilling and challenging than posting a picture on Instagram.
7. One of the reasons I love fashion so much is fashion magazines. I love magazines, they are so inspiring; the images you can see on a printed page are on a whole different level.
8. Fashion is a great community, an industry that unites so many different people. But I think the most important thing is to have a voice, to have a vision. You need to know what you want to do in fashion. There are so many jobs and career opportunities in this industry.
9. It’s a hard time for a lot of brands and designers right now, because we are in an era where big brands have all the power worldwide. At the same time, though, we also have a new generation of kids and people who are so obsessed with young designers; we have a generation that is conscious about sustainability, recycling and upcycling. So, I think we are going to see a shift where these big brands will be something much more sustainable, and anything in between will be all gone.
10. Success to me is to have a career where you are constantly relevant for a long time. I’m still trying to make a name for myself. In a way, I think someone successful is someone with a long, sustainable career.
11. Fashion is a tool for us to express ourselves in many ways, and even to improve our lives.
12. [The metaverse] Why are we rushing into a space that doesn’t exist, with no real and tangible aspects to it? The idea of us spending hours in the corner of a room while the whole world exists, I am very very against it. I care more about real life. Fashion is something tangible that is meant to be worn, and it is meant to be felt. Fashion in the metaverse is a different game and I care more about life than something virtual.
Clementina Bianchi
Editor
Illustration Constanza Coscia