Every critical question you could ask about content creation and digital writing—answered with striking honesty by a fashion blogosphere pioneer
Editor’s Note: Why It’s Time to Turn Our Attention Back to Fashion Bloggers in a Post-Influencer World — Introducing Susie Bubble and Her Meeting with Students in London
The digital landscape is shifting once again, and some Internet personalities are making a quiet comeback.
You might wonder why. The answer is layered but can be summarised as follows: in the aftermath of the influencer era—where aesthetics often challenged authenticity and sponsored posts blurred the line between personal taste and commercial transactions—the fashion world is facing challenges regarding content creation. Amid algorithm fatigue and declining trust in curated perfection, the return of fashion bloggers could be more relevant than ever.
When we look at the present through the lens of the past, we see that while social media has offered speed and extensive reach, blogging has provided space for depth, context, personality, and a genuine editorial voice. Moreover, some pioneering figures from the fashion blogging world, even as interest in the medium waned, have successfully built multifaceted careers that intersect with social media but do not rely on it exclusively.
Susie Lau, Fashion journalist and digital pioneer, speaks to students during an afternoon talk at Istituto Marangoni London.
This brings us to Susie Lau, better known as Susie Bubble. She is a London-based writer and one of the original voices of the fashion blogosphere, helping shape an entire generation of digital fashion thinkers. Her enduring presence may signal what’s next in the industry.
To offer a brief overview, Susie Lau launched her blog, Style Bubble, back in 2006, well before fashion blogging was taken seriously by the industry. By 2010, her blog was drawing tens of thousands of readers each day and attracting over 300,000 unique users a month, according to The New York Times and The Daily Telegraph. That same year, she expanded her platform to Twitter, where she quickly gained recognition. In 2012, The Independent ranked her 69th on its Twitter 100 list, dubbing her “the self-made queen of independent UK fashion blogging.”
While fashion blogs faded as social media took centre stage, Lau didn’t lose momentum. Instead, she evolved by collaborating on special projects with brands and retailers, while continuing to develop her voice as a writer, editor and Internet personality. Today, her Instagram account has over 710,000 followers. Additionally, she serves as the Digital Editorial Director at System, contributes to publications such as Pop, Perfect, and Business of Fashion, and has co-founded Dot Dot, a bubble tea and patisserie café in Stoke Newington.
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Last month, she was flown to Kyoto by Dior for their Pre-Fall 2025 show. Today, she visited Istituto Marangoni in London to speak with students about building a lasting career in fashion.
Here’s the perspective of a student in Styling and Creative Direction who aspires to become a fashion journalist, and what it meant to meet Susie Bubble.
Meeting Susie Bubble as a Future Fashion Journalist
Late afternoon light pools across the Open Space at Istituto Marangoni London, catching dust motes and creating a sense of anticipation in equal measure. Susie Lau, known as Susie Bubble, sits before us, not as the digital pioneer but as a woman whose accidental journey reflects the unplanned evolution of fashion media itself.
Her colourful layers and warm smile conceal the weight of her experience—fifteen years spent witnessing the transformation of an industry, partly through her own insightful perspective. “I was the silly blogger,” she recalls, smiling at a memory that feels both recent and impossibly distant. There’s a refreshing quality to how she describes her beginnings, viewing them not as calculated career moves but as moments of genuine expression: blogging during lunch breaks, taking crude mirror selfies, and finding her voice when no one had yet thought to monetise such voices.
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The crowd leans forward as she discusses our current landscape, where influence has become both a currency and a burden. What strikes me most is her quiet confidence in being selective. When asked about TikTok, she responds with gentle certainty, “It’s much different, creative but critical... it’s not for me.”
“TikTok’s a whole different world: creative, yes, but quite critical. It’s just not for me” – Susie Bubble
In a world that demands omnipresence, her choice to engage meaningfully rather than exhaustively feels like a breath of fresh air. “Sometimes I am press, sometimes an influencer,” she continues, capturing the fluid identity many creatives navigate today. “There’s no difference between an Instagram girlie or Elle.” With these words, she breaks down the artificial boundaries that once defined media hierarchies, envisioning a future where value flows from voice rather than their platform or pedigree.
“At times I’m press, at others I’m considered an influencer. These days, there’s little distinction between an Instagram creator and a fashion magazine” – Susie Bubble
A student asks the question hanging in the air: how can one break through in a saturated digital world? Susie Bubble responds not with platitudes but with heartfelt honesty. “Everything seems possible today, but also impossible,” she says, her voice carrying the warmth of someone sharing a truth she wishes weren’t so. “To get noticed, to get money for it, is the most difficult part.” The room falls quiet, absorbing this reality.
“In today’s saturated digital world, everything seems possible and yet impossible. Getting noticed, getting paid for it: that’s the hardest part” – Susie Bubble
As our time together comes to a close, three insights from our conversation stand out. Fashion editor Joe Bromley shares practical advice about pitching: “Keep it concise. Don’t include the three articles you have already written.” Susie Bubble agrees, adding, “Tailor it to the publication”. This straightforward guidance highlights the human relationship at the heart of all media interactions.
However, it’s Susie Bubble’s final insight that resonates most deeply: “Consistency and open-mindedness is what you need today.” These few words capture the paradox of creative survival: maintaining a steadfast routine while continually adapting, balancing a disciplined voice with the curiosity to evolve.
“Consistency and open mindedness is what you need today” – Susie Bubble
As we gather our belongings, what lingers is not a formula for digital success but something more profound: a vision of a creative life built on authenticity rather than algorithms, and on curiosity rather than calculation. In Susie Bubble’s journey from outsider to oracle, we find perhaps the most valuable lesson for future content creators: true influence is not something you chase; it emerges naturally when you have something genuine to say.