Driven Series Interview: Charlotte from Winston and Willow

Charlotte's beautiful photos in the USA popping up on my Facebook newsfeed and I just knew she was a great candidate for our Driven Series of Interviews.

 

As a young, driven (and gorgeous) Australian female, Charlotte moved to America for personal reasons and started to blog...  she is now taking the blogging and fashion world on, one day at a time.

We wish Charlotte all the best in her adventures, which you can follow at WinstonandWillow.com

 

 

 

 

The Interview

 

How old are you?

 

I am 24

 

Tell me about Winston & Willow...

 

Winston & Willow is a fashion and travel blog, with a few recipes and reviews thrown in. I try not to define it too much, but basically it is my life and style through images, documenting the fashions and the things that I come across through my travels.

 

What was the inspiration behind Winston &Willow?

I've always been a lover of fashion since I was little, and as I am always traveling I wanted a way to show my friends and family my photos as a lot of them didn't use facebook etc. As I am a huge lover of fashion and photography, I felt it would be a really great way to showcase both of these things.

 

What are you currently working on?

I am contstantly working on bulding my blogs audience, but I am specifically working on collaborations with designers/brands at the moment.

 

Why did you start blogging?

 

I've been a follower of all types of blogs for years now, especially Australian fashion blogs such as Tuula Vintage and Gary Pepper, and loved the idea of traveling the world, taking photos and wearing amazing clothes. As I am always moving back and forth to different countries, I wanted to create something that could move wherever I went, and that wouldn't hold me down to one place, which blogging definitely doesn't do.

 

What are your goals for the blog?

 

I initially started my blog as a hobby whilst I was living overseas, but have really grown to love it and could really see myself doing this full time.

 

 

What do you see as the main differences between American and Australian fashion?

 

I have had the oppurtuntiy to travel to some of America's largest cities: New York, Boston, Washing DC, LA etc, and found that the fashion in these cities are very comparable to what you would find in Sydney and Melbourne. However, once you get out of these main cities, there are no cute little boutiques like what you find back in Australia. Out in the suburbs you will find the same stores in each suburb, such as H&M, Forever 21, American Eagle etc, and although these shops are great, it can become a little repetitive. I'm definitely missing Australian shopping, that's for sure!

What do you think is the hardest thing for new bloggers?

 

Definitely getting your blog out there and gaining followers. There are so many fashion blogs out there these days so it is hard to differenciate yourself from one another. All of the social media that you have to keep up with (FB, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram) plus the blog itself is a lot of work, and it can be quite daunting. It really is a full time job!

What is the best thing about blogging?

 

Blogging is such a worldwide thing, so you have the ability to meet people on the other side of the world without leaving your computer. That and attending some really good events, and the freebies of course.

What is a typical day in the life of Charlotte?
 

I try and do an outfit shoot every 2 days, so if it's a day we are shooting it is typically remuging through my wardrobe, finding a place to shoot, then coming home and editing photos. On the days we aren't shooting you can usually find me shopping, either online or regular shopping, chatting to other bloggers, answering emails and contacting clients. The great thing about blogging however is that everyday is different.
 

What is your biggest guilty pleasure?

 

Definitely wine and cheese. And spending way too much money on clothes.

 

 

What are your 3 staple clothing items?

 

Choosing 3 is so hard! Here in the United States we are just coming out of winter, but I'm coming back to Australia in May for the start of their winter. So with that in mind I would definitely say a good pair of black ankle boots, a tailored black blazer, and a really good leather jacket. I feel like these items are so verstaille and can be worn with pretty much everything, and I always feel myself grabbing for them in my closet everyday!

What is the current most worn item in your closet right now?

 

I bought a pair of Vince Camuto suede ankle boots with gold buckels when I was in New York a few weeks back which haven't left my feet. As much as I love heels, I'm not good at lasting in them all day and love a good pair of comfortable flats, and these are some of the comfiest, most stylish shoes I've found in a while.

What is your must have item for the colder months?

 

We are lucky in Australia that it doesn't get that cold so we don't need to rug up as much, but I am a big lover of the classic black leather riding boot teamed with a great pair of jeans. Wear that this upcoming season with a coat trimmed in leather; I picked one up at Zara in London in November and have received so many compliments on it, and can't wait to bring in back to Australia to wear it for another season.

What is a perfect relaxation day for Charlotte?
 

I love to cook, so on the days where we don't have much on I love to plan an extravagent meal to cook, with wine, of course.

 

Do you have any advice for fellow bloggers?

 

- I think it is really important to build and maintain relationships with fellow bloggers, as it can feel like a pretty lonely thing typing into your computer day after day. These relationships will help your blog grow in the long run, plus you can meet some amazing people.

 

- Invest in a good quality camera and learn how to use it. I see so many blogs out there with low res images either taken on self timers or on their iPhones. Images a key to a blogs success, and if you look at the most successful blogs out there, they aren't using their iPhones (except for Instagram images) to take photos for their blog. Even if you want to write a travel, lifestyle, DIY etc blog, high quality professional images will make you and your blog look just that: professional.