Teresa is a woman of many talents. A fashion stylist from Sweden living in Dubai, her fashion and lifestyle blog Styledrifter is amongst the top blogs in the region. We found Teresa’s work intriguing so we couldn’t resist meeting her in person to pick her brain about the dos and don’ts of fashion and lifestyle blogging. Read on to uncover what’s behind the scenes of the Styledrifter.

What made you start blogging?
Initially I was looking for a creative outlet for myself, a platform where I could curate my interest in fashion. I was immensely inspired by all the European blogs and thought that Dubai and the region could do with a hint of understated, clean cut fashion.

What’s the hardest thing about blogging and staying active?
The amount of time it takes to deliver high quality content. I am fortunate enough to be really busy as a stylist, therfeore I always feel guilty over neglecting my blog. I hope that I can start delegating some styling work and turn the website into the forum it has the potential of becoming.

Is there anything you’d like to add to your blog?
I would love to work with a talented make up artist, I am very minimal with my beauty needs and an expert could help me develop that part of the content.

Who are the other bloggers that you look up to, if you have any?
I love Rumi Neely from The Fashion Toast and not because of her fashion sense; I see her more as an art director, her eye for photography, composition of a good photo and even interiors is unique. Naturally The Blonde Salad, whilst hardly visually stimulating for me, is a huge entrepreneurial success story with the annual earnings of $8,000,000.

“Find out what you are the most passionate about and nurture that as opposed to copying others”

What, would you say, makes your blog different from the others?
My answer will be solely based on the feedback I get; I am good at “keeping it real,” in other words, I try to stay transparent, humble and I like to inspire as opposed to intimidate.

You are also a stylist and have done some impressive work. Would you say you prefer one over the other?
I am 100% a stylist who just happens to have a blog on the side. Three years of styling full-time and I am still on a honeymoon with my job. I feel incredibly humbled by how well my work has been received and what opportunities I have earned.

What’s your favourite city and why?
I love Rio De Janeiro, for the sights, sounds and the spontaneous samba on Copacabana beach.

What is the wardrobe item you can’t live without?
A simple grey marl Helmut Lang sweatshirt.

As a European living in the Middle East, is there anything you miss about Europe while living here?
The approach to style where the way we dress is a reflection of our sense of style – a tool of self expression as opposed to a showcase of the content of our wallets.

What would you advise to the bloggers who are just starting out? Find your USP (unique selling point). Find out what you are the most passionate about and nurture that as opposed to copying others. Also, take a basic photography course, these days with Instagram being the prime social media tool our images do most of the talking.

Check out Teresa’s blog at www.styledrifter.com