I Lived Like an Influencer For a Week

From Harper's BAZAAR

Last month I received the invitation of a lifetime: the chance to join an influencer trip to Ibiza, Spain, courtesy of luxury e-commerce site FWRD by Elyse Walker. FWRD also happens to be owned by the founders of Revolve - and unless you've been living under a rock, you know Revolve has become synonymous with beautiful girls on lavish vacations around the world. While press trips for magazine editors can be a dime a dozen, the #RevolveAroundTheWorld trips have never been opened to us. So, I considered myself fortunate to be invited on the very first FWRD excursion as they tested Revolve's successful influencer trip formula with a high-fashion twist - and needless to say, my expectations were high.

I won't lie though, I went into this with a little apprehension about being the only editor on the trip. Would I feel like an outsider? Would I be stuck by myself while everyone was busy taking photos? I had never met Negin Mirsalehi, Camila Coehlo or Sara Escudero, and had only briefly met Chriselle Lim and Evangelie Smyrniotaki during New York Fashion Week. But as the saying goes, "when in Rome..." (in my case, when in Ibiza), do as the bloggers do - hop on the content-creating train. Below, my biggest takeaways from my week of living like a blogger, from Instagram tips to crying fan moments.

1. Everything is about a moment

The main purpose of trips like these is for influencers to create content - inciting jealousy is just a bonus. The team from Revolve/FWRD are skilled at coordinating picture-perfect moments - and it's all about location, location, location. Ibiza was chosen by fashion director Elyse Walker who has been vacationing on the island for years. From our all-white villa in Sant Josep complete with an infinity pool, to seaside lunch locations at Amante and Blue Marlin, and a day spent cruising around Formentera on a yacht - every spot serves as a backdrop for an image that could potentially be seen by millions of people.

2. There are many outfit changes

When packing for a trip, I tend to bring pieces that I know I can wear multiple times different ways. But you can't do that when you're an influencer, and content is king. These girls' followers expect a constant stream of #outfitinspo. My simple vacation outfits felt like no match to everyone's perfectly-coordinated head-to-toe looks being turned out for each outing. And while my down time was spent catching up on e-mails from New York by the pool, I watched as the girls made the most of their time shooting two to three outfits around our villa. If we were going on an all-day adventure, they'd come prepared with a second look.

3. It's a team effort

The fabled tale of the stylish girl being photographed by her boyfriend and finding success as a fashion blogger still rings true. All the influencers brought their boyfriends or husbands who are part of their businesses. Both Coelho and Mirsalehi are managed by their partners, whom also doubled as photographers on the trip. However, they told me that ordinarily when they're in their hometowns or during a hectic time like fashion month, they shoot with seasoned photographers. These girls also have branding and development teams, publicists and others who are invested in their careers to keep them moving forward.

4. Influencers are generous with Instagram tips

How do they get their photos so perfect? Whether it was camera equipment, a great photo editing app (Coehlo loves Enlight Photofox), or how often to post (they aim for three times per day) - the girls were not shy about sharing their process with me or each other.

5. Their fans are everywhere

All the influencers on this getaway were pushing a million followers, or well over, like Mirsalehi (4 million) and Coelho (6.4 million) who started their blogs around six years ago. While I viewed them as fashion lovers who just happen to be really good at Instagram, it was impossible to go anywhere without them being recognized by their followers, whether we were at the beach or a crowded night club. On multiple occasions fans cried upon meeting Coelho, who always obliged their photo requests - and some of her fans even managed to find the itinerary of our trip and waited for her arrival at a restaurant one evening.

6. Think beyond the 'gram

It's no longer just about creating one great image, or sharing your day-to-day on Instagram Stories that disappear after 24 hours. Fashion bloggers are now turning to vlogging and creating video content to bring their followers a step further into their world. Negin Mirasalehi created a video from the entire week in Ibiza and Chriselle Lim captured the boat day to Formentera.

7. Drink the Kool-Aid

It was hard not to be inspired by these girls who are building their own fashion empires, not to mention creating really beautiful images. So I did as the bloggers did - I also changed outfits for each and every outing, and had my photo taken by whoever was willing. Everyone was generous about sparing time to take my photo, whether it was the FWRD PR team or the influencers themselves. Evangelie Smyrniotaki even let me borrow her photographer on multiple occasions, or she'd shoot me on her own personal camera. My Instagram frequency went from two to three times per week, to three times per day. But it's easy to post when everywhere we went was incredibly beautiful.

8. The payoff is real

By the end of the trip I had gained just under 1,000 followers in a week - along with a little paranoia that all my friends at home hated me for my constant posting. FWRD's own account had gained well over 10,000 followers. But of course I wasn't able to sustain my growth when I got back to New York, considering I report to an office everyday and don't have photographers ready at every turn.

All in all, experiencing this influencer vacation first hand made me realize that the FWRD/Revolve team is excelling at more than just exotic trips with picture-perfect Instagrams. The brands are single handedly cultivating the new cool-girl lifestyle of being on a never-ending vacation with friends and fantastic clothes. Naturally, they make it all look very easy, but I was able to see the dedication and all the work that goes into their jobs. Their creativity and ability to produce beautiful photographs every day was genuinely impressive, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel moments of envy - these girls are extremely fortunate to travel all over the world with their significant others, all while wearing the best designer clothes and paving their own paths.

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