Fashion influencer, photographer, stylist and writer Dylana Suarez shares what inspires her and gives advice for aspiring content creators.
Welcome to our column, “Influencer Spotlight” where we highlight our favorite content creators. Enjoy!
Dylana was part of our earliest campaigns with brands like Mulberry and Longchamp here at Billion Dollar Boy. She merges poetic sensibility and visual artistry very well, which is just one of the many reasons we enjoy working with her, in addition to her incredible sense of style and creativity. When she’s not creating, you can find her roaming the streets of NYC, exploring local museums, bookstores, art galleries, and other cultural places. Read on for more about this multifaceted hardworking influencer.
How did you get started creating content?
I got started content creating my last year of college, when I started my blog to help me develop my skills as a fashion writer. I was also interning at Teen Magazine, where I got to help on set of photo shoots and write articles for the website. I’ve always loved looking at fashion editorials my entire life, and this was the first time I got to be on set and I fell in love with the whole creative process. I picked up my first camera as soon as I graduated, and self taught myself photography and how to shoot manually. I was always open to experimenting and developing my eye, so I practiced a lot on my sister who was a young model at the time. Together, we both decided to start fashion blogs after I found a few online, and had the desire to share my own personal style online, focusing mostly on vintage/second hand looks mixed with fast fashion. We brought our camera everywhere, and it was something we naturally did every single day – document and write about fashion and just life in general.
Tell us about your first influencer campaign.
Our first blogger campaign was for Free People in 2010 where I got to shoot their very first influencer-focused catalog. That was when I decided I wanted to move to NYC someday. I worked for a few different fashion companies since then, running my blog on the side. It was in 2014, when I decided to quit my full-time job and focus on my blog and Instagram full time alongside my sister. Together we had very organic growth in the industry. We kept doing what we love, and that’s how we got to where we are.
What does a typical day in your life look like?
A typical work day for me consists of waking up, having coffee first thing, a good morning stretch, and then I dive into my emails that I didn’t get to the day before. Planning my schedule for the upcoming week is a top priority, since my sister and I are always juggling lots of projects to shoot, personal projects, events and also just downtime with family and friends. We prioritize what sponsored work we have to shoot according to the weather, and usually shoot end of day for the best light. On busier days that have meetings in Manhattan on the schedule, we will shoot our daily outfits out and about in the city so our images feel sort of spur of the moment. We really get to explore and try out new shooting locations this way. I feel like we have finally found our groove with this. When we are done with shooting, emails and concept development for upcoming projects, we’ll either end the day with a workout and a home cooked meal, or a dinner event. We check out emails throughout the day and even on the go, so I’m updating the calendar constantly. But it’s so much fun planning our days!
Define your style in 3 words.
Colorful, eclectic, retro-inspired.
Who and what inspires you? (A film, artist, book, social movement, friend or family member?)
I am inspired by so much, but a lot of my inspiration comes from the film world! Films like When Harry Met Sally, Clueless and In the Mood for Love.
What is the biggest highlight of your influencer career so far?
The biggest highlight of my career so far was being the face of a Sephora campaign alongside my sister. It has been a long time coming after all our years of blogging together, and this campaign felt like a real marker for us. And we have been working with Sephora on different campaigns in the past few years, so it felt so right that we did this campaign, and representing diversity in the beauty realm.
What has been your favorite branded campaign you have worked on and why?
My favorite branded campaign was actually one I did with Billion Dollar Boy. The Mulberry video that I did with you guys really pushed me to focus more on video and trusting my own sense of creativity, and I found that I love art directing video projects so much! And I have found myself getting better and better at them with time. It was also the first project my husband and I worked on together officially, and it was like we created magic! I’ve been a huge fan of Mulberry for years, so it was amazing to partner with them as an influencer and bring my own perspective to the brand, all shot in my own city.
If you could share one tip for someone building their Instagram channel, what would it be?
One tip that I always give is to always stay true to your uniqueness and personal passion. This keeps you from following the pack, and doing your own thing. And with time, you will truly feel a confidence in your own skin about your own creative work. I felt like I did my best work that I was most proud to post on my Instagram when I finally let go and just tried to create visually what I loved without thinking about what others would think of my work. I always post everything for me now, and I find that people appreciate that. I never felt comfortable being cookie cutter. Find your path and find your niche and focus on your uniqueness. Your uniqueness is your strength!
What is a brand you think is doing things right on social? And why?
A brand that I think is doing it right on social right now is Sezane because I have followed and worked with the brand since their very early days, and was able to watch them grow into a huge international company since then. I think they do an amazing job in really focusing on brand identity and connecting with their audience through the lifestyle that they inspire through their Instagram page. They always stay true to their aesthetic, are very in tune with their followers and interact with them constantly, and speckle in a lot of extra inspiration on their feed that really speaks to their audience. You can see in their comments that they respond to almost every follower question, and that takes a lot of effort and care.
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