It’s absolutely hilarious when people meet me and ask, “Are you a new blogger?” I mean, I’ve been in the business since the beginning of this decade, before every other person with a computer opened a Blogspot account to get event invites and freebies and before blogging meant posting random shit on Instagram.
In their defense, they had not seen me do much work in front of the camera prior to 2015, but it’s funny nonetheless to be asked such a thing by these new kids who obviously don’t do their homework.
In light of this, so I will never have to answer the same question again, I’ve compiled a list of things that would make sense only to the certified oldies in Dubai’s fashion and media industry. If I forgot anything, it’s because I’m getting old. Do let me know in the comments!
1. You still refer to Havas as Euro RSCG from time to time, because old habits die hard.
2. You have found better things to do than attend events. If you have to go, you make sure it’s a good one.
3. As bad as Fashion Forward is, you think it’s still by far the best of the “Dubai Fashion Week” events that many companies have tried to stage and fail.
Every time we received an announcement, we would go, “Great, another saree and abaya fashion week.”
4. Back when the Grazia Style Awards’ Best Style Blogger title was based on a vote, you ran after everyone you knew in the whole wide world to go tick your name on the digital ballot.
5. Before House of Nomad, you remember that there was House of glaMO by Mohammad Sultan Al Habtoor and Tamara Gabbani who sold that crazy popular “No Cash? No Oil? Who Cares? Dubai Loves You” tee.
That slogan gets shot back to relevance these days, what with the oil price slump and all. Perhaps a reissue is in order?
6. You’re familiar with local blog Front Row Mode and the entertainingly inflammatory posts it published.
Unless you were on the receiving end, then you wouldn’t find them so entertaining. Remember those things they said about POSE Magazine and the Splash fashion show?
7. You lost interest in Fashion Week after your first two seasons.
You realized there’s more politics than you can handle in getting properly seated at the Big 4 shows and you decided you were done with high school. Also, it’s exhausting! You set your sights, instead, on lower-tier fashion weeks like Lisbon, Madrid, Amsterdam and Stockholm who are willing to fly you in and take care of you like the celeb you think you are.
8. You have been mentioned, featured or credited in at least one international fashion title, like Vogue or Harper’s Bazaar. If you haven’t, then you’re doing it wrong.
9. You can no longer keep track of all the bloggers who have come and gone in the past five years or so.
10. You’ve been dissed countless times for speaking your mind and not playing by the rules.
Our regular installment of Fashion Chameleon, a men’s fashion and lifestyle blog written by Jim Joquico the founder of La Moda Dubai. Read previous posts here .