In a world where the media is putting a lot of pressure on the way we look, thanks to Paris Hilton and her friends, it seems like a release that a couple of cool girls and boys started their own blog where they post pictures of themselves in a fresh new style. Sometimes it’s all “nerdy is the new pretty”, sometimes it’s full-on retro, but it’s always a surprise and a pleasure to read. Fashion blogs encourage other teens to spend more time with their wardrobe, rather then throwing on a simple tee-and-denim-combination. This issue is a start for Portrait to talk to fashion bloggers so everyone can see that it’s easy to develop an unique style. Someone who has a great style is Alice from Germany who blogs amazing photographs of her daily outfits on her blog iheartalice.blogspot.com

Alice

Tell us about you – who are you? When and why did you start blogging?
My name is Mai-Linh Alice Huynh, 19 and I am living in a small village in Bavaria/Germany. But I am usually known as Alice. I started blogging about 4-5 years ago, because I just needed a platform to express my favourite hobby: fashion. But from time to time, it became much more than just a hobby, it became my passion and my lifestyle.

If there was a kind of “uniform” for you – the clothes you like to wear the most and feel most comfortable in – what would it be?
Definitely a longshirt with leggings or tights! This is my all-time-favorite look ever!

You’re always wearing very high heels. Any tips for small girls who want to be big time too?
Try to go shopping, afterwards partying with your girls, and no high-heel seems to be very high anymore! A little advice: always take flats or gelpads with you!

Has your way of going shopping changed since you started a blog?
A little bit. Every time when I shop, I am always thinking about "Maybe this piece would be perfect for a readers insider tip!". But in fact it didn't change at all.

What would you choose: A household designer name or a fantastic vintage piece?
A household designer name sounds pretty seductive, but a fantastic vintage piece is always an eyecatcher and is better to have something that nobody has than something expensive that everybody has.

How do your friends and family react when you put pictures of them online? And what did they say when you released private details of your live early on?
Well they don't really mind if I am posting pictures of them. I am also really careful with posting pictures of my family and my friends, so they really don't have to worry. The thing with my private life is something else, I know where and when to stop writing about my life - but I try to stay interesting and mysterious at the same time ;)

Starting a blog is easy – but you put a lot of effort in it, with writing in two languages, blogging daily and doing crazy drives like giveaways. You’re kind of semi-professional but do you sometimes wish to stop putting so much work into it and just blog for fun?
Well, blogging for me is like a part of my daily life. I love to blog and I think this should be the main sense of blogging. If it wouldn't be fun anymore and if I would rather see it as 'work', I would definitely stop it.

You also publish drawings you did on your blog. What inspires you to be that creative?
I used to be creative when I was in the kindergarten. I always wanted to be an artist and I loved the idea of creating new stuff or just paint senseless ideas on a white sheet of paper. I always get the best ideas in class!

One of Alice's Drawings

Part of your blog content is also about travelling. Which city do you think is the one with the most fashionable people, which city is the most fashionable itself?
Definitely Berlin! I really love the people and the individual style there. They are so friendly and the attitude and just the way of living in Berlin is incredible! I love the creative vain that flows through the city, the streets and the walls.

You come from the near of Munich but it’s a smaller place than this Bavarian metropolis – do you think it’s harder for blogger or creative people in general to be from a small town whereas bloggers from big cities?
Maybe it is harder, but I think we just have less options when we live in a small city or village. But since the internet and blogging is an important place for fashion and newcomer, I think there is no difference, whether in having inspiration or dressing.

You did land some pretty sweet jobs – you’ve been featured in German magazine GRAZIA, you’ve got sponsors and you’ve got invited to the Berlin Fashion Week for the second time in a row – which was the best experience that you got thanks to blogging?
Of course! I am pretty thankful for those many experiences that have come with blogging and my blog. I especially enjoy the conversations and the meetings with new people and friends!

What’s on your “To Do”-list next and what do you want to accomplish with iheartalice? Do consider a career in fashion?
On my To-Do-List is a lot, like shootings for different brands. "iheartalice" is just like a platform for my creativity, I just want to get in touch with people and the fashionscene, but it is also a little door for me to the world of fashion.