This week we have our sights set on the lovely Crystal of Obsessions Now. She is based in the wondrous city of New York, a true city girl with the chic to match. Crystal’s style is a whimsical mixture of bright colours and gorgeous prints. Needless to say, all of us at Stylinity are obsessed (see what I did there?) with Crystal’s fashion sense!
We managed to sit down to chat with this busy, jet-setting girl, catching her just as she arrived back in New York from her travels. During the chat, we talked about what inspired Crystal to start her blog, the most dangerous thing she has done for quality photos, and some of her biggest takeaways from working as a blogger.
Click on the image to shop Crystal’s look!
Tell us more about yourself.
I have a professional background in marketing and publication. Started my career in Miami, working in-house for a large hospitality group as the director of marketing for new openings and large scale events.
I was also doing freelance PR at the same time! I like to work a lot and I cannot just have one job. It’s important for me to keep active and in motion, I really like to keep active.
Would you call yourself a workaholic?
[Laughs] I wouldn’t call myself a workaholic!
Though, when I am passionate about something, I tend to give it my all. I can see that turning into a “workaholic situation”...
Tell us more about your blog. How did you first get into blogging?
Well, Obsessions Now is about both fashion and experience.
After Miami, I moved to New York to work for a PR agency and dealt mostly with consumer electronics. I have this love for fashion but I was stuck doing PR for electronics. I also worked for a thought leadership company and created content for tech companies. It was my first taste of content marketing. I managed to figure out what I enjoyed and don’t enjoy.
I started my blog as a side project, a hobby of sorts. I needed a place to express myself from writing tech white papers. It was mainly a site discussing “where to go” and “what to wear”, focusing mainly on fashion and experience.
So, what do you mean by experience?
I mean my experiences while travelling. Sometimes, my blog will cover certain events and conference that I’ve attended, as well as fashion shows.
Click on the images to shop Crystal’s look!
Sometimes, experiences go more towards beauty and fashion. I also write about my experiences with certain subscription boxes and new beauty products. Experience, to me, isn’t solely confined to travelling.
Which is more important: style or comfort?
Well, I’m definitely not going to wear something if it’s not comfortable. I feel that it’s important to feel comfortable in what you’re wearing. Like you need to feel comfortable in your clothes. Now, with how style is evolving, I think it’s getting easier to find clothes that are stylish yet comfortable. I mean, look at street fashion and athleisure, block heels…
Click on the image to shop Crystal’s look!
Pieces that make you feel comfortable while looking good is not hard to find.
What is the most dangerous thing you have done while trying to take photos for your blog?
In NYC, I’m constantly jumping in front of a taxi, because a taxi shot is everything.
Click on the images to shop Crystal’s look!
But we’re pretty smart, we until the red light flashes. The drivers are pretty accommodating as well - they just wave and go off after the photo is taken.
I know I probably have done a lot of dangerous things and had a laugh about it but at the moment… I try to be fairly safe. But sometimes when it’s early in the morning and I haven’t had my cup of coffee [laughs] things can go wrong.
I don’t think I’ve put myself in anything that is too harmful though.
What is your biggest or best takeaways from being a blogger?
Personally, I kind of connected with this tribe of people and we all have the same interest. This connection, to me, is very fulfilling. Especially meeting other bloggers who are passionate about the same things too! It’s very rare to meet people from all over the country, like LA and Seattle, and befriend them online through Instagram. I feel like we’re close friends and we really know each other.
The other part is working with brands! There’s also a community too. Brands give me a lot of creative control and it feels very fulfilling when you bring things together, you know? You bring in a photographer, style the clothes, and make this story out of it. When you create a final product and the brand loves it, it’s like a really cool masterpiece.
