Interview with Ali Stone

www.thosewhitewalls.com

My name is Ali Stone. I am a photographer and the writer of the fashion, travel and lifestyle blog, Those White Walls.

My target audience is women ages 18-50 or so!

I actually wrote a whole blog post about this! You can read it here.

I started making jewelry when I was 9 years old because my mom refused to buy me an expensive pair of earrings... So, I taught myself to make them instead. After about three years of mom and I making jewelry, we decided to launch a business. It's called Just The 2 Of Us Jewelry. We make handmade pieces made mostly of sterling silver and brass. We do a lot of custom work for clients, hand stamping and metal work. Two years ago we also launched a line of fine jewelry. This line is more dainty and is all sterling silver, 14k gold and diamonds.

Chicago is a great shopping city. We have all the designer and department stores you could dream of. BUT! My favorite is the local boutiques. My top two are Alice and Wonder in Lincoln Park and FELT in Logan Square.

My best piece of advice when putting together an outfit is, if you feel good in it, you look good in it!

I think both of those statements are true. The industry is definitely oversaturated. BUT! If you're passionate, love what you do and work your butt off, you can do it.

This is a tough question because I think a lot of people think it's easy. I wrote by blog for over three years before I started making any real money. My biggest tips are to work with brands that you love and stand behind to help grow your presence. Also, collaborate with other bloggers. Helping each other grow is a great way to gain exposure. Most importantly, you have to stay true to yourself and your brand. Decide what you're writing about, who you're writing for and don't stay. Staying authentic is SO important and brands will notice that. It can be tempting to take paid collaborations, but if they don't align with your brand, you're only hurting yourself in the long run.

Definitely not! I've never thought of getting rid of my blog. My blog is the place where my readers and followers can really get to know me. It's extremely important to me to have a platform where I can give you all the most amount of information possible. Instagram is not the place for this. Don't get my wrong, I love instagram and it's an amazing platform but I think it's so important to also have a blog where you post on a consistent basis.

Well, I grew up loving fashion. I was surrounded by it because my Mother and Bubby (grandmother) have always had amazing style. When i was 13 I started taking photos. At 15 I was hired to shoot my first paid photography job and at 18 I went to one of the top colleges in the country for photography. My degree is in photography and I am a freelance photographer full time. Being able to have my blog as an outlet for my love of fashion and being able to incorporate my love of photography has been amazing!

Learn how to use your camera! Even basic settings. Just because you buy an expensive camera doesn't make you a photographer. Take time for test shoots, to try different techniques and to learn how your camera works. After you've done that, find good light and avoid direct sun! Cloudy days are the best days to take photos!

I think this answer will differ from person to person. I don't necessarily think the background matters too much if the focus of the photo is the outfit. That being said, I love city scapes and neutral backgrounds.

Phone cameras are amazing these days. It surely doesn't replace a professional photo but I don't think there's anything wrong with posting a phone photo on your instagram account. I do all the time! On the other hand, I would never use phone photos for my blog.

A few of my favorites are, N. Philanthropy, J Brand, Common Projects, Aritzia.

A few of my favorite skincare brands are, TULA, Erborian, Loccitane, Bliss, Erno Laszlo, Boscia.

In my opinion, if every woman has a great bag, pair of shoes and jacket, then you never need more than jeans and a white t shirt underneath.

My favorite thing in my closet is a fur coat that was my Bubby's (grandmother). It has her name embroidered on the inside so it's really special to me.

Oh gosh! There are so many!!! I guess I'd have to say that the bloggers I am most inspired by are the bloggers I know and am lucky enough to work with. Olivia, of Olivia Rink, Ashley or Sed Bona, Shai or Drunk on Shoes, Janet of Fashionaholic, Jenn of Style Charade, John of The Risky Jackal, Hayet of Hayet Rida, Lauren of Lakeshore Lady... These are just a few but there are seriously SO MANY! The industry in Chicago is amazing!!! All of these people work SO hard. I've never been surrounded by people as dedicated and hardworking as the community in Chicago. It's incredible!