Blogger Anita Clarke Talks Friends, Foes and The Fashion Scene

I.T. Test Analyst by day, fashion enthusiast by night, Anita Clarke has become quite the blogging phenomenon - despite being a self-professed nerd and working the 9-5 grind.

Anyone attending an industry event in Toronto, whether it’s LG Fashion week, a collection preview, product or magazine launch, knows they’re going to see Anita. Her attendance rate is insane. It’s also pretty easy to spot her - she stands out in the crowd with her signature hairstyle (she got two compliments from strangers during the course of our interview), an enormous smile, and a truly unique sense of style.

Anita has certainly made a name for herself. Friends and fans look to her for style advice and fashion forecasts, while critics openly debate what makes her qualified to dole out trend tips in the first place. After all, she didn’t, like, attend Rye-High or whatever.

Love her or hate her - her clout in the city is undeniable.

According to Anita, it all started in 2005 when she launched her site, I Want I Got, and had plenty of time to develop it, “paying attention to no one and focusing on [herself]”.

The site is centered around things she wants and things she’s got, but veers off in other fashion related directions as well.

About a year into blogging, things really took off.  She was approached by BlogTO and asked to be a contributor.

“Writing for [BlogTO], got me a lot of access to things I probably wouldn’t have gotten with my own site at that time. It really pushed me into the mainstream and being the type of person that I am who loves to meet people, I just started developing relationships here and there,” she says with a grin.

Today, WOMAN.ca sits down with all-star blogger to find out what she wants, what she’s got, and how she went from I.T. nerd to "it" girl.

You are considered by many to be a go-to person on matters of fashion - what, in your opinion, makes you qualified to hand out all this fashion advice?
I wouldn’t necessarily call myself an expert. I feel like I still have a lot to learn historically and even technically. I guess people just trust my judgment. They know I’m pretty involved in the Industry here in Toronto. I have friends that work in the industry so it’s usually a topic of conversation. People trust me. I’ve always sort of followed fashion. I think it’s strange, but it’s fun. I’m also really one of those people who likes to get in there, learn as much as possible and I have the balls to speak up.

What do you think makes your blog stand out with the millions out there right now? Why would you read it if it wasn’t your own?
I have a strong point of view. I’m very focused on my topic and the way I do things. I think people like that consistency. My personality definitely comes out in my blog. I try to write about what I find interesting. It’s really about me, not my readers - though I do love them!
My site is mostly about the things I want and the things I got, but I do add pictures and write about events I go to, which people definitely find interesting. It’s like a peek into my brain and what’s going on with me. I like that voyeuristic aspect.
That’s why I would read it if it wasn’t my own. It’s personal but not too personal. I’m not telling you everything that’s going on in my life, but I’m willing to share some things. It’s not overbearing. I don’t read those really personal blogs.

Why do you think major industry players love to have you in attendance at all the major events?
Well, I love Canadian fashion. I love learning about it. I love talking about it. My blog is also mostly focused on Toronto. I think people appreciate that. And my infectious personality is what people like to see. They hope I will get all giddy and want to talk about [fashion]. It’s still amazing to me, though. I’m still baffled. I don’t know why anybody, cares but I appreciate it 100 per cent!

What does it take for a topic or event to be covered on I Want I Got?
It’s got to be my style. You can have a great product but it just may not be the style that I’m into. Or, it’s presented in a way that isn’t compelling to me. For example, the celebrity angle always turns me off. If the PR people presented their product by telling me the story behind the brand or how it’s made or what makes it special I might be more interested than when they present it based on what celebrity is wearing it. But it ultimately comes down to my personal taste. I’m not going to talk about something just because someone wants me to. I have to believe in it and think it’s something that needs to be shared with people.

You always seem passionate and excited about what you do cover. That being said, you are gifted a lot of product and invited to a lot of events - do you feel the need to write positive reviews on everything?
Oh God, no! But I try not to be snarky. I’m not too snarky, except maybe on twitter. I mean, it takes so much energy to write a negative post, I’d rather not bother.

Speaking of Twitter, you're sort of the fashion-voice that people love to hate and yet, you have a massive following - why do you think that is?
I don’t know!? I like to think people follow me because I’m funny. People enjoy my PR criticisms. Maybe PR people learn from them. That would be nice. I also continuously engage with people. It’s a social tool. That’s why I’m there.

I’ve got to ask, you often rant about UGG boots, TNA and Lulu Lemon, etc. on Twitter. Why is this, and what else ticks you off?
[laughs] I just don’t like those things from a style perspective. I mean, congratulations to them for being so popular, that’s great, but whatever. A lot of things tick me off and I complain about those things but in the end I’m not going to not be friends with someone because they wear UGGS. My ranting is just more of a stupid superficial thing rather than anything of any substance that would ever block me from engaging with someone or cause me to make judgments on someone because of their clothes.

Lots of kids spend hoards of cash on “fashion educations” and then graduate only to be shocked at how hard it is to make it in the industry. What do you think they’re doing wrong?
To be honest, I don’t really feel like I have a career in fashion. Mostly because I’m not working at it full time. I have my other job. But I mean, I don’t think people realize how much work it is. They see all the real big success stories who are living this lavish life that the fashion world projects, but don’t know how much time and effort really goes into getting there. I don’t think people get that until they actually get into it. You have to really love it because the money isn’t necessarily going to be there for sure. If you think it’s going to be an easy payday and you’re going to be partying all the time, you’re in the wrong business.

You know a lot of important people in the industry, case in point – you had a dress named after you by Greta Constantine and were featured in Holt Renfrew’s blogger window a little while back... how did you make it into the 'in crowd'?
I don’t know! I get to meet a lot of people and sometimes we just click and we become friends. It’s a friendship thing I guess. I meet creative people all the time and I want to be around them all the time. I like making friends.

What is a major misconception about you, if any?
People think I’m intimidating. I guess I do put that on but usually when people meet me they’re relieved, and find that I’m a lot nicer than what they expected. That’s probably it.

Because you lead a sort of ‘double life’ with your regular day job –where and when do you find the time to keep your blog updated?
I don’t sleep much. If I’m not at an event at night I’m at home on my computer. I can’t work on my blog while at I’m at work because they’re paying me to figure out their problems - not my own. So when I’m at home I’m just on the computer all the time. I’m not even on top of things at all. That’s just me. And I don’t want to give anything or any part of it away. It’s the control freak in me. Having contributors just doesn’t seem right.

Where do you see I Want I Got in the future? What do you see it becoming? Or do you have plans to move on from it?
Wow. Right now... I don’t know. There’s never been much of a plan. This year I finally started taking advantage of sponsorship, having advertising and taking sponsored posts. All of that is done through The Style Collective, which is a group of independent blogs in Canada that are at a certain level. All the advertising on my blog is set up through them.
When it comes to the future I’m just wondering what the next blog platform is going to be. Social media is always changing. We have Facebook, Twitter and blogs, but what’s going to be the future and how am I going to adapt to that? Well, I just don’t know yet. We’ll see what happens.

Do you have any advice for aspiring fashion bloggers?
The only thing I can say is, do something different. Make it personal. Post a lot. Volume is a big thing. People want to know that every day they can expect something new. And be focused, be educated and be passionate. Love whatever it is you’re doing. There’s no way I would still be doing this if it weren’t fun.

And, in the spirit of Toronto Fashion Week, what are you looking forward to most this season?
Well, the rogue, off-site fashion week is going on right now. It’s always fun. Mark Fast has come in from London and that’s going on tonight. The return of Arthur Mendoca will be awesome. Looking forward to JUMA at opening night of LG Fashion Week. I love them and they haven’t shown at the tents in awhile. I’m also looking forward to IZMA. I really enjoyed their fall collection last year. I love the whole atmosphere of fashion week. It’s Toronto’s turn now!

Image taken by author

Hayley Brehl
		About the author:
		Hayley Brehl obtained her BA in English and Creative Writing at Concordia University in Montreal. Living there she met designer, Andy The-Anh and assisted him on her days off from poetry class.  That’s when everything changed. She moved back to Toronto and began pursuing a career in fashion. Her favorite things are wedge heels, Indian take-out and her Persian kitten, Moe.
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