Lucky and Fabulous

I don’t mean to brag, I don’t mean to boast…but attending Lucky Magazine’s first every Lucky FABB (Fashion and Beauty Blogger) conference made me feel both lucky AND fabulous. Last Tuesday was an all-day marathon of amazing.

From the moment I arrived at the entrance of Apella, the glamorous waterfront venue where the event was held, I could tell this would be a day for the record books. Everywhere I looked there were bloggers whose faces I recognized immediately, dressed in their fashionable best. As we mingled over a decadent, baked-goods heavy breakfast buffet, there was camraderie and admiration in the air. Having attended a few magazines-meet-bloggers events in the past, the difference was already apparent. The staff of Lucky didn’t seem dragged unwillingly to this event. They wanted us here. They wanted to get to know us, and to invite us into their fold. There was none of that they-took-our-jobs, eww bloggers, let us sit on the other side of the room feeling that I’d gotten at previous blogger/magazine events. Lucky’s EIC, Brandon Holley, personally greeted me and made me feel at home. And every panel thereafter reinforced the message that bloggers are loved and appreciated by both brands and traditional publications. We created a democracy in the fashion and beauty world. And instead of just standing angrily off to the side badmouthing each other, we should all be working together.

What were my favorite parts of the first ever Lucky Fabb?
— The first panel, Big Brands and You, was nothing short of amazing. VPs from Bergdorf Goodman, Coach, and Lancome broke down what makes them want to work with a blog, and what doesn’t. And you might be REALLY surprised. In summary, bloggers who cut and paste press releases, clog up their site with ads of all sorts, and blog about anything just to get a freebie…aren’t doing themselves any favors. Bloggers who blog for love, passion and because they have a distinct and unique voice win all day every day. And traffic might matter less than you think!

— Two words: JOAN RIVERS. She walked into the room at noon, with a glass of white wine in her hand. And the crowd went WILD. She’s just as hilarious as you might imagine, and even more inspirational than I expected! SO jealous my amiga Felicia got to meet her!

— Seeing SO many of my friends there to soak up knowledge and even to share their own wisdom, was nothing short of inspiring. Seriously, I might get more love from bloggers in NYC than I do here in Chicago. Parts of LuckyFabb felt like an ultra glamorous family reunion. I loved seeing my friends – there were so many there! But especially loved spending time with the homettes Kristin of Fashion Style Beauty, Dina of Eye 4 Style, Felicia of This That Beauty, Nichelle of Stylemom, Eileen of MsWhoeverUR, and KARLA SUGAR was even on a panel called The Ones To Follow. I was just absolutely so full of pride and love, seeing her on stage next to Susie Bubble and Yuri Lee the founder of Lookbook.nu!

— Jenna Lyons of J.Crew closed the event and it’s hard to think of a better way to have ended LuckyFabb. Jenna is everything I wanted to be when I grew up. Elegant yet quirky. Regal yet warm and friendly. Striking, beautiful, accessible, AWESOME. She made a whole room of people fall in love with her inimitable style and self depreciating humor.

— COCKTAILS! At the end of a long day, a sweet sip of a bellini was just what the doctor ordered. And it was so great to finally be able to mingle with old friends and meet new ones. I got so many hugs and so much love from people I truly admire in the industry. It was absolutely amazing.

Do I have any regrets about LuckyFabb? Just two. One, I should have never taken my Calvin Klein wrap with me, it somehow got lost and I KNEW I should have left it behind but I assumed it might be cold and….ah well. Time for a new CK wrap. And two, I totally should have touched up my makeup before taking the official photo. Look at me, shiny as ever and competing with my sequins! Next time, blotting sheets before photos!

In September the Lucky Blog Conference will be two days, much bigger, and yes – livestreamed online for anyone who can’t be there in person. I definitely plan to go back. I got SO much out of the experience. Thanks again to Brandon Holley, everyone at Lucky, and all of the amazing sponsors who provided the goodies in our epic gift bags. I had an absolute blast!