If you are anything like me, you spend a ridiculous number of hours scrolling through TikTok. The social media platform displays the best and worst fashion trends on your personally-tailored For You media feed. But once the trends appear, they die out in weeks. The problem with that is that you see the trend you like, but just as you have found a way of styling it in your own personal way, the “Fashion TikTokers” have moved onto a new one.
That’s why I started following @londonersinlondon_ on Instagram; through which Michelle Bellucci shows her 120,000 followers how to celebrate London’s multicultural styles in their own unique way. She started her Instagram account in 2020 after she came across the Parisian equivalent, @parisiensinparis.
So I decided not only to join Michelle on an Instagram Meetup; but also to have my own go at Insta fashion photography.
Michelle hosts meetups so that fashion enthusiasts can meet like-minded people. On the day we meet, it is a beautifully sunny but still chilly Sunday afternoon. We gather in front of the White Cube Gallery in Bermondsey Street. I’m extremely nervous, but get up the courage to join the group. I’ve never been to a social media meetup before, and such a big group of people can be intimidating.
But Michelle is the perfect afternoon date: bright, warm-hearted, considerate, and tasteful. Her sophisticated look impresses me, and my handbag-loving heart screams out: “I need that pearl bag!”
When we finally enter the gallery, everyone’s outfits start to shine. One of the things fashion does is help us show strangers who we are, who we want to be, and even to an extent what we have experienced. But fashion can also empower us, and give us happiness and confidence. Seeing the outfits of the fashion enthusiasts who had joined us amongst the works of art was inspiring.
After the gallery we all go to a local pub where Michelle finally has time to talk to me about herself and what inspires her. Michelle came from Sicily to study Fashion Styling and Production at the London College of Fashion while also working as a brand specialist for a marketplace.
“Sicily has actually restricted my style and didn’t give me the chance to express myself,” she tells me. “When I moved to London, my style changed a lot. I don’t take inspiration from someone else. But I like designers like Phoebe Philo and Martin Margiela.” When it’s not a special occasion like today, she likes to wear jeans and a simple white t-shirt. “But shoes are really important for me,” Michelle says, and smiles.
Then we talk about her Instagram account, and Michelle tells me how she chooses who to take photos of. It’s not necessarily about their clothes, she tells me, it’s more about the confidence with which people wear them. “I like it when people are extravagant and try to be uncommon, especially when their personality comes out through their clothes.”
When taking photos of strangers it’s important to respect their privacy. But unfortunately too many people take photos or videos of people and put them on social media without their consent. When I ask Michelle how she handles that she explains, “I try not to make it obvious that I take a photo. If I don’t ask them to take a photo of their outfit, I make sure to cover their face. I think it is important to protect their privacy, so I don’t put them in danger.”
So how did I get on with my own attempts at being an Insta fashion snapper in the gallery? Well I thought it would be easy as I enjoy photography; but taking pictures of strangers without them noticing was quite intimidating. I can’t lie, I felt creepy and like a stalker, but I tried to be as inconspicuous as possible.
I also didn’t have enough time to wait around for the perfect pose, lighting, or background. Instead, I took my snaps quickly, ignoring the technical skills I had learned. And yes, many of my photos were blurry.
But then that is the beauty of Michelle’s Instagram account. It shows real people in real situations. It’s pure and natural, rather than technically perfect. There is no need for fancy filters and arranged scenarios. The people are in focus and so is their love for fashion.
As for my own pictures, I hope I captured what a fantastic experience it was to photograph two different forms of art next to each other. But as for how good they are, I will let you decide.
All photos by Maxi Pfeifer
