(picture credit: MunichParis.com)
Julie from MunichParis.com proves that being an engineer and a fashion blogger (since 2010!) can be indeed an amazing combination of passions… not only for herself but also for other bloggers as she just launched her latest blog design templates, on Etsy.
Find out more about Julie, her blog, her pool of inspiration and passion in this week’s blogger spotlight!
Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m Julie, 22 years old and I live in beautiful Munich, Germany. I work as a software engineer, but I’m a big fashion and design lover as well. Together with my boyfriend I’m running a successful fashion blog which is called MunichParis.com – and last year I started an online shop where I sell Blogger templates and WordPress themes for fashion and lifestyle bloggers and girl bosses.
When did you start blogging and what made you want to start a blog?
Actually I started blogging already six years ago, when in Germany most people didn’t even know what a blog was! I was always crazy about fashion and was reading fashion blogs – so I decided to start my own, which though was more of a personal online diary for the first years.
What is the story behind the name Munich Paris?
These are my two favorite cities! I’ve been living in Munich for four years now, and I’ve been to Paris a couple of times (and will be moving there next year!). Together with my boyfriend I want to share a charming combination of German/French/Parisian styles and outfits on the blog – and hopefully soon we’ll have a nice little apartment somewhere on the streets of the Marais 😉
You started your blog in/around 2010 – how was the blogosphere different to what it is today?
Yes, that’s true – I started blogging in summer 2010 (I was 16 years old, that’s such a long time ago!). Back in those times, as I already said, most people didn’t know what (fashion) blogs were and why anybody should photograph themselves in crazy outfits on the streets. Of course, the whole scene wasn’t as professional as it is now. There weren’t as many bloggers and only a few of them were really successful and were even able to make money with blogging. That has completely changed.
In my opinion everything was a bit more relaxed and there was not that pressure of being perfect as today. It was just fun, taking pictures of outfits, writing something and that was it. Even Instagram didn’t exist! Bloggers were just bloggers and not influencers.
But I guess that we live in a world that changes extremely fast and we have to adapt to new things – that’s not a bad thing, but sometimes I wish it would be more like it was back in 2010 again 😉
What characterises the German fashion community and blogger scene for you?
I guess most people think that Germany isn’t a very fashionable country. But the fashion blogger scene here has evolved quite much over the past years and now there are already plenty of international well-known German fashion bloggers. That’s a great thing and it’s a proof that the German fashion community can keep up with the French, Italian or American fashion crowd.
Julie, you’re working as an engineer and web designer (having studied computer science) and develop blog themes, that can be bought via Etsy. When and why did you start with that?
I love design and I love to be creative in what I do. As I’m working as a software engineer, you can imagine there’s not that much creativity around. I still love my job, but sometimes it’s very technical and not that creative.
I’ve already worked as a freelance web designer for two years, when the idea with selling blog templates came to my mind. I said to myself, ‘let’s just try it’– and it worked out even better than I’d imagined! It’s so much fun to work on my own products and to get lovely feedback from people all around the world.
(picture credit: MunichParis.com)
You just launched a whole new collection of beautiful blog designs, that can be bought here (link to Etsy page) – where do you get the inspiration to design these themes?
Everywhere! I’m a big lover of aesthetically and design-wise beautiful things, and so I find inspiration nearly everywhere I am. As this is my first WordPress collection I had a look at hundreds of other designs and blogs to find out what people need and want in a blog design. I always try to stay up to date with the latest (web) design trends and I love to meet other designers and developers.
My new collection is inspired by the new generation of motivated and passionate girl bosses who want to take their blog baby to the next level. I think it’s a big advantage that I’m a fashion blogger myself, because I know what you really need in a design to make your blog a successful business.
How do you stay true to yourself while continuing to evolve in the blogger community?
That’s a really good question. There is so much pressure in the blogging community to be as stylish/successful/cool as other bloggers (or even more). You always compare yourself to others on social media, and it’s hard sometimes to really stay yourself. For me it’s important to have people around me that don’t have much to do with the whole blogging business, which is my family and most of my friends. When I’m with them, they always remind me that there are 1256352782 things in life that are more important than how many followers I have on Instagram.
How has your style and blog evolved since starting your blog journey?
Very very much, you wouldn’t like to see how my outfits looked when I started blogging! I grew up with my blog and due to that of course my style evolved. Coming from a small town in the countryside, when I moved to Munich, so many possibilities and doors (also in the fashion community) opened for me. It was so inspiring to meet other people that thought the same about fashion and style. But I think that I’m still evolving and my style will surely change again when I’ll finally be moving to Paris next year (yaay, so excited already ;).
Who are the bloggers in the space you enjoy following? What makes them special?
I like to follow bloggers who have their own opinion and who are not afraid to share it. Of course, I like to look at beautiful outfit combinations and designer pieces and get inspired, but I like to read blogs with a strong opinion. Nice outfits are a plus 😉
Bloggers these days are commonly known as ‘influencers’ – and in my opinion they can and should have an influence not only on which bags and shoes their readers are wearing but also on other important topics like social media, the fashion industry and much more. That’s also the way I try to write my own blog.
Do you have any tips for bloggers starting out?
Just start! When I started, I didn’t have a plan of where I wanted to be the next year. Connect yourself to other bloggers in your city, go to events, network, and have fun. Get yourself a beautiful blog design and just write, post, photograph. Blogging should be fun in the first place. The next step is earning money – and it won’t be difficult any more if you really love what you do.
A final, short and mean one 😉 – Munich or Paris?
Haha, that’s really mean. I didn’t name the blog for no reason ‘MunichParis.com’ because I like both cities so much, but Paris is maybe a little bit cooler 😉
Check out MunichParis.com and discover Julie’s newly designed layouts, ready to be purchased via Etsy! 🙂
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