Seeing through the glitter

Blogger (n) – ‘an individual who chronicles a personal log of thoughts published on a stylised web page’. That’s the dictionary definition. But when you meet Miss Brett Robson, you’ll discover that she is all that and a pinch of pizzazz, liberal lashings of style and a dash of sass. We sit down with the woman who appears to be single-handedly changing the face of blogging in KZN.

Brett Robson’s name is everywhere – I mean, everywhere – and the most common thing I hear about her is ‘she’s
got a guy’s name!’ “I guess my parents just liked the name,” she smiles and shrugs her slim shoulders. We’re
sitting at a sidewalk café in Umhlanga Rocks and she’s got a pair of mirrored aviators on, complimenting her trendy
pixie cut perfectly. It’s warm and she’s wearing a heavy, lined jacket. “I’m not taking it off,” she laughs again. “It’s
going to totally mess up my outfit!”

In a world where ‘bloggers’ are sometimes frowned upon or dismissed, Brett’s blog, Fashion by Brett Robson, has a distinct air of credibility. When she speaks, people listen. If she attends a fashion-related event, it’s the event. What she wears has become law for her 7752 Instagram admirers, 3183 Twitter followers and the mammoth 10 905
people who like her Facebook page. Yet, Brett’s enviable style has a simple mantra behind it: “if it vibes me, I
wear it. I’ll be the girl wearing a skirt and open-toed sandals in the middle of winter. But it’s the same for every
woman. There’s a reason you pick particular items to wear. That’s why I blog.”

Brett says her investment in fashion started in her toddling years; she designed and dressed her Barbie dolls in elaborate ball gowns. Three months before she was due to start a B Comm at the University of Cape Town, Brett switched paths, choosing to study fashion design in Durban instead. “I just knew this was what I was meant to do. I always knew how to sew, but the illustration part of it took work. I put in everything I had; success was the only option.”

At her first job, as an assistant merchandiser, Brett quickly learnt that design school does not prepare adequately for the world of fashion and design. “After I left that job, I decided to take a break. But I wasn’t very constructive…I styled, I freelanced and did other random stuff to kill time. Now, I look back and think I wasted a lot of time.”
It was around 2010 when Brett started toying with the idea of blogging. “I don’t think I was very stylish back
then, but people always commented on what I wore. I started putting up general fashion tips and trends, which
people responded to. It started off hesitantly and on a small scale.” In 2012, she tried her hand at window dressing at Woolworths, Pavillion, working her style on the mannequins. “It was fun, but even there I knew I wouldn’t stay long.”

Brett changed the face of her blog then, reflecting more of her personal style. That blog now boasts 40 000 monthly visits, with fashionistas around the country sitting up and taking notice. “The growth has even amazed me,” Brett leans back with a smile. “But I’m never happy. There’s still so much I want people to see, so much I want to give.”
Life is peachy in Brett’s world: she has her dream job; as a merchandiser and designer for a company that
supplies Jet, Legit, Hub and Ideals, she travels the world. Her Instafeed (it’s drool-worthy, really) is spiced with
snaps in Hong Kong, New York and Paris. And she has just launched her own clothing line, a ready-to-wear
collection of affordable, unique items. “Indirectly, the fashion line was always a goal. Everything in the collection
is something I would wear, from the joggers to the crop tops,” she said.

I asked Brett how she finds time to manage her day job, blog, a clothing line and still keep up her hectic social
schedule. “One word,” Brett says. “Scheduling.” She says her blog is her business and she’s all about building
the Brett Robson brand. “Everyone wants to blog, but it can’t be a full-time thing for me. I have to manage
my time carefully; if I’m up at 2am it’s because I’m working on something for the blog. There’s a responsibility with
attaching my name to something and I’ve got to be astute with my goals.”

There are possibly hundreds of women who envy Brett’s keen eye for fashion or crave her style. The blogger, who counts Rihanna as her personal fashion icon, says the key is confidence. “I take thirty minutes to do my make-up and between 10 and 15 minutes to get dressed in the mornings. Okay,” she admits, with a giggle, “I have a lot of clothing out on racks because I don’t have any more space in my cupboards! My shoes can’t fit, either. I have ‘little cleanses’ but I just can’t let go.” Her achievements are down to a brilliant work ethic, which she believes comes from her mother. “My motto is to try everything once and always remain positive. I keep my focus in any situation, seeing through the glitter and moving on quickly. Listen, even I wanted to wear a sack, I’d wear it with my head held high.”

One thing is for certain: Brett Robson’s name is one that will ring through the halls of style for decades to come. As
she makes her mark, she will do it with the utmost style and grace…wearing the most fabulous pair of shades she
can find!