an interview with: Hannah Oh

Renouveau Media got the opportunity to interview Hannah Oh, a full-time fashion student with an impressive Instagram page. We asked the blogger about her platforms, her opinions on fashion, and much more.

Iuliana: Hey Hannah! How are you? Excited to interview you today! Tell us a little about yourself.
Hannah: Hi! I’m excited to be here! I’m a junior at Drexel University, studying a major that I designed myself called Digital Fashion Marketing and Media Studies. I’m a full-time fashion student but I also have a part-time job as a bridal stylist, I sell clothes online and I’m a fashion blogger as well!

Iuliana: You have an impressive Instagram page. Where do you get your sense of fashion?
Hannah: I was always into dress up as a little girl, and even throughout my awkward years (so. many. pairs of capri shorts and lots of Abercrombie tees…) I always loved fashion. I draw inspiration from vintage photographs, old movies, I tear through magazines – I’m a big, big fan of fashion magazines. I get inspired on Pinterest, Instagram, etc – there’s inspo to be found everywhere!

Iuliana: While social distancing, have you found that your style has changed?
Hannah: Oh, for sure. Once quarantine hit I didn’t have to think about walking to class or the weather or any sort of practicality when I picked out my outfits. I started dressing up at home just for fun, and really got to tap into the style that I love – without worrying about whether the outfit was right for a specific situation!

Iuliana: What does creativity make you think about? Do you feel like this young generation is much more creative than the previous one?
Hannah: I think creativity is more accessible than it’s ever been. This generation is so deeply connected and it’s easier than ever to peek into the life of someone on the other side of the world to draw inspiration from the art, the fashion, the music that they put out – we’re not letting ourselves be limited by our geographical location in 2021! No more dressing a certain way because everyone in your neighborhood dresses that way.

Iuliana: Do you find any emotional or personal freedom in fashion or your style? Perhaps a healing or transformative power?
Hannah: Fashion is an art form that we infuse with emotion, and I’ve realized recently that it doesn’t have to be pretty, kind, nice, or palatable. That being said, there’s so much beauty to be found in fashion and sometimes being able to express that outwardly translates to feeling that way inwardly even on days when you didn’t feel your best.

Iuliana: What came first, your Instagram or your blog? How do you manage creating content for various platforms consistently?
Hannah: My Instagram came first, I downloaded it when I was probably 14 and posted terribly edited photos of my Starbucks because that’s what everyone was doing and I wanted to be a tumblr girl, haha. I had a blog in middle school but it was so bad and I deleted it a long time ago – my blog Honey and Hannah is a recent endeavor to showcase my writing and share the observations I have about personal style, the fashion industry, the media I consume, the movies I watch, etc. I love writing and hopefully, it’ll serve me in my future career. I love creating beautiful images and outfits, saying that it’s just “creating content” makes it seem like a chore – it’s a creative outlet for me. I just try to be strategic in shooting things that I can use on multiple platforms!

Iuliana: How do you discern what brands will and will not be featured on your Instagram?
Hannah: First of all as someone who runs my own business, I love supporting small businesses. There’s some really amazing stuff out there that just needs a little bit of a boost. I only feature things on my Instagram that I’m inspired by (because I won’t have the creative juice to piece together a beautiful photo if I don’t love the clothing or the products!) and try my very best to be super honest. I don’t ever want to take advantage of the trust that my followers have in my recommendations.

Iuliana: Since the inception of @hannahohx, have you observed the world of social media influencers evolve? If so, how?
Hannah: I think that transparency has increased in the social media sphere as the social media budgets of big companies have gone up. Users are demanding full transparency and honesty from the people they go to for recommendations which keeps us all in check!

Iuliana: What advice would you give to those interested in building a following online?
Hannah: Don’t focus just on the numbers. Having tunnel vision towards a “big following” is the best way to end up doing shady things like buying followers or getting caught up in who’s following, who’s unfollowing, who has more followers than you, etc. Focus on sharing what you love, consistently and authentically, and the right audience will eventually find your page.

Iuliana: General words of wisdom you live by?
Hannah: Don’t start your day by shoving your phone in your face! I like to pray in the mornings rather than immediately scrolling through my notifications. Also, I don’t believe in coincidences. Everything in your life happens for a very specific reason, and sometimes it’s not about you – I try very hard to remember that I’m not the center of the world.

Follow Hannah on Instagram here.