All photos and video by: World Red Eye
Hot girl summer was in full effect as we paired Miami’s most fashionable bloggers with one of THE COLLECTION‘s luxurious vehicles for the #SummerDrive305. Throughout the month of August, we collaborated with Rachael Proctor, Danié Gomez-Ortigoza, and to close out the partnership we captured Ria Michelle in the heart of the Miami Design District.
Michelle, is a Miami based blogger and content creator specializing in the all things fashion, lifestyle, and travel. Her self titled Instagram @riamichelle and website, riamichelle.com; allows her to share her personal and candid perspective for love and fashion with viewers all over the world. From working with distinct brands such as Guess, H&M, Topshop, Grey Goose, Volkswagen, and many more; the model, stylist, digital ambassador proves she has it all. Michelle describes her style as “mood based”, some days she feels edgy while others a bit more feminine. Of course, we paired Ria in the all new Audi e-tron, a vehicle as electric as her style. Read the full Q&A below, as Michelle sheds light on her experience working THE COLLECTION and uncovers her passion for fashion.
WRE: What sparked your love of fashion and style?
RM: My love of fashion and style more than likely came from my mom and living in New Jersey with some of the nicest malls nearby. On the weekends we’d lose a few hours to the mall often. I loved books and reading so magazines and catalogs became a big part of my life. I perused and perused and made countless notes and lists about everything I wanted despite having zero income haha. I have a storage unit full of fashion magazines from all over the world. I used to keep them all in my apartment but after moving a couple of times…had to pack them away. They’re all so heavy.
WRE: How would you describe your personal style?
RM: My style is very mood based, some days I’ll be edgy, others I’ll be a little more “feminine”. I like to mix things up. I don’t like labels or being held to any one specific thing, so I guess I’m very fluid in that way. If I like something I’ll wear it regardless of what category it goes in. I think if you asked other people they’d say my style was edgy but I don’t care for the label.
WRE: What gave you the idea of creating a blog? How has it grown since you started?
RM: I’ve loved being “online” since AOL started sending cd-roms to our house to get online. I was gifted my first domain by an online friend who hosted me at the time under hers. The name was withering-rose.net and I used it as an online diary (everyone did at the time) that I was constantly redesigning and putting a lot of work into. It was just text though, nobody really had a photo based blog yet, but we had community all sort of commiserating in our teen angst. I would stay up all night working on my blog, or looking up random things, and talking to my friends all over the world and I just thought it was the most interesting thing. I learned coding, css, and a basic command of photoshop during these years. I even built websites professionally for a couple of businesses. I grew up and naturally bored with sharing my life online in that day to day way and turned my blog into a modeling and then styling portfolio after a friend convinced me to style a shoot for her new career as a makeup artist. Once I started styling my online interest rekindled and I discovered a few fashion bloggers.
There weren’t many fashion bloggers at the time… I thought wow how hadn’t I thought of this. As a result, it got me thinking I want todo this to; all I had was a camera and website and it took off from there. The process definitely wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be but it’s been fun. I never anticipated the way it has grown from when I started just for the passion of being online and sharing similar interests with a community. Never anticipated instagram, heck never thought Myspace would go, never anticipated getting paid to do me. Of course, work becomes work and there are less fun aspects now but at the core I still have community and that’s always been my favorite part; that’s why Twitter is still my favorite social network to this day.
WRE: What makes your blog unique?
RM: I think everyone’s blog is unique due to their perspective, I’m very personal and candid with mine. I try to keep things honest and realer than real. It’s not so “blogger” if that makes sense. I think everyone’s blog is unique due to their perspective, I’m very personal and candid with mine. I try to keep things honest and realer than real.
WRE: Tell us about your experience working with THE COLLECTION?
RM: My experience with THE COLLECTION was very smooth and professional. Definitely a company you can count on to cross their t’s and dot the i’s.
WRE: The Audi e-tron is Audi’s first electric SUV, tell us your experience in driving the all new electric vehicle.
RM: In general I really love Audi’s, so I was very excited to check out the Audi e-tron. It’s great having the luxury and finesse of an Audi but electric. The vehicle is roomy, quiet, and doesn’t feel like a huge departure from a regular gas vehicle. Basically, I could get used to driving an Audi e-tron in my everyday life.It’s great having the luxury and finesse of an Audi but electric. The Audi e-tron is roomy, quiet, and doesn’t feel like a huge departure from a regular gas vehicle.
WRE: How to choose the brands to collaborate with? Currently what are some of your favorite brands to wear?
RM: I choose brands that I love or think I could love. Things that I would actually use or think have some value to my audience. I love Jacquemus, Reformation, ROTATE by Birger Christensen, Zara, Saint Laurent, FarmRio and pieces from my own online shop www.filthymagic.com.
WRE: How do you get involved with your followers and find the best way to give them the content they want? How do you use Instagram as a platform to communicate with your followers?
RM: I love to chat with my followers, before instagram it was via comments on the blog and twitter. Now it’s via Instagram stories since you can really share all sorts of media all day long. I usually take a look at what people respond to the most and then I go from there. But at the end of the day it’s my blog and I’m gonna share what I wanna share.
WRE: What would your perfect day look like in the Audi e-tron?
RM: My perfect day in the Audi e-tron would probably be going for brunch somewhere delicious, after filling my belly, working on filling up the spacious trunk with shopping bags haha and then driving to watch the sunset over the bay.
WRE:What was your favorite feature of the Audi e-tron?
RM: I have a couple favorites…it’s roomy, sleek and refined and I love the 360 cameras.
WRE: What is the best piece of advice you have for people wanting to start blogging?
RM: Do it because you have something to say, because you’re passionate about blogging or social media. Not because you think you’re gonna be rich or get loads of free stuff from it. It’s a lot of work and people can usually tell when you’re trying too hard anyway.
WRE: What’s next for you?
RM: Do you have any new projects in the works? Next for me is an extended holiday. I have a wedding to attend in Spain with my boyfriend, he’s the best man. He’s English so we’ll also be spending time in his quaint seaside town as well and then I’ll be going to Stockholm to visit my family.
