The Fashion Time Magazine

Trisha Okubo, with a fondness for Maison du Chocolat, fashion magazines, furry animals, and cupcakes with sprinkles, earned a degree in fashion design from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, and worked as a fashion consultant before founding the much heralded, Fashion website Omiru.

Omiru, under the direction of Trisha and her colleagues Colleen and Yves, seeks to make style accessible to all, covering fashion trends, figure flattery, it’s readers’ questions, and real style for real people.

This approach has met with great success, as it was named by Time Magazine, as one of the 50 Best Websites for 2008. High praise indeed, or as Time’s Anita Hamilton tells us, Omiru doesn’t just tell you what the fashion trends are — it helps you figure out what actually looks good on you.

We thank Trisha for taking time out from her busy schedule to answer The Fashion Time’s questions.

Fashion Time: Tell us a little about yourself and your blog?

Omiru: Omiru is a style and shopping website dedicated to the concept of real style for real people, with articles on figure flattery, fashion trends, and fashion Q&As. We’re about making style accessible to everybody, regardless of age, budget, or personal architecture.

Fashion Time: How did you get started in fashion blogging?

Omiru: I’ve loved fashion ever since I was a kid, but I’ve always had trouble finding great looking clothes that fit. And I didn’t want to spend my entire paycheck on clothes. I started Omiru to share ideas with other people needing help with these same fashion problems.

Fashion Time: What is your favorite part about fashion blogging?

Omiru: Helping other people find great fashion that fits them at an affordable price.

Fashion Time: Do you ever get annoyed with the questions sent to you?

Omiru: Not at all. Each and every one of the questions we receive are serious, honest, and to-the-point. They’re from real people asking real questions that are important to them.

Fashion Time: How many questions do you handle a week?

Omiru: We answer one to three questions on the blog each week, but we answer as many other questions as we can through email.

Fashion Time: Can you tell us about your background in fashion? What qualifies you to answer the questions?

Omiru: Beyond my love of fashion, I have a degree in fashion design from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. Additionally, I’ve been fashion consulting for private clients for nearly a decade.

Fashion Time: What ONE item from your wardrobe would you take from your house or apartment, if a fire happened?

Omiru: My ¾ length cashmere coat with princess seams and peter pan collar. It’s very Audrey Hepburn circa 1965, it fits like a glove, and it was a gift from my parents.

Fashion Time: Could you describe your personal style?

Omiru: Classic with a twist.

Fashion Time: What rule of fashion do you always break?

Omiru: I’m 5′0″, and I still wear flats. I figure, I’m short, and no giant heel is going to make people think that I’m tall.

Fashion Time: What’s the most shocking outfit you’ve ever worn?

Omiru: There’s some outfits from the 1980s that I’m not proud of. But then again, doesn’t everyone have their 80s fashion faux pas? I won’t go into too much detail, but I will say three words: Hot Pink Leggings.

Fashion Time: What do you splurge on?

Omiru: Clothes that fit. I figure, I’d rather have fewer, higher quality items than a closet full of medium quality clothes that don’t fit just right.

Fashion Time: Does beauty truly lie in the eye of the beholder?

Omiru: Yes, beauty does lie in the eye of the beholder. There are dresses that I absolutely love that other people just don’t feel the same way about. As for people, society does have common standards for beauty-but just because an opinion is common doesn’t mean that it’s correct.

Fashion Time: Does the fashion industry negatively influence women’s perceptions about themselves?

Omiru: I think the fashion industry doesn’t make it easy for women who don’t fit society’s ideal of beauty, whatever that ideal may be at the moment. But I think things are changing, slowly but surely. And it’s up to publications like Omiru to help shine the spotlight on those of us who don’t look like runway models.

Fashion Time: Are there any styles from years past that you think will be making a comeback?

Omiru: Fashion is all about recycling styles from years past. I love 1940s fashion, and for me, the ladylike clothes from that decade never really go out of style.

Fashion Time: Any advice you would give to aspiring fashion bloggers?

Omiru: Find a topic that you’re passionate about-and that you’re uniquely suited to write about. Focus your blog, and create value for your readers (and the fashion community) through awesome content. Lend a helping hand to your fellow bloggers-we’re a community, and we’re stronger together than we are apart.