Lorraine Sanders » Blogging

San Mateo’s BlacMéra impresses angel investors

admin — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 21:35:55 +0000

A local designer that impressed an audience of Silicon Valley angel investors is the focus of my latest post on the San Francisco Chronicle‘s SF Unzipped blog.

Four new online stores to check out in the New Year

admin — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 21:39:44 +0000

A look at four new online stores that I recently rounded up for the San Francisco Chronicle‘s SF Unzipped blog. Read the full post here.

Polyvore year-end trends

admin — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 22:54:00 +0000

Polyvore’s year-end trends are out, and they’re fascinating. The company’s core is its online community (and set-making tools), but the stats generated by these things are what are drawing eyeballs from many in the fashion space today. Here’s the full post I wrote recently about the Bay Area company’s 11-month report for the San Francisco Chronicle‘s SF Unzipped blog: Polyvore shares year’s top style trends.

Journalism Basics for Bloggers – Class Links

admin — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 19:28:05 +0000

It was so great to meet everyone who came out to my recent SF Writers’ Grotto Class: Journalism Basics for Bloggers. While several people in the class are still working on getting their blogs up and running, here are links to blogs run and contributed to by those in the class:

Jasmine: Middle Class Musician
Lorrissa: Lo Life
Seema: Live Soma
Seema: Sparkling and Sweet
Jacyn: Sugar Lips Lifestyle Tips
Kirsten: Kirsten Inc.
Alexandra: The Tsaritsa Sez
Laura: Design Observer

I had such a great time talking about blogging with you guys (and Polina, Haley, Liz and Gen). I look forward to seeing what all of you do in the future!

Take My Fall Class: Journalism Basics for Bloggers

admin — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 17:26:58 +0000

This fall at the Writers’ Grotto, I’ll be teaching Journalism Basics for Bloggers. It’s a one-day workshop ideal for:

- Beginning bloggers

- Citizen journalists

- Longtime bloggers seeking new ideas for generating fresh, relevant content

Among the topics we’ll cover:

- Finding new ideas

- Publishing accurate, engaging content

- Dealing with PR

- Getting into and covering events

- Ethics, including gifting and freebies

Essentially, it’s a class for anyone who blogs and wants to brush up on their existing reporting and writing skills, learn new ones and reinvigorate their content and overall approach.

Journalism Basics for Bloggers takes place at the Writers’ Grotto on Nov. 5. Cost: $99. Interested in enrolling? Email me: lorraine (at) lorrainesanders (dot) com.

Meat, Metal & The Mission Merge

admin — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 17:15:10 +0000

I still occasionally write about local fashion and style for 7×7.com. A recent post about a butcher’s daughter, a local boutique and a lovely L.A. jewelry line.

Fashion Blogging 101 – Tip Sheets

admin — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 21:40:05 +0000

For those in the Fashion Blogging 101 workshop at the Renaissance Center on Monday (6/20), here are two tips sheets that may help you with your fashion blogging:

15 Low Cost Things You Can Do to Get More Blog Coverage

Tips for Contacting Fashion Bloggers

Join me for Fashion Blogging 101

admin — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 21:04:11 +0000

In just under two weeks, I’ll be leading a Fashion Blogging 101 workshop at San Francisco’s Renaissance Center for Entrepreneurship. If you’re interested in learning more about the many ways fashion blogging may benefit your business, fashion label or just enhance your otherwise stylish existence, please come join me for the evening.

Other than learning about fashion blogging, the workshop will be a chance to network with other local fashion business owners and entrepreneurs.

While much of the workshop will focus on fashion blogging, other topics that will be touched upon include reaching the media, social media and marketing your brand in general – all things that dovetail with fashion blogging.

Hope to see you there!

Winter Update

admin — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 17:24:46 +0000

After taking much of the fall off — though SF Indie Fashion continued to run smoothly — to spend time with my son, who arrived on Sept. 1, I happily returned to covering San Francisco fashion each week and resumed several of my freelance gigs at the beginning of the year. Here’s an update on where you can find my writing and other professional pursuits these days:

7×7 and 7×7.com: I cover fashion each week for the magazine’s web site and occasionally contribute to print.

San Francisco Chronicle: You’ll find my work in the newspaper’s Sunday Style section from time to time, as well as in the monthly magazine SFiS. Recently, I wrote a feature about the Irma bracelet and contributed to the 2010 Year in Fashion.

SF Unzipped: I write for the San Francisco Chronicle’s online style blog once each week. You’ll generally find my posts up on Fridays.

SF Indie Fashion: Every week day (and some weekends) you’ll find fresh content featuring the Bay Area’s wealth of design talent, fashion happenings, beauty news and independent retailers. The site has been growing steadily over the last few months, and we continue to tackle bigger and better things. I’ve been pleased to establish more news partnerships, which have led to our content appearing on sites such as Vivanista and The Feast. Stay tuned for what’s on the horizon this year.

Academy of Art: While I miss teaching (and look forward to when I can expand my work schedule and do so again), I am glad I am able to act as an academic advisor for a fashion journalism student here this spring.

Provocateur Media: During the fall, I began working with this local public relations agency on a consulting basis to help agency clients interested in the benefit of the journalist’s perspective on their campaigns. It’s been fun, rewarding and an interesting change of pace to work with local retailers and brands in this capacity, and I look forward to continuing my work on this front in the future.

Fashion Unraveled: The 2nd edition of this excellent resource for emerging designers is out, and I was thrilled to have a four-page section on blogging and social media included in its pages.

And as always, you can find out the latest musings from yours truly by staying in touch via Twitter or LinkedIn.

Summer 2010 Update

admin — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 18:24:19 +0000

I’ve been remiss in updating the blog, but that doesn’t mean exciting things haven’t been happening. Here’s an update on what I’ve been working on since June:

- In July, the San Francisco Chronicle ran Mission District stocks up on local, unique, a story I wrote covering some of the best new shops in San Francisco’s Mission neighborhood. It includes a nice map and guide to local retailers. If you’re planning on visiting the area, it will send you to some great, eclectic shops specializing in vintage and independent designers’ work.

- In early August, Rena Ramirez of 6th Generation Media and I teamed up to offer Market U, a one-night seminar offering media outreach and public relations tips to local small business owners. It was a great success – we sold out the event and met a lot of great people running terrific local businesses. We plan to do another one of these events in the future, likely in the winter or early spring.

- Also in August, I began copy writing for Mineral Fusion cosmetics, a mineral makeup brand based out of Denver. I’ve enjoyed creating tips for using the company’s all natural cosmetics and will post more about them once the current projects become available online.

- And as always, I continued blogging each week for Kayak.com, 7×7.com, the San Francisco Chronicle’s Unzipped blog and SF Indie Fashion.

- I’ll be taking some time off in September and October to be with my new son, Walker (due Aug. 30). That said, SF Indie Fashion will continue running, so don’t hesitate to be in touch about that or any other freelance requests.