We have for you today an interesting read on solar powered blonde. Yes, that’s Hanna Thomas and her Instagram handle. Rightfully so as she savors exotic places where there is plenty of sun. This young and energetic woman has the pleasure of calling the world her home besides London and has a bunch of travel and fashion advice at her fingertips.
Her blog will lead you to a range of destinations around the world accompanied by stunning drone photos of her travel, food, hotels, and tourist hubs. Hanna Thomas is a fashion and travel influencer with real substance. AISPI brings you an exclusive on Hanna Thomas!
Why did you choose to be a fashion and travel influencer?
I love to travel and have traveled at least once a month even when I was working full time in London. I love clothes just the same and have always loved trying out new styles. London is an amazing city, as you can really experiment with fashion and no one will judge you. I didn’t want to choose one over the other so I decided on fashion and travel!
What impact has fashion had on you and what impact do you want to pass on to your readers?
I love being able to express myself and wear whatever I like! When I was younger I was shy and only really wore a t-shirt and black jeans so when I discovered fashion, I became more confident and I loved being able to experiment with different styles. I want to inspire others to also go out of their comfort zone and try something new!
Being an entrepreneur is anything but easy, people don’t prepare you for what’s ahead. What has been one such high and one such low in your career?
Definitely. A high for me was finally launching my blog! And of course, working with big brands such as Anthropologie. Traveling full time is hard work and as my partner and I are both very driven we often forget to sit back and watch TV and actually have some free time. We are always working on finding a good balance which is really important when you are freelance.
Influencing/ Blogging is a rather new industry and today we see women all over representing a voice and influencing others to do the same. What is one such cause that you strongly represent and want to see more of in the world?
My main aim is to inspire more people to travel! But also to show people how you can travel on a budget and organize your own trips. A lot of people ask me what tours I use and I rarely do. It is also cheaper to organize trips rather than getting a tour and it also gives you more freedom and this is what I’m trying to convey.
With people using fake followers, likes, and engagement generating bots, do you feel the authenticity of the industry has been compromised? What is your message to designers on how they can identify honest influencers to work with? What is the best way to connect with them?
Unfortunately, this is an ongoing issue. Engagement on Instagram goes up and down as the algorithm changes. A good way to spot fake followers is if someone has 100k followers and only 10 comments. If you had an engaged audience then more people would comment. When your followers are bots then, of course, this will show! I would rather grow much slower but do it honestly. The best thing is to identify quality over quantity. There are some amazing bloggers with hardly any followers on Instagram and some great creators with under 100k.
We believe that when people travel, what they shop is one of the only tangible memories they can walk away with, however, often you see them visiting mainstream brands that can be found everywhere – do you agree? If so, why do you think this is the case today?
I love buying local items and designs as this is always special to the country I have visited. I think some people don’t have as much time while they are at home, so being on holiday is their chance to shop for what they didn’t have time to do at home.
How do you influence your followers to express themselves through fashion?
I wear all sorts of outfits in my posts, and always include swipe ups so people can see the items for themselves and where I bought them. I also have an outfit inspiration section on my Pinterest so people can see where I get my inspiration from.
Where do you like to shop? What are some boutique stores that are memorable to you? Why?
I love shopping in small boutique stores. Bali has lots of these. My favorite place recently was Wanderlust Swim, I have never had such good quality swimwear. I’ve gone from owning lots of cheaper swimwear to now having three pieces from Wanderlust that I swear by. Quality over quantity!
What are your thoughts on AISPI and what we are doing here? How do you believe we can benefit your followers?
I’d love to share more about boutique stores and encourage people to shop here rather than big chains.
What is one feature you love about AISPI?
The ‘Find boutiques near me’ is so useful!
Quick, go and follow the Instagram of Hanna Thomas to enter a whole new world – the world of a fashion and travel influencer. The fun doesn’t stop there!
– Interviewed by Blanca Perez, Edited by Sureka Naven
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