Interview: Cool Gear Cavalier

The final men’s fashion blogger interview of 2014 is with one of the rising talents in the industry and someone to look out for in 2015, Kosta Karakashyan from Cool Gear Cavalier.

1. Hi Kosta – please tell us what my readers could expect on your blog “Cool Gear Cavalier”?

Cool Gear Cavalier is a men’s lifestyle and style blog that explores what cool is. The focus is on kickass style, good vibes, glowing health, great music and inspiring art. As I often say on my blog, a single universal lifestyle cannot be prescribed to every reader, so the content is meant to inspire everyone to look and feel fresh in their own form of style.

2. How did you come up with the name?

No cool story here. I knew I wanted something catchy that could stand for both contemporary “freshness” and classic sophistication. 30 Moleskine pages later, I decided on Cool Gear Cavalier and finally registered it with some much needed relief after being so anxious to start my blog, but having no name for it.

3. What made you decide to start blogging about fashion in the first place?

Fashion has always been an interest, but I never thought I could add anything to the conversation going on online. A few years ago I saw a FashionBeans contributor add and I ended up writing for them for about a year and a half. That gave me a lot of confidence that my opinion on fashion actually counted for something.

I’m currently taking a gap year before university, so I have a lot of free time when I’m not dancing. One day I just thought that I could start a blog and actually devote a lot of time to it and make it great during this year, and that’s how I started.

4. How do you promote your blog content to generate more readers?

This is something I’m still figuring out as my blog is just 2 months old, but I’ve found I get the most interaction on Twitter and Instagram, so I’ve been trying to craft more exclusive content for those platforms. I’m currently hosting my first giveaway and I’ve been getting great results!

5. What do you like most about blogging in fashion?

I really love how fashion and the people involved in it are very progressive in terms of constantly developing new products, new campaigns and new promotional methods. With technology advancing so rapidly, it’s awesome that the fashion industry is keeping up and incorporating this new inspiration. Of course, this extends to fashion blogging and I love the fast pace and creative energy that bloggers bring to their content.

6. What do you prefer to write about on your blog, whats most enjoyable?

I’m still trying to find my blogging style hone the content on the blog to really highlight my own take on men’s fashion, but I think it’s a slow process that needs time. At the moment, I like writing about my daily outfits and sneaking in some general style advice at the same time. I also love music and creating playlists, so I often feature a selection of tracks for a specific mood on the blog.

7. Do you read many other men’s fashion blogs? If so, which ones?

I read quite a few blogs: Scout Sixteen, Buckets & Spades, Four Pins, Closet Freaks, Articles of Style as well as the online magazine Menswear Style, where I’m a contributor. I really like to take inspiration from a variety of styles, so that’s why I’m constantly reading.

8. Why do you think there are so few well known men’s fashion blogs in comparison to women’s?

For a long time fashion has kind of been women’s territory, and only recently have things started to change. I recently read some statistics that the menswear market has outpaced the women’s wear market since 2009, growing between 9% and 11% per year. I think it’s only natural that there are more women’s fashion bloggers if the whole fashion industry has up to this point been more focused on women’s wear. This is definitely something that will change in the future in my opinion.This was the first year that the Bloglovin Awards featured a Best Men’s Fashion Blogger award, so things are changing.

9. Where do you get your inspiration from when writing blog posts?

There’s two things that usually inspire me when I’m posting about fashion: street style and details. I’ve noticed I tend to remember very clearly what everyone around me is wearing, so whenever I see someone wearing something cool on the street, I’m inspired to change it up and do my own take on that color/trend/piece. The second thing is when I’m putting together an outfit and I like how the jacket lining complements the sock pattern or how the pocket zippers on the sweatpants are the same tone as my sunglasses. I like sharing this type of details on the blog because fashion is not only about what others notice. You can dress for yourself and make it fun.

10. What’s on the cards over the next 12 months for Cool Gear Cavalier?

I’m still very uncertain where this year will take me. The blog is very new, so I can definitely say I’ll be working to expand it, improve the photography and collaborate with brands. I’ll be relocating to New York City in the fall, so I’m hoping to really step it up when it comes to the content!

11. Your top 3 favorite brands?

Dolce & Gabbana, Zara, and Tom Ford.

12. If you could buy 1 item of clothing right now and money wasn’t an issue what would it be?

Lanvin Sneakers. I’ve been eyeing them for a long time, and for me they are the perfect balance between smart and casual. I’d wear them with a navy or light suit or with rolled-up jeans and a slouchy t-shirt.

Thanks to Kosta Karakashyan from Cool Gear Cavalier for taking part in this interview.

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