Interview with Scott Schuman, The Sartorialist

Scott Schuman, The Sartorialist

Scott Schuman launched online fashion blog The Sartorialist in 2005. In just three years, it has become a lucrative online property with millions of clicks a month. His photographs on the blog have led to a second career: Schuman now has a regular page in GQ magazine and shoots regularly for magazines such as French Vogue and Esquire.

Before becoming The Sartorialist, Schuman ran a showroom for up-and-coming designers. In 2005 he decided to become a stay-at-home dad (he has two daughters) and pursue his interest in photography. Little by little the idea of The Sartorialist began to take shape, and Schuman ran his first blog post in September of that year.

We asked the busy photographer/fashion editor/father/blogger about fashion, The Sartorialist “brand,” and the secret to his success.

Base: What’s up?
Scott Schuman: At the moment I am really busy trying to get ready to leave to Europe. I am going away for three weeks, first to Florence, then Milan, and finally to Paris. In Florence I am going to Pitti Uomo [a men's fashion happening], which is nice, but I loathe going there at this time of year as it gets insanely hot.

B: You always get shots of such perfect suits at Pitti Uomo. How are they able to pull it of in 110° heat?
SS: I think to them it is a question of choosing not to be bothered by it. And in addition, they spend most of the time inside. But still, there is no excuse for those Californians to wear flip-flops and shorts everyday.

Example of the perfect suit (without sweat) at 110° Credit: Scott Schuman

B: The Sartorialist has become a huge phenomenon in only a few years. What is your secret?
SS: When I first started the blog, it was important to me that I would post regularly. I think I understood that readers who go back to the blog everyday are the most important for the site. In other words, I wanted to structure the blog in a way that the reader keeps wanting to come back. And it seems to work. If I don’t post in the morning, to give an example, I get a lot of comments like: “My morning did not start well because there was no new post.” It seems that I have succeeded in making my blog a part of people’s everyday routines, which is crucially important to me. Making a blog that is visual, based on pictures, is obviously easier to update and for the people to absorb everyday than something more text-heavy.

B: Did you develop your brand before you launched the blog?
SS: Yes, as a matter of fact, I developed the concept and the brand before I went “live.” It has changed since, but surprisingly little. I think I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to do, and I am glad it worked out so well.

B: So, in a way, you used the blog as a branding tool for yourself?
SS: In a way, yes. The blog has helped me to gain jobs in magazines and to become a professional photographer and, I guess, a fashion editor. When I first started going to fashion shows, I had a camera, but I didn’t look like a photographer. I looked like an editor, which was interesting to many of the people attending the shows. Many were interested in who I was, and came and talked to me. That was one good way of getting the word out. I think one of my strengths is that I am able to write and take pictures. I think I have been able to develop a strong voice of my own.

The Sartorialist showing his readers what he is going to wear for the New York fashion week, April 2006 Credit: Scott Schuman

B: How would you define your brand?
SS: It is a celebration of individual styles. Not always those that I like personally, but I am able to see great personal styles in so many different forms. Often I am drawn to take a picture because of a single detail or combination I like. I rarely see outfits that would be perfect all the way. Regarding the brand, I think it is important to differentiate, that my blog is mainly about fashion—not street fashion, even though the pictures are mainly taken on the street.

B: What does the future of The Sartorialist look like?
SS: Well, it is getting busier and busier. And that means I have an increasing amount of paperwork, schedules, and so on. In a way this easily creates a problem because all of this “extra” is away from my bread and butter, that is, taking the pictures. That is still what I want to do, and love to do, and I have to be careful to book myself enough time to just roam the streets. In the future, technically not so much is going to change. I am looking to add more videos to the blog but otherwise I don’t see the concept changing all that much.

B: Nowadays many people on the street must recognize you. Do you get hangarounds wanting to get their pictures taken?
SS: I have never had anyone coming to me and saying, “Take my picture!” But definitely it has started to affect some situations. Sometimes I feel that the mood changes a bit when I am around. Luckily, people respect what I am doing and usually give me enough space to work.

B: What are your plans for summer vacation?
SS: Our kids are still so young that I want to have a vacation we all can enjoy. Probably we all are going to go to the beach somewhere.

Visit The Sartorialist here.