Dressed in a mint green ensemble with white Nike shoes and circular spectacles, Miroslava Duma is the epitome of street-chic when she takes the stage at Dubai Mall’s fashion catwalk on Friday. Often scouted by street style photographers at fashion weeks, Duma has quite the “it girl” reputation. But she’s so much more than that – the Russian writer and entrepreneur founded and launched Buro 24/7 in 2011 – and since then, the digital platform has expanded to have bases in 10 different countries.
Duma started her fashion career working for Harper’s Bazaar. At her VFDE talk, she tells the audience that she immersed herself in all aspects of the magazine, from styling and writing to helping produce shoots. “My plan was to get as much experience as possible,” says Duma. She left after two and a half years to freelance, and gain wider exposure in the field. “Back then, everyone was talking about the future of the internet,” she says. But Duma couldn’t find one particular website that was all encompassing, discussing topics that were interesting and relevant. She launched Buro247.com, which covers fashion, culture, lifestyle and beauty, and updates up to 35 times a day, in Russia first. Then, she started selling licenses to Croatia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and the Middle East.
“What’s the first thing I do in the morning – brush my teeth, or check my iPhone,” she asks. She answers herself with the obvious – “check my iPhone. I go to bed with it and I wake up with it.” She stresses the importance of the digital world in fashion, and the strong marketing tool it makes for designers looking to make a name for themselves. “Instagram is like a digital lookbook for designers,” she says, adding that all big brands today, from Louis Vuitton and Burberry to Michael Kors, use the social media tool to share information and understand reactions of fans and clients.
Duma tells audience members, many of whom are aspiring designers, a story of a young shoe designer whose Instagram profile was spotted by Lady Gaga. The pop star told her stylist to get her hands on the shoes, and was then seen wearing them at a red carpet event. This anecdote leads her into her second piece of advice for emerging designers: to network get acquainted with celebrity stylists, like those who work with Rihanna and Beyonce. “They’re always looking for new names and fresh ideas, it’s their job. It’s a win-win situation,” she says.