How Hillary Kerr & Katherine Power Built a Media Empire

Clique Media is the content and technology company behind the popular fashion site Who What Wear (www.whowhatwear.com), store the leading platform for premium, sildenafil shoppable fashion and stylecontent. In addition to WhoWhatWear.com, salve Clique Media owns and operates the home décor site, Domaine (www.domainehome.com), beauty site, Byrdie (www.byrdie.com), and exclusively represents a large, curated collection of the top bloggers in fashion (such asAtlantic-Pacific, Song of Style and Something Navy), beauty, and home décor as part of its online sales offering. Through its content-first approach, Clique Media delivers 360° integrated and native advertising programs that drive brand lift as well as sales conversions, all while inspiring readers to discover and shop. The Clique Media brands boast over five million social media followers to date. Collectively, there are 750 social media posts each day between Clique Media’s three sites.

Hillary Kerr and Katherine Power are the co-founders Clique Media. Prior to the launch of WhoWhatWear.com, Kerr was a Los Angeles-based writer for publications such as ELLE, Teen Vogue, and Nylon; Power was the West Coast Editor for ELLE and ELLEgirl. Kerr and Power are also the co-authors of two books: Who What Wear: Celebrity and Runway Style For Real Life (Abrams, September 2009) andWhat To Wear, Where (Abrams, March 2011). Approaching their eight year anniversary, and 50+ staff members strong, Kerr and Power follow the philosophy that ’slow and steady’ wins the race and trusting gut instinct. They have weathered through the recession and rose in an industry because they were innovators and created a product that didn’t exist.

Sarah Boyd sat down with this power duo over drinks at Roger Room and learned what makes them tick.

Original story found on Forbes.com

NAME: Hillary Kerr

OCCUPATION: Co-founder of Clique Media, which includes WhoWhatWear.com, Byrdie.com, and DomaineHome.com

COMPANY NAME: Clique Media, Inc.

EDUCATION: B.A. in British Literature, University of Southern California; M.A. in Magazine Journalism, New York University

What was your inspiration to pursue your dreams?

I’ve been obsessed with fashion magazines since I was a teenager—in fact, I got a job in high school working at the Gap to support my purchasing habits—so I think the desire to write has been there for ages, possibly forever. In terms of starting WhoWhatWear.com, we really were making it for ourselves, in so many ways. We wanted an incredible of-the-moment site that covered all the latest celebrity, tastemaker, and runway looks, with a great shopping element and a cool point of view, and simply didn’t see one out there.

But frankly, I wouldn’t have been able to do this without my amazing parents, who have been incredibly supportive of all my wishes, whims, and dreams since I was a kid. They inspired me to go for what seemed like the impossible, and have been there every step of the way.

What has been one of your biggest career challenges? How did you overcome it?

Initially, on a personal level, the decision to leave my job at ELLE, which was absolutely incredible, in every way, to move back to Los Angeles and pursue a freelance writing career (which is what I did before starting WhoWhatWear.com with Katherine) was the biggest leap of faith of my life.

Since starting the company, I think my biggest challenge has been educating our industry in all things digital. When we started the company eight years ago, digital was still perceived as “lesser,” a perception we still battle to some degree in the world of fashion content today.

What is one of your greatest defining moments within the industry?

There are a million things that have thrilled me thus far—the first time I went to the Oscar de la Renta show, for example, I was so moved by the craftsmanship, the history, the artistry, I was legitimately (and humiliatingly) was fighting back tears—but getting the opportunity to write two books and tour the country, meeting our readers and hearing what WhoWhatWear.com has meant to them over the years? That’s made me so proud, on so many levels.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

Treat everyone professionally and with respect—even when they’re not affording you the same courtesy—because the industry is small and people’s memories are long.

Beauty product you can’t leave the house without?

Mascara! I’m a junkie of the highest order, and, for a girl with basically blonde eyelashes, mascara is a necessity for me. Otherwise I look like a rabbit. Dior Dior Show Iconic Overcurl Mascara is my savior; I love it and tell everyone about it.

What’s your signature scent?

As of the last year or so, I’m all about Le Labo’s Rose 31, which is crazy to me because I never thought I’d identify with, let alone adore, any rose fragrance.

Heels or Flats?

Heels, all day, every day.

What are you drinking?

A Thug, which is a bourbon-based cocktail that’s one of The Roger Room’s signature drinks.

Beyonce or Rihanna?

THIS IS TOO HARD. I adore all things Beyonce, but I think Rihanna by a nose, simply because I love her spirit.

NYC or LA?

Both, ideally. Living in Los Angeles, but a week in NYC every month at the Bowery Hotel? That would be ideal.

Lip Gloss or Lip Stick?

Lipstick. The brighter pink, the better.

Eyeshadow or Eyeliner?

Eyeliner, ideally something in a water-resistant formula, because otherwise I tend to smudge my eyeliner too much.

Clutch or Tote?

Clutch!

Laptop or Tablet?

Laptop, no question. I love a keyboard.

Text or Call?

Text, ideally a meeting spot so I can just talk to you in person.

Coffee or Tea?

Coffee, preferably a flat white.

iPhone or Android?

iPhone or nothing.

Number Cruncher or Artist?

Artist, though numbers can be relaxing, at times.

First designer purchase?

Technically I think it was a gray, slouchy Chloe hobo bag, which I still own and carry. In terms of clothing, I bought a Jason Wu dress from the Spring 2011 runway collection to wear to a dinner for our second book, and it is still one of my favorite, most cherished pieces to this day.

Fall or Spring?

Fall for the clothes, spring for the weather.

Boyfriend or Skinny Jean?

My much cherished pair of first-generation Current/Elliott bell-bottom jeans. I do love a cropped high-waisted skinny jean though; Madewell makes a really good one.

Whose concert are you most likely to be front row at and why?

Hopefully Fleetwood Mac this fall!

Favorite social media platform?

Instagram. I’m a voyeur.

Pet peeve?

People who talk on their phones—or use speakerphone!—on an airplane or other tightly packed public spaces.

Hidden talent?

I can make a pretty amazing playlist for a party.

Sunrise or Sunset?

Sunset.

NAME: Katherine Power

OCCUPATION: Co-founder of Clique Media, which includes WhoWhatWear.com, Byrdie.com, and DomaineHome.com

COMPANY NAME: Clique Media, Inc.

What was your inspiration to pursue your dreams?

Filling a whitespace, for ourselves, at the time. We could see big potential in bringing print magazine sensibilities online. From there it’s evolved far from print.

What has been one of your biggest career challenges? How did you overcome it?

One of my biggest challenges was having to part ways with a key employee who was very much a part of our early growth. When scaling a business, it’s not uncommon to outgrow the skill set of some of your early employees. You have to think of it as a cycle, it’s what your business needs to grow. Once I put that in perspective, we began to see a major shift in our company, and the growth was instantly accelerated.

What is one of your greatest defining moments within the industry?

I think it was when we wrote our first book. When you work online it’s all sort of a mystery, you put produce IP and it basically drifts into space. Once we had something tangible in our hands, I felt oddly more accomplished.

Beauty product you can’t leave the house without?

Chapstick

What’s your signature scent?

Quelques Fleur

Heels or Flats?

Heels for work, flats on the weekend.

What are you drinking?

Wine

Beyonce or Rihanna?

Beyonce

NYC or LA?

Lip Gloss or Lip Stick?