Beka Gvishiani: From Tumblr to @Stylenotcom and Everything in Between
Show Notes
Summary
Visionary founder of @stylenotcom, Beka Gvishiani, grew up in the former Soviet republic of Georgia with little-to-no access to pop culture—or even basic electricity. In this episode, Beka shares his seemingly overnight success story in the fashion industry with Christopher Michael. However, his digital platform and unique voice are rooted in years of hands-on experience promoting up-and-coming international brands. With its distinctive blue and white all-caps format and its wittiness and substance, @stylenotcom instantly caught the eye of industry heavyweights; its posts reflect not only what's contemporary now but also the historical trends that have shaped fashion and culture. He still finds his stratospheric rise hard to believe, including the success of his creative agency, Ariel Bold, counting Colette co-founder Sarah Andelman and fashion editor Katie Grand among his champions, and co-creating his first Vogue covers featuring the Ukrainian flag. "I still sometimes feel it's a big dream that has happened to me."
Episode Highlights
- Turning Technicolor: Beka’s life was turned upside down when his interest in pop culture and music collided with the revolution in his native Tbilisi, Georgia, and the “gold, shiny light” that went on the first time he saw a Vogue magazine cover.
- Beka built a platform for his passion first by becoming a regular on forums like The Fashion Spot and then launching the Glossy Newsstand blog on Tumblr in 2010.
- Faster than Light: The splash Beka made—and the attention he got—using social media tags to highlight insider information about magazine covers and content ahead of the pack.
- Beka’s longtime collaboration with the celebrated magazine editor Katie Grand.
- Like a Dream: Beka’s love of headlines scintillated and evolved into his distinctive, eye-catching @stylenotcom all caps, words-only title format in 2021—rapidly building a viral following, especially among industry insiders.
- The Power of Formal Education: Beka doesn’t attribute his success to the BA he earned in Finance and Business Administration so much as the early hands-on skills he acquired working with international brands in his native Georgia.
- Arial Bold: The creative consulting agency Beka co-created based on his experience with every aspect of fashion design promotion, shoot production, and branding for up-and-coming labels.
- Hero Moments: Getting a hug from Tim Blanks at the Bottega Veneta show last year. One of only 200 invited to Saint Laurent’s menswear show in the Marrakech Desert; being featured in a Business of Fashion article; doing his first Vogue cover; meeting many personal heroes and fashion icons.
- Looking Ahead: No merchandise planned … yet! Additional content featured on extensions that build upon the Style Not Com brand and format.
- What Endures: Despite his digital fluency, Beka is a huge proponent of the traditional runway, media, and publications. (Hint: The physical feel, smell, and textures will never go out of style and are a snapshot in time.)
- Embracing the Romance: The past is a powerful inspiration for Beka, who believes without nostalgia—understanding the past—there is no future.
- The Fashion Icons Beka Still Dreams of Meeting: Karl Lagerfeld (unfortunately no longer a possibility), Anna Wintour, Carine Roitfeld, Kate Moss, and Miuccia Prada.
- What’s Contemporary Now? Whatever comes authentically from the heart and mind currently but at the same time draws on and respects fashion’s rich archival past.
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