Unlike most blogs which take a while to establish themselves, Californian blog The Clothing Coven got a massive initial traction when it launched in March. Not because both co-founders dress well and enjoy edgy content (they do) or that one half is a model (Mallory Llewellyn) - but because the other half has a famous dad. (Tallulah is the youngest of Bruce Willis's three daughters.)
Also unlike most blogs - and nothing to do with being Hollywood progeny - The Clothing Coven is really, really good. It's articulate, honest, often risqué and at times, full of niche randomness (which sticks out like a glorious sore thumb in a homogenous, polished blogosphere.) Widely pegged as LA's new 'it girls' - a label that neither of its co-founders have much time for - there's a lot more to the blog than pretty pictures. The Debrief dropped in to chat about social media, nipples and Kanye.
**The Debrief: Hi girls! So why did you guys decide to set up a blog together? **
T: We both were working at jobs in fashion - Mallory at Rag & Bone and myself at Helmut Lang – but we both subconsciously yearned to be much more engrossed in the fashion world. It really just came about naturally, spitballing ideas back and forth on a couch, coming up with the name. Coven as a whole is a constantly growing entity.
M: I had wanted to do this for a while because I saw the business potential this type of career could offer. I was super self-conscious about my writing though, so the moment Lu said she wanted to do it, I jumped at the opportunity. She starts most of the ideas and I finish them. Our vision for it most definitely came naturally and is evolving everyday. If you had seen the first version of our blog and read the first couple posts, you would've vommed on your computer.
**DB: How long have you guys been BFFs?
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T: Since our ex-boyfriends introduced us, we pretty much fell in love immediately. We like to joke that we stole each other from our respective relationships. We found refuge in each other, but to get to the point of your question, about two years.
M: REFUGEEEE. Yeah, I wish we fell in love, ran away, and eloped, but it was far more complicated than that. LOL. She feels like a sister to me now, like my sister/wife/BFF.
DB: Your style is a million miles away from that crochet kimono SoCal style. It seems much more NY-LON. Was that a conscious thing? To offer something different?
T: I don't view fashion or style as a geographical location type thing. I wear what I like and what I think is interesting and intriguing. I strive to be wholly authentic to myself and never deter from my own personal rules of what I wear.
M: Yeah, to be 100% honest, crochet was my forte back in my high school days. You learn more quickly when you travel, move, or hang around people who inspire you. I moved to NYC when I was eighteen and that's where I learned everything. We don't put much thought into anything we wear... it comes naturally, which is why I think this path is working for us. Neither of us really follows trends. We don't know when most mags do their denim issues. We never even knew that gauchos weren't a thing. We definitely look up to people we want to dress like, but it's more red carpet looks or old movies.
DB: Who are The Clothing Coven's icons?
T: Iris Apfel is an incredible woman; I hope to be half as epic as she is. Sienna Miller every time she's with her baby slays me - epic mom style. My sister, Scout, has been influencing me for as long as I can remember.
M: I really enjoy the way Kanye dresses. I also enjoy the Tommy Bahama shirt on the man next to me on this airplane. I want to be Audrey Hepburn.... And Freja [Beha, supermodel] has mastered the basics.
DB: What other blogs do you admire? We're always looking for cool girls recommending other cool girls, please.
T: I think, strictly blog-wise, I look up to and most strongly aspire to Leandra Medine, aka Man Repeller. I think her aesthetic is unique, and she never deters from her personal signature. There is something very witty and intriguing about the way she writes that I feel my writing sometimes draws from.
M: I used to email Leandra when I was a freshman in high school and ask her for advice. LOL. But yeah, as far as content, she is slaying it. I like blogs that post everyday. Violet Grey is chill. The Coveteur is good. I really like Into The Gloss. I respect everything that everyone is doing, but I'm super down for honest advice and/or hilarious stories.
DB: So what's the dream? The Clothing Coven in bricks and mortar form?
T: We want to own a building with a storefront on the first floor, blogging management one floor, styling offices on another, and have a massive team helping us churn out multiple stories daily.
M: Getting an office and writing team is number one. A makeup line/skincare line, collaborating with all the designers we drool over, bi-yearly print versions, an art gallery/event space… pretty much a mini empire.
**DB: Aim big! What's the hardest thing about running The Clothing Coven? **
T: So far, the biggest impasse I've found is coming up with fresh new ideas. We post religiously Monday through Friday - something not done by most blogger sites besides Man Repeller, so sometimes it's a bit harder to constantly come up with ideas, but we continue to try our hardest!
M: Yeah, I agree. Juggling the business end with the production end is the hardest part. I mean, people are looking at it, and we just started it in March. I think that's the biggest success. Haha!
DB: Talk to us about social media. You guys both have a lot of followers on Instagram (follow Tallulah @buuski and Mallory @murdermal) - does that help?
T: Social media is one of the most necessary aspects to any growing or current business. It wasn’t always like that, but there's no denying that in order to stay afloat in cultural awareness, you must maintain a strong social media presence, particularly on Instagram. However, that being said, I think there are some real authentic benefits, like for example, being able to reach out and connect with people you would never have gotten the chance to otherwise.
M: It's 2014. If you want to start a business, you need to be a face. That face can be spread the easiest and cheapest through social media. I'll never share whom I date ever, ever, ever again, because I find it haunting me on all angles of social media. I get some people find the Internet annoying or "basic", but if you aren't either of those two things, then you should actively participate in the changing of what's cool according to society.
**DB: And on the subject of Instagram, what do you think of Free the Nipple? **
T: I think this issue can be boiled down to one simple question: Why are some nipples illegal and some legal?
M: Duh, any female should do as she pleases. I will confess, I saw a photo of me sans bra and it wasn't flattering. At the end of the day, it can be done in a tasteless way or in a classy way, just like anything else. If you go about it like a grown up, it should be good.
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Pictures: Michael Dumler
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.