Daniel Mu
WE WHO WANDER
FASHION & TRAVEL BLOGGER, IVANA PETROVIC
SEPTEMBER 05, 2018
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF Photo: @IVANAPETROVIC / WEWHOWANDER.CO
Photo: @IVANAPETROVIC / WEWHOWANDER.CO
We're extremely excited to publish our latest interview with Melbourne Fashion & Travel blogger, Ivana Petrovic.
I first came across her blog, We Who Wander shortly after the 2018 Youth Empowerment Conference where Ivana spoke and inspired a forum full of local school children who one day may just also aspire to become professional bloggers.
Her blog is full of inspiring travel content and features the latest in Fashion Think Pieces. Add that, with an abundance of beautiful imagery and you've got one amazing blog!
Lets find out more about Ivana and We Who Wander.
Photo: @IVANAPETROVIC / WEWHOWANDER.CO
Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m a fashion and travel blogger based in Melbourne, Australia. I was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina during the Yugoslavian War and moved with my family to Germany for a few years before finally coming to Australia.
I’ve always had a huge love for fashion and writing! I studied a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism at University for a year, before changing my degree to Commerce in Entrepreneurship & Innovation because I wanted to create something for myself rather than work for someone else.
I currently work on my blog full time, but not all of my income comes from it yet - I also manage social media for a float centre 4 days a week. On top of that, I’ve recently started making marketing videos for local businesses as well as creating a social media presence for a local European cafe.
I’ve always had a huge love for fashion and writing! I studied a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism at University for a year, before changing my degree to Commerce in Entrepreneurship & Innovation because I wanted to create something for myself rather than work for someone else.
I currently work on my blog full time, but not all of my income comes from it yet - I also manage social media for a float centre 4 days a week. On top of that, I’ve recently started making marketing videos for local businesses as well as creating a social media presence for a local European cafe.
Photo: @IVANAPETROVIC / WEWHOWANDER.CO
How did you get started in fashion and travel blogging. Talk us through the We Who Wander journey.
I volunteered at Mercedez-Benz Fashion Week in Sydney back in 2013 because I wanted a behind the scenes look at the industry. The blogging scene was very new back then and I religiously read Australian fashion and travel blogs like Gary Pepper Vintage, Tuula Vintage and K Is For Kani.
The day after I landed back in Melbourne I was so inspired and excited by the fact that girls were able to make a business out of sharing their personal style and travels on the internet. I thought about how great it would be to marry two of my biggest passions together and start my own, so I did!
On We Who Wander I now produce think pieces as well as travel guides that focus on living like a local and seeking out cruelty-free and plant-based cafes, while upholding a stylish aesthetic. Instagram is more style and travel based, and then Youtube mixes in lifestyle with vlogs.
On We Who Wander I now produce think pieces as well as travel guides that focus on living like a local and seeking out cruelty-free and plant-based cafes, while upholding a stylish aesthetic. Instagram is more style and travel based, and then Youtube mixes in lifestyle with vlogs.
What inspires you to do what you do? Any key influences?
Inspiration is everywhere - regardless of whether its relevant to your field or not. I love getting inspired by bouncing ideas around with my friends, travelling, Pinterest, books etc.
What does a typical workday look like for you?
What does a typical workday look like for you?
Every day is different - I post to Instagram daily, and try to publish articles to my website and Youtube videos once a week. To make sure I stay focused and get everything done, I have a little Excel spreadsheet I use as a schedule to set certain days aside for certain things.
For example, Monday is generally dedicated to writing/publishing for my website while Tuesday’s at the moment have been for cafe collabs and running errands. I’ll film throughout the week and try to post to Youtube around Thursday, and then shoot content for Instagram on the weekends with other bloggers.
For example, Monday is generally dedicated to writing/publishing for my website while Tuesday’s at the moment have been for cafe collabs and running errands. I’ll film throughout the week and try to post to Youtube around Thursday, and then shoot content for Instagram on the weekends with other bloggers.
Tell us about the content creating process from initial ideation right through to publication on to your channels.
For Instagram, I’ll workshop a few outfits until I have 3 - 4 solid ones I want to shoot on the weekend, then work out the first location with whoever I’m shooting with - usually Demi. During the shoot we change in our cars - super glamorous - and we figure out the rest of the locations as we go. Once I get home, I select a handful of shots I like, edit in Adobe Lightroom on my Macbook and on VSCO and Snapseed on my phone, work it into my feed planner app, caption and schedule! Any videos I shot I’ll pop into Final Cut Pro X to edit at a later day, since videos usually take hours to create.
Photo: @IVANAPETROVIC / WEWHOWANDER.CO
What are your favourite experiences and opportunities that blogging have given you?
There’s so many! Most recently I got to work with an Australian brand called Manning Cartell for VAMFF (Fashion Week), and spoke at a Youth Empowerment Conference in front of 500 people about my blogging journey, which was insane.
I just love collaborating with other businesses and knowing that they see enough value in what I do to want me to create content for them - whether its fashion, travel or food related.
Other than that, the friendships I’ve made through blogging have been ones I know I will keep forever, and blogging in general has opened me up a lot more too.
I just love collaborating with other businesses and knowing that they see enough value in what I do to want me to create content for them - whether its fashion, travel or food related.
Other than that, the friendships I’ve made through blogging have been ones I know I will keep forever, and blogging in general has opened me up a lot more too.
Photo: @IVANAPETROVIC / WEWHOWANDER.CO
Is there a dream collaboration you would love to do?
Yes - travel collaborations! Big companies like Revolve take bloggers around the world for days of fun activities, and Glassons in Australia has recently started doing that as well so both of those would be incredible. I would also love to collaborate with tourism boards as well, especially for places like Croatia and Bosnia, considering that’s where I’m from.
What's next for We Who Wander?
More travel content next year when I jet off to Europe for a few months 😉
Photo: @IVANAPETROVIC / WEWHOWANDER.CO
And...
Fashion. Describe your style?
This is always hard! Other people describe my style as chic? I'm not afraid to try new things, but a lot of the time you’ll see me in a blazer dressed down with something casual - whether it's a dress and sneakers or jeans with heels.
Travel. The ultimate destination you would love to feature on We Who Wander?
Anywhere and everywhere! Although I wouldn’t mind a big family trip to somewhere extra like Bora Bora.
Lifestyle. Describe the perfect weekend.
A Summer road trip along the coast, filled with exploring and a beach stop. Dinner has to be at Smith & Daughters in Fitzroy, followed by casual drinks at a rooftop bar somewhere in the city.
And finally, What’s on your ultimate playlist?
Admittedly half the time I’m listening to Balkan music, and the other half are artists from Australia or NZ, like Broods, Meg Mac, The Venus Project and Lorde.
If it’s for a road trip, my friends and I always go with a 90s classics playlist filled with Backstreet Boys, TLC, No Doubt and *NSYNC. Everyone is happy.
Mud and Matzor: We would like to thank Ivana for her time and for sharing her story with us.
Please checkout and be inspired at We Who Wander or follow her on Instagram @ivanapetrovic.