Fashion Influencer Ranti Onayemi-Blanchard
Our series Trend Report is a style spread featuring clothing brands, trends and stores. This month, Culture & Style Editor ANNIE BLOJ interviews fashion influencer Ranti Onayemi-Blanchard of the very popular style site Ranti In Review. Ranti wears some of her favorite designers and trends for the Fall/Winter season.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CAROLINE MILLER
Ranti wears Turtleneck top by BCBG, Pants by Theory, Red Coat by Asos, Shoes by Manolo Blahnik, Bag by Bottega Veneta.
Annie Bloj: Ranti, I’ve been a fan of yours for so long, when I spotted you at the Zara store opening media preview last year, I was immediately star-struck! Esther and I made a beeline over to introduce ourselves. When I first moved to Denver, I was delighted to come across your incredibly clean, modern and structured take on the trends of the day. Your style continues to inspire close to 68k followers on Instagram every day and I am always going back to your feed to pick up some tips for myself! It seems as though style comes naturally to you in every aspect of your life, where did your interest in fashion stem from?
Ranti Onayemi-Blanchard: My interest in fashion began in my birthplace - Lagos, Nigeria. As a child, I was in awe of my Aunt Juliet; I studied her every move and loved everything about her. I idolized her. She happened to own her fashion studio and retail shop not too far from my childhood home where I spent countless hours after school and on weekends, playing with the fabrics, studying the fashion magazines, analyzing her pattern books. I fully immersed myself, taught myself how to hem, stitch and assemble unique, unexpected combinations.
AB: You started your fashion journey professionally after graduating from the University of Colorado at Denver by earning a coveted position at Nordstrom and then taking your talents to Neiman Marcus. How did making this leap inform your style and shape your outlook towards the industry?
RO: I suppose you can say I started my fashion journey much earlier, working in several retail stores such as Claire’s and Express, during my more formative years in high school. After college, I began my journey into luxury retail, first with Nordstrom, where over multiple years, I worked my way to become the Designer Handbag specialist. In this role, I invested many hours each season, learning the design trends, craftsmanship, fabrication and construction techniques, as well as proper care and maintenance of each unique brand and piece. I had to both teach my team of colleagues as well as my clientele the subtleties of each brand and offer a nuanced perspective on why to invest in such wonderful pieces. Within this role, I developed a deep knowledge of each brand’s history, design aesthetic and creative mission that I carry forward with me today within Ranti in Review. One of my favorite aspects of this role was the direct interface with each brand, where I offered feedback and perspective on the local market, on client reception and sales metrics, helping to inform future season design directions and inventory.
When I transitioned to Neiman Marcus, I assumed the role of designer handbag specialist for the Balenciaga department, where I enjoyed the opportunity to deeply invest in one brand’s vision and day-to-day strategy on the floor. This role forced me to invest in detailed research of both the brand as well as local market trends, to offer ongoing insight and recommendations back to the brand.
Black dress by Paskal, Shoes by By Nicholas Kirkwood.
AB: While honing your skills at Nordstrom and Neimans, you started your blog, Ranti In Review, and began to build your Instagram feed to accompany it. What prompted you to make this shift?
RO: I began my blog and social platforms towards the end of my time at Nordstrom and committed to the blog more strongly and built a formal routine and structure around it during my time at Neiman Marcus. I made this shift to Ranti In Review because, even though I loved being connected to the day-to-day pace and perspective of the fashion industry, I truly felt I needed to offer more of my own voice and perspective, and I needed a more profound outlet for my creative fashion energy.
AB: From personal experience, I know that so much work and effort go into creating content and making it look effortless in the process. How do you plan your work?
RO: I start by crafting the story I want to tell each week. From there, I find inspiration in many different places. It could be from magazines, a particular color palette, inspiring statement piece, or whatever captures my eye and heart. In addition to my own inspiration, I am also invigorated by influences and aesthetics from the brands and teams with whom I collaborate. Though I don’t necessarily follow trends, I do keep them in mind as an overlay to my storytelling, to be sure my ensembles are relevant to all dimensions of my audience. Once I have my overall vision in place, this is just the beginning of my process. It takes quite a bit of time and a village of collaborators to bring this vision to life. Time after time, from the fit and finish of the clothes to my beauty regimen, to photography, image editing, content writing, there are many layers that must be planned and integrated in order to deliver great content.
AB: Your style stands out immediately among an extremely crowded market of fashion influencers on social media. I love how you interpret texture, volume, and proportion. How has your style evolved?
RO: My style has definitely evolved with time, becoming a bit tamer, sleeker and approachable. Even with that, my core style has remained consistent. I define my style as feminine but not girlie, slightly androgynous with a sweet edge and minimalist with notes of layered complexity. With that said, my style is just a snapshot in time and is always evolving. I am constantly looking for fresh new ways to deconstruct and recompose classics, trends, and staples.
Ranti wears Top by Zara, Pants by Halogen x Atlantic Pacific, Heels by Manolo Blahnik.
AB: What are you into this season? You had mentioned that your shoe assortment needed some love. What’s on your list these days?
RO: Fall is my absolute favorite time of year, especially when it comes to fashion. Designers are always looking to be more innovative and provocative during the fall season, making it the best time to take more risks, have more fun, and be bold. Selfishly I want the fall season to last forever! My current focus, this season, is to build a more dynamic, fun and whimsical wardrobe, and to challenge myself to be a bit more adventurous with color, texture, and layering. Yes, I am looking to expand and diversify my shoe collection a bit. Silly but true, since you asked, I am in search of that perfect pair of black rugged combat boots that can effortlessly transition into a classic in my closet for years to come. And, as always, I would love to add that special pair of black heels to my wardrobe which can transcend seasons and trends.
AB: I love that you mix high and low fashion in a way that is accessible to your many followers. What are your favorite places to shop to build your wardrobe?
RO: I tend to do most of my shopping online, where I can quickly compare and contrast the subtleties of similar pieces across multiple platforms. My newest online obsession is called Orchard Mile, which has been my lucky charm for finding the most-coveted fashion pieces a bit under the radar. Finding this site has been a true blessing! Another gem site has been Moda Operandi, who host the absolute best online trunk shows to spotlight pieces from up and coming designers alongside well- known brands before they are readily available to the broader public. The Italist is another great option, who features fantastic designer items, often at great price-points. When it comes to finding day-to-day reliable, sharp pieces, I rely most heavily on ASOS and Zara. For clothing pieces, I truly love ASOS because they offer a broad range of brands at a diverse price point within their portfolio. ASOS is a huge fashion destination with a reliable and versatile site, especially for dresses and my go-to high-waist pieces. Zara is another great platform that offers a fresh interpretation and translation of the current fashion trends at a much more accessible price point. Another of my favorite online stores is Need Supply, my destination for many of my minimalist staples.
AB: You have lived here for a little over 20 years now! How have you seen the fashion scene develop here? Do you find the culture is more accepting of change and creatives?
RO: Denver has always valued an active lifestyle and versatile comfort as it relates to fashion. I have seen this evolve in some dimensions and in some pockets of town over the past 20 years; especially in the last 10 years. I also believe Denver’s renaissance as a national destination has created an exciting melting pot of fashion instincts and sensibilities, mixing East Coast, West Coast, and Mid-Western perspectives. I am truly excited to see how Denver can synthesize these outside influences with their local outdoor ethos to contribute a truly authentic fashion perspective to the national dialog. I hope I can be part of this perspective in some small way.
Turtleneck top by Theory, Jacket by And Other Stories, Pants by Comme Des Garçon, Shoes by Givenchy, Necklace by Brinker & Eliza
AB: How do you manage partnerships and what are your criteria for brands that want to work with you?
RO: I am very selective about the brands I choose to work with. I must authentically love the brand and their pieces, and I must see alignment in both aesthetics and values with my platform. It is incredibly important to conduct research, to fully understand the brand’s perspective, values, and approach. Partnerships must be authentic and symbiotic. It is also incredibly important to acknowledge how much hard work goes into creating beautiful content on my blog, and therefore I must also be sure that any collaboration is respectful and appreciative of my time, expertise and hard work.
AB: What is next for Ranti in Review? How do you see yourself growing within the industry?
RO: My biggest goal for this next year is to invest more deeply in my community; to find the local, up and coming brands and to build a stronger local network of collaborators, friends, and partners. Working in this industry, I have also come face-to-face with many of the profound challenges and disadvantages that people of color face within this industry. I am still honestly trying to find my own way and learn from my own mistakes. Through this journey, I have become more and more inspired and committed to sharing my own experiences and lessons with the upcoming generation of influencers; especially those who face similar barriers and challenges as I have along the way. I am not sure exactly what this means yet, or how I can have the most profound impact especially with under-represented communities; whether exploring pathways and opportunities in PR, advocating for equity and inclusion, or exploring partnerships with larger brands needing to build authentic and informed bridges to more diverse communities. Whatever new ventures I decide to explore, I am fully committed to sharing my voice, my perspective and my eclectic whimsical sense of style. Please stay tuned, I can’t wait to discover what is next in this journey.
AB: I have so many friends in the Fashion Industry- including designers at a few of the brands that you mention- that are huge fans of yours and were so excited when I told them that I was going to be working with you! Thank you so much for being open and honest about your story and sharing with everyone what keeps you motivated and inspired! I can’t wait to hang out at the next fashion event around town.
Ranti: @rantiinreview
Photography: @carolinemillerphotography
Interview: @anniebloj