My Digital Life: Isabel Mundigo-Moore
Jess Benjamin chats to Who What Wear’s Social Media Editor, Isabel Mundigo-Moore, about the dos and don’ts of social media, favourite Instagram brands and growing up in a digital landscape.
Isabel Mundigo-Moore is the poster girl for the dynamic world of digital fashion. Going from print to digital publications and then on to social media, she embodies the evolution that fashion brands are all experiencing these days. Starting her career in Toronto and moving to London, she now spends her days as resident Social Media Editor for Who What Wear UK. We chat to Isabel about her journey to digital expertise, her online origins and the importance of making time for being offline.
Jess Benjamin: Let's start with a brief career history: how did you come to be doing what you do now?
Isabel Mundigo-Moore: I studied English at school and wasn’t quite sure what to do with such a broad degree when I finished. My mum said to me, 'What is one thing you do everyday? Something you’d do anyway if it wasn’t your job?' To which the answer was: read fashion websites. The choice became clear, as I had interned at fashion companies previously, I just hadn’t connected the dots.
From there, I started writing as much as I could in pursuit of a fashion journalism career. Working for smaller publications meant that we all pitched in on the social media side, but over time that became my focus until I realised it was the career path I was on. I sort of grew up at the same time as social media—when I first started, there were only a handful of bloggers. Moving from Toronto to London, I worked in social media at Browns Fashion and then Who What Wear UK.
JB: Did you always know you would work in digital?
IMM: Graduating school around the same time as many print magazines were closing, the choice to embrace and learn to love digital in the fashion industry became clear. Both print and digital have their strengths and right now digital is having a moment. Plus, most companies assumed I knew everything about digital media simply because I was young. It was a great opportunity to learn on the job.
JB: What is your earliest social media memory?
IMM: Vaguely trying to get into MySpace before it died and then we all lied about being in university to get onto Facebook.
JB: What was your first email address?
IMM: isabelmm@msn.com (I’d like to thank my younger self for this wise, simple choice).
JB: What is your favourite social media platform?
IMM: Instagram. It feels like an obvious choice, but I’ve met some of the coolest people through it!
JB: And least favourite?
IMM: Snapchat.
JB: Which apps are on the first page of your phone?
IMM: Instagram, Gmail, Snapseed, Whatsapp, Monzo, Dash Hudson.
JB: Have you discovered any brands via social media? If so, which?
IMM: So many! My favourite part of my job is definitely having to go down Instagram holes. A few of my favourites are Young Frankk, Lucia Zolea Vintage, and Daily Sleeper.
JB: How do you make time for being offline?
IMM: I am offline for most of the weekend (except when I have to post for work), but I try to do activities that don’t require technology at all so there’s no temptation to work. I love gardening and baking as two examples!
JB: What’s your top tip for any social media user – professional or otherwise?
IMM: Be yourself—remember it’s about being 'social' so authenticity is at the core of it all. Post as much as you like and whatever you like, so long as it reflects you or the brand.
Interview by Jess Benjamin