Today we’d like to introduce you to Derek Do.
Derek, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was always into fashion since sophomore year of high school. Before my sophomore year, I would wear hand me down clothes from my uncles and random clothes my mother would buy for my in Chinatown. Freshman year changed my life when I entered because the uniform was now a thing of the past and people were free to wear what they liked as long as it was appropriate to school regulations.
At this time, I was amazed with the different styles people composed themselves with while I was standing there with my extremely over-sized t-shirts, old sneakers I would beat up on a daily day basis, and jeans that wouldn’t fit me properly. Of course, high school had their ups and downs and one of my downs was the way I was dressed. People snickered at me and poked fun of my outfits to a point where I was fed up. By the end of the year, I wanted to dress differently and be someone who had a sense of style and that’s when I went to my friends for advice. I began wearing slimmer pants that would fit perfectly and wore clothing that worked with my body type.
I continued this journey until the end of high school and developed my own style until my second year in college when I thought maybe I can do something with my outfits. I was envious of some of my friends who had already become fashion influencers at that time, receiving free products to promote left and right. I really wanted to do something like that as well. During this time, Instagram was still fairly new and people had better opportunities to rise as influencers. I did not know how to grow my Instagram at all. I came in with little to no information on how to edit pictures or promote myself. All I had was an iPhone 5, VSCO app, and a friend who was willing to follow me around and help me take pictures at various random locations I found on the internet. Over time, I invested in a camera and learned how to edit using Lightroom and Photoshop and also watched Youtube tutorials to learned how to grow and promote myself. Over the course of posting a plethora of pictures and learning mistakes along the way, I slowly grew on social media and developed the skills I have today!
Has it been a smooth road?
It was never a smooth road for me. There are times when I wanted to give up because I was spending too much money on clothes and seeing no growth. I was about to quit but I kept telling myself it would be worth it later and how I would be able to make this all back once the time comes. I met many people on social media, that have inspired me and also kept me motivated to keep going because we were all pretty much in the same boat and trying to grow together.
Please tell us more about your work.
I mainly work as a content creator on Instagram, collaborating with various companies and helping them promote their brand or clothing and also provide them with high-quality content.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Instagram may or may not be relevant in the future as there are major changes in the algorithm and some big features they are changing on the platform but I plan to continue this business through other means and platforms when that time comes. As for trends, I try to keep up with the latest trends so I can explore different options in style along with informing my audience of what’s new.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/derekcdo
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