She may be the sister of style blogger Chiara Ferragni, aka The Blonde Salad, but younger sister Valentina Ferragni is paving her own path in the industry. In an exclusive interview, the social media star speaks to HELLO! Fashion Monthly about sisterly advice, Instagram rules and selfie tips.
With a degree in communication and advertising under her belt and a strong interest in interior design and the beauty industry, the 23-year-old opens up on how Chiara has influenced her: "I think it was a natural step but I really appreciate her because I remember the first time she told me to do Instagram. At the time, I didn’t have an iPhone (I had a Blackberry) and decided Instagram wasn’t for me.
"Finally, I tried it and after three weeks, I had a lot of followers. Chiara is five years older than me so I always looked up to her and my other sister, Francesca, who is three years older. They’ve always inspired me, so I think this step was bound to happen."
The Instagram sensation, who almost has 100,000 followers, prefers to be authentic on the social media site. "I like to be natural and I don’t want people to think everything is fake so I also won’t wear brands that don’t reflect me. I want people to know that when they follow me, they’ll see me in things that I actually like," she said.
Valentina also highlights those all-important selfie tips: "Light! Always have beautiful natural light on your face. And if you’re taking a photo with your partner, take it in a mirror – people always love those shots! And don’t worry about people’s horrible comments. I remember feeling so destroyed by negative feedback on my Instagram but now I accept I can be critical of myself and not other people. I can’t change my face."
The full interview appears in the September issue of Hello Fashion Monthly