Written by Tanya De
‘Londoners in London’ started in lockdown inspired by its French counterpart ‘Parisians in Paris’ and grew quite a following from people worldwide. The Instagram page covers the best of street style London has to offer. Michelle Belluci the brains behind the page moved to London from Catania for university, she said: “At the beginning, I was unsure about what to put out, but as I progressed it came out naturally. I thought of it more as a side project—a fashion diary—rather than something that could become a job.”
I last spoke to Michelle two years ago when the page was only a year old. Now, two years later and with 154K followers, she reflects, “The biggest change has been my growing understanding of both the audience and the project itself. I had a specific vision when I started, but the page has naturally evolved in a different direction. ” She adds that she is trying to balance adding a personal touch, which is challenging and exciting.
With the growth of the page, Michelle has transitioned from a student to working in fashion full-time. Belluci’s discovery of her style in the process is also reflected in how ‘Londoners in London’ is curated. She says, “In many ways, the account, feels like a personal journal for style, even though I often feature looks I wouldn’t wear myself. What fascinates me is seeing how people use fashion to express themselves—it’s such an interesting way to explore identity through clothing.”
While the page brings some monetary value that has never been the aim and is reinvested to improve the content, “With my first revenue earned, I purchased my first camera to improve the quality of my work and have used funds to organize events and connect with others. So, it’s not money I earn in the traditional sense.” Michelle adds about her reservation about turning it into a business “I don’t want to exploit it, and I’m not sure how my audience would respond to that shift. Social media, especially Instagram, is oversaturated with paid ad content for fashion brands. I’d rather suggest places to see and restaurants to try than useless things to buy.”
However, she adds, that the page is more about the paths it opened up for her career “It has become a significant part of my career—it’s closely tied to what I do as a freelancer in content creation and marketing. It has been instrumental in me landing a full-time position.”
Bellucci works for the Korean footwear brand ‘Reike Nen’ as a Content and Marketing Manager, her role involves creating and managing campaigns, “I handle everything from social media strategy to content production. It’s a dynamic role that allows me to combine creativity and strategy, which I love very much.”
Juggling a full-time job while also consistently posting on the page has its struggles, Belluci added, “Managing an account like Londoners means I need to be out almost every day, capturing the essence of the city. While I enjoy doing that, my full-time job makes it tough. On weekends, I try to rest or spend time for myself, but when I do go out, I’m always carrying my camera and phone, which can feel like I’m not fully present with my friends. But I’m trying to post less often and focus more on creating meaningful content.”
Michelle says she has seen the growth of the page slow down as she has been posting less than usual, but that’s not something she is worried about, “What matters most to me is the engagement and the positive response I get from people.” and her advice for young creators is to genuinely connect with their audience.
And while being a young fashion professional comes with its struggles, Michelle’s eye for great style and a good picture is reflected in her work. She says, “I’m drawn to unique, thoughtful outfits that feel authentic to the one wearing it. I appreciate people with a story behind their style, it adds depth to the feature. And also details are very important for me – shoes, jewellery, hair! It can be anything”. She adds diversity featured on the page is important to her, “London is such a melting pot of cultures, and I want that reflected in the content.”
For someone who has navigated studying and working in a very saturated and competitive industry like fashion and social media, Michelle’s advice for young people interested in working in the industry is to build great relationships, be kind, never sell yourself short and know what you have to offer is worth something. “Work hard and be opinionated—fashion is not just about clothes. It’s social, cultural, and about storytelling. Always put your heart and mind into your work and take ownership of your voice. Fashion is bigger than trends; it’s a reflection of everything happening around us.” She concluded.
