Born and raised in Queens, New York, Hugh Mo ’17, grew up in a world filled with urban streetwear and constantly evolving trends. In June 2016, he developed a blog, @_mostyle_, where he has since built a base of 11.2 thousand followers, establishing himself as a prominent “fashion influencer” within the massive and wide-reaching network of Instagram.
Initially, Mo’s posts focused on the aspects of fashion that he had encountered online, at home in New York City and abroad in Australia. After returning from his time abroad, Mo found himself re-entering the online world of fashion through sites such as Grailed—a one-stop-shop for men’s fashion, and Facebook—which served as a huge resource for Mo.
While his blog includes many different aspects of fashion, he has a particular love for and interest in sneakers.
Mo’s favorite parts of directing and developing his blog include the connections and friends he has made, as well as the chance to make inroads into the industry in which he hopes to one day be an influential member.
“I started a Facebook group to engage with the community of ‘fashion influencers,’ making friends with people as far as Singapore and Australia,” said Mo. “I just wanted to start something on my own—meeting companies, talking to people in the fashion world, getting closer to the industry that I can see myself working in.”
Specific brands that Mo highlights in his blog are St. Laurent and Fear of God—which he describes as the most visible brand among celebrities. Hoping to spice up his blog, he wants to include female fashion trends and advice for men on a budget.
“We’re trying to incorporate women’s fashion into my blog,” said Mo. “Personally, I think it’s getting a little sterile with just me in it. More collaboration content will make my page more interesting.”
“I love fashion and the idea of the business side of fashion. Trends are always moving, always changing,” said Mo.
Mo’s original and unique style had caught the attention of friends and other Bowdoin community members before his Instagram received thousands of followers. It was these people who suggested that he share his passion and creativity with the rest of the world.
Mo started the process of taking his style to the web with WordPress but later transitioned to Instagram.
Once he returned to Bowdoin for his senior year, Mo found a photographer, Darius Riley ’19, who could help him gain more influence in the Instagram world of “fashion influencers.”
“I wouldn’t be where I am right now without my photographer,” said Mo.
Riley met Mo through a mutual friend and he offered up his photography services to help with Mo’s new blog.
“I had no true prior experience, just watching videos and playing with the camera,” said Riley.
One of the elements that sets Mo’s blog apart are the distinctly “Maine” backgrounds. On Thursday afternoons, Riley and Mo venture around campus or into Brunswick, searching for spots that work with the photoshoot that they’re planning for that day. On these photoshoot outings, Riley brings his camera and Mo comes prepared with a bag of outfits that he has scrupulously planned out for his upcoming blog posts.
“I always ask him, ‘What do you want to focus on with this outfit?’” said Riley. “I feel like I have a lot of creativity. The only constraint is the focus for the next post.”
Riley’s favorite aspects of photographing for Mo center around his goal as a photographer: to capture what he sees with his naked eye. Using the app Lightroom, Riley edits his photos to bring about what he defines as the truth in the photo, an element that the camera is not always able to capture.
“I love editing. Showing Hugh the before and after pictures, even seeing them myself is just…woah, it’s always so amazing...making [him] stand out, even when the picture may seem simple,” said Riley.
Follow @_mostyle_ on Instagram to discover and explore Mo’s style blog.
Darius Riley ’19 is a photographer for the Bowdoin Orient.