How Jackie Figueroa Plans on Being a Fashion Icon
Jackie Figueroa, thank you for spending a few moments with us. You are so very talented and quite the social media influencer, especially in fashion. Are you formally trained, or have you learned the trade over time?
"Thank you for that! I really appreciate your comment. To start off, I am still in disbelief that I have been fortunate enough to be able to be in the social media space. However, I have never been trained. When I was younger, I didn’t grow up with much money, which led me to take inspiration from magazines, as that was all I had at the time. Now that I’m older and blessed enough to not only afford but work with amazing brands, I really wanted to make fashion my niche."
"Thank you for that! I really appreciate your comment. To start off, I am still in disbelief that I have been fortunate enough to be able to be in the social media space. However, I have never been trained. When I was younger, I didn’t grow up with much money, which led me to take inspiration from magazines, as that was all I had at the time. Now that I’m older and blessed enough to not only afford but work with amazing brands, I really wanted to make fashion my niche."
When did you realize it was your calling to be an online fashion influencer?
"Due to my background, I have always learned to play around with my style and make an outfit out of what I had. I’ve always loved streetwear. I love putting pieces together that others wouldn’t think of. I enjoyed the fact that I could make my outfits diverse and not necessarily give into the gender norms that clothing tends to have. When I started gaining followers, I would frequently get questions from my supporters pertaining to the Items I purchased and the way I would style the items I got, whether it be a shirt or a pair of shoes. Once I began to get recognition for my fashion and noticed that people look up to me for inspiration in what to wear, how to wear it, and where to spend their money, it was definitely an “ah huh” moment for me, and I loved it. This allowed me to gain a newfound connection with my supporters."
"Due to my background, I have always learned to play around with my style and make an outfit out of what I had. I’ve always loved streetwear. I love putting pieces together that others wouldn’t think of. I enjoyed the fact that I could make my outfits diverse and not necessarily give into the gender norms that clothing tends to have. When I started gaining followers, I would frequently get questions from my supporters pertaining to the Items I purchased and the way I would style the items I got, whether it be a shirt or a pair of shoes. Once I began to get recognition for my fashion and noticed that people look up to me for inspiration in what to wear, how to wear it, and where to spend their money, it was definitely an “ah huh” moment for me, and I loved it. This allowed me to gain a newfound connection with my supporters."
How do you maintain a strong online following?
"The reason why I think I have such a deep connection with my supporters is because I’m constantly making the effort to speak to them as much as I can! I love connecting with them in any way I can. I often like to interact with them via Instagram by asking questions and to see how they’re doing. By being active with them, I usually find many common interests we can bond over. For example, I love coffee, and from time to time, I will share my barcode with a certain amount of money in it so that they can get one and enjoy one with me even if they’re not physically there. When I see them post their orders and tag me, it makes me feel like I am more than just someone they see online, I feel like their friend. Another example is going live on Tik Tok and speaking to them when I’m doing things such as my make up or showing them products I ordered. Doing this truly feels like I am on FaceTime talking to all my friends, which is so nice, and it really allows me to take the time to answer their questions. I’ve been doing this since I was 18, I am now 26, and it feels like my bond with my supporters is just as strong as it was when I first started. Of course, there’s nothing better than getting to meet them in person as well!"
"The reason why I think I have such a deep connection with my supporters is because I’m constantly making the effort to speak to them as much as I can! I love connecting with them in any way I can. I often like to interact with them via Instagram by asking questions and to see how they’re doing. By being active with them, I usually find many common interests we can bond over. For example, I love coffee, and from time to time, I will share my barcode with a certain amount of money in it so that they can get one and enjoy one with me even if they’re not physically there. When I see them post their orders and tag me, it makes me feel like I am more than just someone they see online, I feel like their friend. Another example is going live on Tik Tok and speaking to them when I’m doing things such as my make up or showing them products I ordered. Doing this truly feels like I am on FaceTime talking to all my friends, which is so nice, and it really allows me to take the time to answer their questions. I’ve been doing this since I was 18, I am now 26, and it feels like my bond with my supporters is just as strong as it was when I first started. Of course, there’s nothing better than getting to meet them in person as well!"
Can you tell us a bit about your FashionNova experience and how you like being involved with them?
"I absolutely love working with FashionNova! I’ve worked with them for about 5 years, and they have always been the easiest & sweetest to work with. One thing that really drove me to working with them is that they have a fashion sense that not many other companies carry or do. Their style can vary from being modern to very sexy, and mostly all their clothes can be used to dress up or dress down. I absolutely love that their clothing is very diverse and is ever-changing. They are quick to be on trends and also highlight all body types, which I feel like is essential for a fashion company to do. They have so much diversity, which allows them to target all ages, in my opinion."
"I absolutely love working with FashionNova! I’ve worked with them for about 5 years, and they have always been the easiest & sweetest to work with. One thing that really drove me to working with them is that they have a fashion sense that not many other companies carry or do. Their style can vary from being modern to very sexy, and mostly all their clothes can be used to dress up or dress down. I absolutely love that their clothing is very diverse and is ever-changing. They are quick to be on trends and also highlight all body types, which I feel like is essential for a fashion company to do. They have so much diversity, which allows them to target all ages, in my opinion."
Do you have any local or online activities planned for 2023?
"Yes, I do, I definitely want to be more involved with small businesses within my community. I want to be able to help new entrepreneurs expand & gain new clients. I know that I am able to sell products, and I would love to connect my supporters with brands that I discover and stand behind."
"Yes, I do, I definitely want to be more involved with small businesses within my community. I want to be able to help new entrepreneurs expand & gain new clients. I know that I am able to sell products, and I would love to connect my supporters with brands that I discover and stand behind."
What goals would you like to achieve in the future?
"I plan to continue social media, but I want to evolve within the fashion realm. My goal is to own my own loungewear company so that I can create and design my own sweat suits. In my previous answers, I discussed my love for streetwear, I love being comfortable but still looking put together, which is why the loungewear industry is something I am really interested in learning more about. I love the simplicity of it and would love to venture off and create something of my own."
"I plan to continue social media, but I want to evolve within the fashion realm. My goal is to own my own loungewear company so that I can create and design my own sweat suits. In my previous answers, I discussed my love for streetwear, I love being comfortable but still looking put together, which is why the loungewear industry is something I am really interested in learning more about. I love the simplicity of it and would love to venture off and create something of my own."