"Wall Scouting" Is the Latest Instagram Trend Among Fashion Bloggers

Within the impossibly crowded community of fashion bloggers, no matter how edgy or extravagant one dresses, the attention of the Instagram user is fickle to a fault given the plethora of people to flick through on a feed at any given time. So it is no surprise, with the resurgence of artistic urban murals spurred by increasing acceptance of street art, that fashion bloggers have begun to “wall scout” attention-grabbing murals to spruce up the backgrounds to their portraits, thus boosting their likes and engagement that much more — an important facet given the ever-important sponsored post to funding the lifestyles of these fashion bloggers. Fashionista takes a look at this growing trend, delving into how much effort bloggers are willing to put into wall scouting, as well as the effect of a viral mural for an artist’s profile. So if you’re looking to add those few more likes to your next Instagram upload, get started on building up a database of every overblown mural in your vicinity. Read an excerpt below, and head here for the full article.

James Goldcrown, a former fashion photographer and artist whose “Love Wall” in New York is one of the most popular murals on Instagram, has seen a huge uptick in commissions (and in his social media following) since getting tagged in popular bloggers’ posts. The first heart-filled wall he painted was on Kenmare Street, and he says he’s tagged in around 100 Instagram posts of it per day — many by fashion bloggers — and has gained 4,000 followers since it went up in February. “I didn’t really have a plan as to how I was going to expose it, but over the past few months I’ve really begun to understand the power of Instagram,” he explained. “It’s quite an honor to have it going viral.”

Thanks to the social media exposure, he’s approached by private clients, nightclubs and restaurants who want to work with him, and is now working on his third “Love Wall.” While Goldcrown says this kind of art is now a much bigger “scene” in the city than it was a few years ago, it’s only a positive thing for his industry. “Kind of like fashion, it’s the way of artists having a voice,” he said. “It’s been amazing for us and has changed the perspective of what we do.”