Highsnobiety, a pioneer in blog-based fashion media, now wields significant influence over the global fashion scene. Having expanded its platform beyond digital media to include magazines and books, and launching in Japan last year with both web and print publications, its momentum is unstoppable. We spoke with its founder, David Fischer, who is now based in Berlin, about Highsnobiety's journey to success and his thoughts on digital media.

POGGYFirst, could you tell us how you started Highsnobiety?

David Fischer (hereinafter, David)Highsnobiety started in 2005, so it's our 14th year. Back then, I was studying economics at university in Zurich and reading various blogs from around the world. Blogs were a new type of communication tool with new technology, and I found them incredibly appealing. So, I used blogspot to start my own blog (highsnobiety.blogspot.com).

POGGY2005, was that before HYPEBEAST?

DavidIt was around the same time, only about three months apart. The name Highsnobiety came from the title of a book on my bookshelf at the time. It was originally a title used only for the German edition of an American book, but I thought it was an interesting wordplay (Note: a portmanteau of 'High Society' and 'Snob'). So, I decided to use it for my blog. After about a year on blogspot, I launched the current site in April 2006 (highsnobiety.com).

POGGYWhat kind of articles were you posting back then?

DavidIt started as a personal blog where I shared anything I was interested in, not just fashion, but also furniture and books. But I noticed that my posts about sneakers and streetwear were getting a really strong reaction from readers. From then on, I started focusing on fashion. At the time, Facebook wasn't common yet, and social media like Instagram and Twitter didn't exist. A few people were exchanging information on internet forums like 5th Dimension, NikeTalk, and superfuture, but it was still an era where information spread mostly by word of mouth.

POGGYWas it similar to how everyone exchanged information on mixi in Japan?

DavidPerhaps. In that environment, the more I posted on Highsnobiety, the greater the response became. I became engrossed in posting. It was also a time when the streetwear scene was rapidly growing, with many new brands emerging and the market expanding. While continuing Highsnobiety, I finished my studies in Zurich and moved to Geneva, where my parents lived, still within Switzerland. Have you ever been to Switzerland, Poggy?

POGGYI haven't been yet.

DavidSwitzerland has absolutely nothing when it comes to fashion. Even though I was writing about sneakers and streetwear on Highsnobiety, nobody around me understood it (laughs). Initially, most of Highsnobiety's readers accessed it from America. For example, when I went to New York, people would say, 'We always read Highsnobiety, we love it!' but it was completely unknown in Europe. It felt very strange to me. So, I felt I had to move from Geneva to another city.

POGGYWhy did you choose Berlin, your current base?

DavidSome close friends were starting things in Berlin, and the trade show 'BREAD & BUTTER' returned to Berlin from Barcelona, revitalizing Berlin Fashion Week. Berlin seemed very attractive. So, I moved there in May 2009. In Geneva, I was working on Highsnobiety from my bedroom, but after moving to Berlin, I opened my first office, making it completely official. From around 2010 to 2012, Berlin was overflowing with great energy, and everyone was paying attention to what was happening there. You've visited Berlin a few times during that period too, right, Poggy?

POGGYYes, I remember Berlin being very vibrant back then. By the way, what are your recommended spots in Berlin? I like the bookstore 'do you read me?'.

DavidThat's a good one. My recommendations would be, first, the museum Martin Gropius Bau. It's a truly wonderful art space. I also frequent the Max Hetzler gallery. For restaurants, there's Brot & Butter, a traditional German restaurant with excellent homemade bread and butter. Father Carpenter is a fantastic breakfast spot, an international-feeling restaurant run by an Australian owner. Einstein unter den Linden is a coffee house and restaurant, and their Schnitzel is the best in Berlin. For shopping, Manufactum is a chain, but all their products are artisan-made, with a European selection. For select shops, VooStore is recommended. Andreas Murkudis also has a spacious layout, and it's a truly wonderful store with beautiful displays of not just fashion but also furniture. I believe you visited there with me, Poggy?

POGGYYes! It was a really great store.

POGGYIn Japan, until recently, HYPEBEAST and Highsnobiety were sometimes seen as mere reposting sites, simply copying information from other websites. How did you feel about facing such prejudice?

DavidWe didn't have that perception, but I imagine that's how it was generally viewed. Traditional fashion magazines probably found it difficult to understand the new style of communication we were employing. Although Highsnobiety now publishes in-depth original content, 10 or 15 years ago, it was different; the curation of news was paramount. Readers weren't looking for long articles; they visited the site to find out what was cool right now. To meet that demand, we updated daily. Initially, people didn't understand, but gradually the market began to follow us. Eventually, everyone came to understand this form of communication.

POGGYI'd like to talk about fashion here. In 2014, you modeled for Marcelo Burlon's lookbook. What are your thoughts on the brands emerging from New Guards Group, which Marcelo Burlon is involved with as a co-founder?

DavidThat happened, didn't it? (laughs) Marcelo is also a friend of mine. Before becoming a designer, he was a magazine editor and a DJ; he was a social figure, so to speak. From that world, he transitioned into the fashion brand business. Fashion brands used to belong to designers, but he changed that. What Marcelo did with his brand was groundbreaking, and he poured his entire lifestyle into it, which was truly cool. Then, he invited people who could do similar things to New Guards Group, such as Virgil Abloh, the photographer Francesco Ragazzi, and more recently, DJ Peggy Gou, who started the brand Kirin. It's not necessarily that a fashion designer has to run a fashion brand; they established a new concept that curating a distinct lifestyle is what matters.

POGGYDo you feel that New Guards Group has dramatically changed the fashion of young Italians?

DavidI do feel that to some extent. Milan is an old city, but New Guards Group has brought new energy to it. When I went to Milan last year, there was so much happening with fashion shows and parties; it was very exciting. For the past two or three years, traditional brands have been becoming like New Guards Group, and they have completely changed the market.

POGGYThe magazine launched in your home country in 2010, and in Japan, following the Japanese website ( HIGHSNOBIETY.JP) last year, the magazine ('HIGHSNOBIETY JAPAN') launched in the fall. Why does Highsnobiety, which started online, publish print media?

DavidActually, creating the magazine was somewhat accidental. The first magazine came out in 2010. I had taken photos over several months and thought it would be interesting to create a small booklet and distribute it to various brands at the 'BREAD & BUTTER' event. What started as a simple flyer eventually became 85 pages, and that was our first magazine. Publishing the magazine brought three new things for us. First, it enhanced our brand power, transforming us from a digital-only media that posted on blogs to having a proper magazine. Second, magazines are completely different from the web in terms of quality. To improve the quality of expression, we gained experience in enhancing the quality of writing and photography. And third, it provided a platform for working with luxury brands. In meetings, showing the magazine made conversations flow easily. It became our best calling card.

POGGYWhat do you think of Japanese web media like OPENERS? Could you share both the good and the bad?

DavidFirstly, I've always been a fan of Japanese media. When I started Highsnobiety, we focused heavily on products. But when I opened Japanese magazines, they also primarily featured products, and they edited them in a very cool way, mixing products and style beautifully. I always imported magazines like 'EYESCREAM,' 'POPEYE,' and 'smart' from Japan, and I've always been drawn to Japanese media. However, unfortunately, I think Japan is a bit behind when it comes to digital media. I'm not specifically talking about OPENERS, but generally speaking. The curation is good, and the products featured are excellent, but the design and page layouts feel like looking at web design from around 2010. I often feel a lack of sophistication, especially in terms of web technology.

POGGYFinally, what are your thoughts on the current media landscape, and how do you see it evolving in the future?

DavidIn the past 10 to 15 years, there have been rapid changes, such as the evolution of blogs and the rise of social media like Instagram and Facebook. Especially now, through Instagram, anyone can be a media outlet and build their own brand. However, because everyone can use it equally and easily, there's also a lot of noise and unnecessary information. Therefore, it's crucial to establish your own position and communicate with words that are clearly understood. Furthermore, understanding your audience (readers, fans) has become very important. We are currently in a phase where the Highsnobiety brand is expanding rapidly, and that's because we understand who our audience is and how to communicate with them. It's not just us; if anyone can do that, they have infinite possibilities. I think that's a very exciting situation, and I believe it will continue.