Urban creator Yaell Monas: "Facebook is dead, long live Instagram and Tumblr"

January 22, 2019

min read

Yaell has been working as a fashion and music journalist, in short urban creator, at Chase since summer 2018. She is a self-proclaimed streetwear and sneaker expert, active on social media and in online magazines. For example, she went to Paris Fashion Week on her own and has already interviewed artists such as Roy Woods and SMIB.

The Chase Urban Creators are digital creatives who create videos, photos, articles and social stories on topics such as urban music, lifestyle, creatives and society. They are a diverse group of young people looking for a platform to pursue their passions and sharpen their skills.

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As a 23-year-old positioning yourself as a fashion journalist. How did you come to that?

Last year I graduated in Journalism. During my studies, I joined the online magazine Enfnts Terribles: I got the chance to write opinion pieces, and I immediately learned a lot there. Afterwards, as an intern at Knack Focus, I mainly came into contact with more classic fashion and learned to write critically. Currently, I am still very much into fashion and have a part-time job at Snipes Street Wear, who have also offered me to then move on to their Event and Blog Team.

But fashion has actually been in me since childhood. I always got discards from my parents, but once I was a little older, I followed brands and designers by the book. When I was five, I got a CD by Missy Elliot, so music is also an important part of my life.

People ask how I still have time to get into the Charlatan. But it's just at those times that I find inspiration.

You are very active on social media. How important is that to you?

Next year I am doing the post-graduate Digital Storytelling at KASK, through Chase. Since I think Facebook is dying out, I'm mostly on Instagram and Tumblr. I only use Facebook as a calendar for events anymore. I notice from my own experience that Facebook is trying to keep up, but they are "falling behind." Also, it is harder to get reach.

At Tumblr, the recent and biggest problem is the new regulation around adult content. I have a hard time with this: it goes so far that even pictures of a leg are tagged as explicit content. A fair amount of stuff has been taken down from my blog, and a lot of my friends have lost pretty much everything on their blogs. On Tumblr, you try to make a nice blog: you think about what you post and in what order. Now none of that makes sense.

Young people feel more comfortable on Instagram because you can do whatever you want there. There is a lot of "fake," but there are also many users who can express themselves and show who they are, because you completely choose how your page looks.

After Instagram comes a new social media platform anyway that will hopefully be very interesting again. Many of my photos on Instagram are analog. Because in the digital age, you keep taking new photos if the first one fails. With those analog photos, sometimes the images are out of focus or overexposed. Just because on Instagram everything is so fake, I thought: I'm going to shoot analog and what's on it, that's going to be it.

How does being Urban Creator for Chase fit into your path?

For me, from the beginning, Chase has been a way to be able to write about all my passions. Concrete assignments are the weekly fashion "what drops," which are actually quite a lot of work to do each week. People ask me how I still have time to get into the Charlatan. But it's just at those times that I find inspiration.

I also regularly write list-pieces and opinion pieces on fashion. I am currently working on one about PVC in the fashion world. Fashion and music are closely related, which is how I got into the world of hip-hop. For Enfnts Terribles, I wrote a review about Masego and Why G. At Chase, I can now also write about Dutch artists, which is something new in Belgium.

How do you handle negative feedback from your readership?

I actually find it very pleasant that people feel personally attacked by articles, because that means they have made the effort to read. People do underestimate what it is to write. I recently wrote a streetwear article where I mentioned six brands, but the reaction from some was that I overlooked so many others.

I cannot write an article on the "124 streetwear brands."

I can't write an article about the "124 streetwear brands": maybe then that particular brand will come up next month. When I write an article, I have no contact with those brands, but have looked up all the information myself. If there are constructive criticisms or justified comments, I will definitely take them into the future.

Which experience sticks with you the most?

At Hip Hub Hooray, I got to know the entire Chase Limburg team. My assignment was to street style from the festival itself. This allowed me to write a fashion article as well as a review. It was the perfect combination to get to know everything and everyone.

In my first year of Journalism, I never expected that in the year I graduated I would already be writing for different media and getting to know people who have an important influence on me. So I'm proud of course. For example, I got to interview The Black Eyed Peas for Chase: as a kid I would have really dreamed of that, but now it seems so small. Maybe someday I can interview A$AP Rocky.

You've had an eventful year. What are your goals for 2019?

I would like to find permanent work in journalism, that's my clear goal for 2019. And get even more into the Dutch hip-hop world, especially across the border. That music appeals to me more than Belgian hip-hop, everyone there is friends and collaborates with each other. Video is also one of the digital skills I want to develop further. I work with Bavo Goossens who makes a lot of videos, and I would love to learn how to shoot and edit documentaries. I would like to get to know international brands. Through friends I get to know others, and that's what I want to continue working on in 2019: networking.

What are your tips for young people who also feel like getting started as Urban Creators?

Some tips I can give to other young digital creatives is mainly: persevere. I think it is important in addition to studying to already start writing and volunteer internships and do more than just "school." If a company asks you to do something, do it. My first time going to Paris Fashion Week was going there on my own and figuring everything out. I learned a lot more from Knack, Chase and Enfnts Terribles because there is already a readership here.

Young creators especially should not shy away from all things digital. Learn to edit and take pictures, work with programs. And get your driver's license. Above all, don't be afraid, artists don't bite. And finally: read up on your subjects.

Interview and photos by Joke D'Hooghe.

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