Photo: Rich Tong

Part of the appeal of fashion blogging is its tangibility. There’s the feeling of intimacy with the author, but also the sense that anyone has a shot at celebrity—that you actually have a chance at becoming the next Tavi (well, if you’ve missed the 13-year-old age mark, perhaps the next Susie Bubble). Granted, fame probably isn’t the driving factor in your desire to get your words out there, but you must admit: recognition has its perks. Increasingly, those looking to share their style sensibilities are turning to Tumblr, and they’re smart to do so—the four-year-old blogging service is known for its largely photo-focused content and avid user engagement.  ELLE talked with Rich Tong, Tumblr’s Fashion Director, about the best way a fashion blogger can market herself on the platform and how to become a key player. Here, his essential tips.

1. First, choose Tumblr. Not to highlight the obvious, but there are certain opportunities and advantages to being part of the community. Part of Tong’s job is reaching out to fashion brands, developing new features for fashion bloggers, and managing fashion week initiatives, which is rare (and awesome) for a tech company. Another bonus: the re-blog feature lends itself easily to publicity. Explains Tong, “Your posts are much more likely to be re-blogged and shared, providing you more exposure than you could get anywhere else.”

2. Be consistent. “This is key in maintaining a follower base,” says Tong. “You want to train your readers to know when or how often you’ll post. Make sure to ‘like’ and re-blog others’ posts.”

3. Make the pic pretty. Tumblr users get off on beautiful photos so either take hi-res photos (people especially love highly saturated images) or re-blog quality pictures (always giving credit where needed, of course).

4. Create your voice. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to write from a first-person perspective or post pictures of yourself. “It’s easy to be anonymous and still curate one of the most beautiful fashion blogs on Tumblr,” says Tong. Another tip: answer questions (using the ask feature).

5. Learn and follow others who already do it well. Some of Tong’s suggestions: “Jamie Beck (fromme-toyou.tumblr.com) has done an exceptional job marketing herself, ever since she joined Tumblr’s fashion week initiatives this past season. She’s gone on to work with some absolutely incredible people including Oscar de la Renta, Coco Rocha, and Christian Louboutin. Jessica Quirk (whatiwore.tumblr.com) is also another terrific example, as she’s now in the process of publishing her first book based on her blog.” You can also find top players in Tumblr’s fashion feature section (http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/fashion). Getting in here will guarantee that you’ll amass some followers, so be sure to tag your posts and give credit where needed. A hint: original content gets attention.

6. You can always rely on buzz-worthy topics. Unsurprisingly, Tumblr users are  obsessed with what we’re all obsessed with. “Gaga, McQueen, and Alexa Chung. Always Alexa,” says Tong.

Also: “If you need to resort to it, photos of puppies and kittens. It doesn’t matter that they’re not fashion-related. They’re cute.”

Photo: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

Sixteen-year-old Nyasha Matonhodze from Northampton, England is now the new face of Louis Vuitton’s autumn/winter 2011 campaign. Originally from Zimbabwe, she was discovered by Elite model agency in her school uniform in 2009, and later won the prestigious Elite Model Look UK competition. Shortly after, Louis Vuitton’s creative director Marc Jacobs was quick to book her in runways, walking next to Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss. With models striking fame at younger and younger ages these days, the ethical question is posed: how young is too young? Other successful young models who have made it big around the ages of 15 and 16 are Chanel Iman, Karlie Kloss, and Lindsay Wixson; all of whom have landed numerous campaigns and strutted on catwalks throughout the world. At only 16, Matonhodze certainly has a bright future ahead of her. We can’t wait to see where else her fledgling career will take her.

Director Richard Ayoade. Photo: Patrick McMullan

Last night, The Cinema Society & Altoids, with Moet, hosted a screening of The Weinstein Company’s Submarine. Adapted from the Joe Dunthorne novel of the same title, the stylish, funny film takes us into the world of Oliver Tate, a precocious Welsh teenager. The Serge Gainsbourg-listening, Nietzsche-reading, Holden Caulfield-esque Oliver is on a mission to not just lose his virginity, but be the best boyfriend in the world to Jordana, a stoic brunette with mild eczema. At home, Oliver is also obsessed with saving his parents’ marriage, which means doing all he can to stop a mystic with a mullet from making the moves on his mom. The film counts Ben Stiller as executive producer, and features a sweet soundtrack by Arctic Monkey’s frontman Alex Turner. ELLE chatted with director Richard Ayoade to get the inside scoop.

Photo: Retna

The newest hit to come out of Disney’s original movie-making machine is Lemonade Mouth, a sort of Breakfast Club-meets-Glee story about five high school kids who meet in detention and discover that 1. they all have musical talent, and 2. together actually make a pretty good band (and yes, there is a competition involved!). The movie makes its DVD debut tomorrow, May 24, but in the meantime, we caught up with star Bridgit Mendler on her musical inspiration, what embarrasses her, and of course, the biggest thing she ever got busted for.

Photo: Guess

If it’s difficult to imagine Rihanna taking orders from a drill sergeant, just ask her friend, the R&B singer Shontelle. ELLE spoke with Shontelle Thursday night at a cocktail party in the flagship Soho store of GUESS by Marciano, which benefited the Joffrey Ballet School.

Photo: Colette

Here’s one stylish way to spend your post-Cannes time in France: Zipping around Paris on Colette’s special edition Super Motor motorcycle. The Paris boutique teamed up with the Dutch roadsters on a Super 50/100 motorcycle bearing Colette’s colorings (that would be blue and white) in place of the usual chrome. You don’t need to park it in front of the Rue Saint-Honoré location for people to know who had a hand in the retro design; among the details on the bike is a splash of Colette’s trademark polka dots. Two-wheel connoisseurs will have plenty to keep them occupied—it’s a semi-automatic four-stroke motorcycle based on the Honda Cub—but you don’t need to be an expert to recognize stylish design. Also of note: the price. While it’ll cost you more than a few taxi rides to the Centre Pompidou, Super Motor was launched by two cycle-obsessed cousins who wanted a bike that looked good without costing a fortune. If you’re sold, it’s time to book that flight to Paris, since the bike is on sale from today through May 28. Visit Colette.fr for more info.

Photo: Alice + Olivia

Ever wonder what a designer does all day? If you start at 4:30 AM, you can certainly squeeze in a lot. Check out how Stacey Bendet, the founder and designer behind Alice + Olivia, juggles shoes, sketching, babies and breast milk all in a days work.

The 64th Annual Cannes Film Festival is just about coming to a close and along with it all those red carpet premieres and industry parties. Stars showed up at the French city armed with a week’s worth of oh-so-stunning couture looks. Here’s a wrap-up of our favorite trends from the festival:

Super slits

There’s nothing wrong with showing a little leg, especially if you’ve got legs like these girls. In an otherwise covered-up gown, a high slit adds an element of allure. Plus, it lets us get a better look at those killer heels!

Photo: Getty Images. Angelina Jolie in Versace

Photo: Courtesy of SelenaGomez.com

We can’t wait for Selena Gomez’s newest album, When The Sun Goes Down, to drop on June 28th, especially after seeing the cover art that will go along with it. Selena is rocking the Old Hollywood glam look in a feathered vest and pearls. This glitzy retro style isn’t just for the pop stars! We found some key pieces to help you recreate a similarly vintage look. Check it out after the jump!