Emily Schuman, better known as Cupcakes and Cashmere, captivates audiences with her unique approach to fashion, food, and everyday living. The now 32-year-old began Cupcakes and Cashmere in 2008, becoming one of the first bloggers to partner with a major brand. Cupcakes and Cashmere provides, “luxe yet achievable looks and refreshingly genuine style of writing,” making Emily Schuman a very popular blogger and known social media persona. Cupcakes and Cashmere includes popular brands of J.Crew and TopShop, while adding the “less-achievable” wardrobe items of Louboutin shoes and Celine bags.
Brand Image
Emily Schuman transformed Cupcakes and Cashmere into two books, clothing line, and home-goods line, while maintaining a large social media presence.
Cupcakes and Cashmere: The blog allows fashion and food fanatics to explore Emily’s top picks, morning routines, favorite recipes, and her weekly outfits. Incorporating DIY aspects into a fashion-forward blog.
Cupcakes and Cashmere: A Guide for Defining Your Style, Reinventing Your Space, and Entertaining with Ease: Emily Schuman’s first book, follows the same outline of style, beauty, home, food, and entertainment. Cupcakes and Cashmere: A Guide for Defining Your Style, Reinventing Your Space, and Entertaining with Ease became available August 1, 2012.
Cupcakes and Cashmere At Home: Emily Schuman’s second book offers readers DIY tips and projects, party-planning tips, design ideas, and how to “mold your space into something you’ll love.”
Cupcakes and Cashmere Fashion Line: Her Fall 2015 Collection will be available at Nordstrom.com and Shopbop.com. She combined her favorite pieces (shown in her blog) and her personal style, making 60 pieces of clothing anyone can wear. The price tag is on the higher end of $85-$200, including a few pieces around $400.
Cupcakes and Cashmere Home-Goods Line: She expanded her product line into semi-affordable home decor.
Creating and obtaining an audience for a personal brand can be tricky. The engagement approach is one theory in IMC to help explain how a brand reaches a wider audience. Emily Schuman engages with her audience through multiple channels and collaborations. Reaching out to an audience through social media and popular brands are examples of the engagement approach. Essentially it is a technique to attract an audience through different methods.
Social Media
- Facebook– Emily Schuman’s Facebook presence is very high, with over 400,000 likes. Sharing links and pictures to her newest blog posts.
- Twitter– Emily Schuman maintains a “light and easy” Twitter- with links to Instagram and blog posts.
- Instagram– Her account includes the blog features of style, beauty, home, food, and entertainment but on a more personal level. Sharing pictures of family, friends, and her everyday activities with fans and fellow bloggers.
- Pinterest– Over 200,000 likes on Pinterest, Emily Schuman pins her favorite beauty secrets, fashion pieces, home decor, recipes, and DIY projects.
- YouTube– Showing fans videos of makeup, hair tutorials, and a Q+A with Emily Schuman.
Collaborations
Birchbox: The partnership of Birchbox and Cupcakes and Cashmere is like many we see nowadays with the advent of modern social media marketing. The low-cost partnership allows both parties to benefit through increased exposure. Birchbox paired with Cupcakes and Cashmere to create the May 2015 box. It included her favorite beauty secrets. The Birchbox collaboration is a prime example of the engagement approach, where Emily Schuman can spark an interest in a wider audience.
Estee-Lauder: Four-years after Emily Schuman started Cupcakes and Cashmere, Estee-Lauder and Emily Schuman collaborated on a guest blogger feature. Emily Schuman created content for Estee-Lauder’s site on a weekly basis, sharing beauty, fashion trends and sneak peeks at upcoming collections.
Coach: Emily Schuman became one of the first fashion bloggers to partner with a large brand like Coach. Emily Schuman of Cupcakes and Cashmere designed a pale-cotton candy handbag, sold out within days.
Back in 2012, Emily Schuman stated, “I want to diversify the brand and ultimately design a Cupcakes and Cashmere product line.” Do you believe Emily Schuman completed her goal? Do you follow unique lifestyle bloggers? Let us know your thoughts below!
-Jonathan Callahan, Erin Fouhy, Julia George, Joseph Hines, and Sarah Suggs
IMC Hawks Blog 
I LOVE Cupcakes and Cashmere. Emily’s pins are some of my most pinned on Pinterest and her Instagram posts are always some of my favorite. I think you captured her best in the description of how she mixes both popular brands with less achievable ones – it makes her relatable yet knowledgable of the elite. I would argue that she’s completed her goal and possibly will continue to exceed it. She’s capitalized on finding balance in her personal lines. By focusing on “semi-affordable”, she appeals to the general population by not separating herself as someone who lives an unattainable life; however, her higher ticket items give the idea that purchasing them can allow the consumer to get a sense of the elite lifestyle.
Fascinating! What a delightful pairing! I have never heard of Emily or her brand but I after reading your post I have followed her on several social media sources. Her Pinterest is the most aesthetically appealing account I’ve seen yet and her blog is adorable. Thank you for sharing about Emily and her brand!