FENDI coat, jacket, skirt, shoes, and baguette and stylist’s own bustier and hat. — **FENDI** coat, jacket, skirt, shoes, and baguette and stylist’s own bustier and hat.

They make it look easy, but being an “influencer” isn’t all poolside selfies and comped cold press. Just ask globetrotting travel and fashion blogger Caroline Daur, seen here at Paris’ iconic Hôtel Plaza Athénée beneath a pile of new assorted-sized Fendi baguettes. “I love my job. Though it can be tiring sometimes—travelling nonstop, not a lot of sleep, and being present 24/7. Most of the time, people only see the glamorous side—which of course exists, don’t get me wrong. But the fact is that my journey also demanded a lot of energy and it is not always ‘easy.’”

FENDI shirt, shoes, and baguette. — **FENDI** shirt, shoes, and baguette.

“Influencer” is probably too reductive a word to describe Daur’s output anyway. Her blog, Carodaur.com, covers fashion, travel, lifestyle, and beauty. Her immense popularity and dedicated fanbase has made her a go-to figure for tastemaking, taking her all over the world and earning her a partnership with M.A.C makeup (for whom she created her own makeup line) and runway appearances for major fashion houses. Her current dominance obscures the blog’s relatively humble origins. “I am from a tiny village near Hamburg in Germany. I remember back in the days when I was a kid, after finishing my homework, I would be head deep in my mom’s wardrobe playing dress up. This habit has never stopped, leading to the start of my blog three years ago.”

FENDI shirt, bra, pants, and shoes. — **FENDI** shirt, bra, pants, and shoes.

Despite her success, she’s never content to stand still. She travels “around 300 days a year,” and she’s pushing her creative sphere ever-further, even branching out into acting. “When I was younger, I did theater and I was always passionate about it. I recently began taking acting classes again,” she explains. “I realized what I loved most about theater was the ability to slip into other characters and by following my passion for acting I began to explore other sides of myself. In this industry it is important to keep moving forward and continue growing; with every new character I am evolving and that is what feels special about it to me.”

FENDI jacket, shirt, shoes, and baguette and stylist’s own shorts and top. — **FENDI** jacket, shirt, shoes, and baguette and stylist’s own shorts and top.

Today, as she prepares for her latest international excursion (to Flaunt’s own fair city), she’s rocking full-look Fendi. The brand is a personal favorite, she says. “Fendi is super loyal. We built a strong personal connection over the last two years. The team and I randomly met and hit it off. In this industry, there is such a high turnover rate for designers/PR and things change so quickly, I really appreciate this devotion. The personal connection to the team, designer, Fendi family, creative work and craftmanship makes me feel so connected to the brand.”

FENDI dress, sweater, and rings. — **FENDI** dress, sweater, and rings.

What makes Daur different is that, though she’s flying higher and farther than ever before, she stays true to her roots. Her followers—now 1.5 million strong on Instagram—are still dear to her. And after sharing every step of her journey with them, she’s grown to see them almost as friends. “For me, being so transparent comes naturally,” she says. “I feel like since my followers are so open to me I can be open to them. I don’t even like to call them followers. We are more like a community, because I get inspired by them, too. I feel honored if they tell me that I inspire them. It’s only possible when you are honest and transparent.”