In Bed With The Lovely Pepa, Spain’s Reigning Queen of the Internet

Recently, we had a visit from Spanish royalty at Refinery. No, not King Felipe VI or Queen Letizia, but Alexandra Pereira, the reigning monarch of lifestyle bloggers and Instagram influencers. Born in Vigo, a small city in Spain’s northwest region of Galicia, she now lives in Madrid. But most of the time, she’s on the road, traveling the world for her booming business endeavors, all under the brand The Lovely Pepa.

While in New York, the woman behind @lovelypepa spoke to us about her unexpected path to internet fame, her secret to success, and her love for NYC.

Here, we get #InBedWith The Lovely Pepa.

You were in the process of becoming a lawyer before starting The Lovely Pepa, what caused the change of heart?
I started my blog two years into college. Shortly after that, visits increased steeply, and I saw the opportunity to convert that traffic into a tangible way of earning money. I guess it was at that point that my hobby turned into a full on business. Obviously, going in that direction I had to make adjustments to my professional plans, so I left the law and became a full-time blogger.

At the beginning, were you focused more on travel or more on fashion?
I was definitely more focused on fashion.

Has that shifted?
Fashion is still the center topic of what I do. However, in the past two years, I have expanded on the range of topics I like to address, and travel has definitely gained an important place.

What do you think is the secret behind your wildly successful Instagram account?
Being genuine and spontaneous has a lot to do with my success. I don’t try to portray something I’m not or promote something I don’t like. People can sense fake. I guess they just love what I do, and that all these years, I’ve kept true to myself.

How often do you visit NYC?
At least twice a year.

What brings you here this time?
Business, although I’m still planning to make some time to enjoy the city and catch up with friends.

What do you love most about NYC?
The bustling of the city. New York is full of life and one of the most dynamic places in the world. You can never get bored here!

Have you ever wondered what life would’ve been like if you’d continued with law?
Yes, I often did and I think it would’ve been more quiet. Looking back at it, I am so thankful to have followed this path. Otherwise I would have missed quite a bunch of exciting things.

Where are you off to next?
Montreal, Canada.

For more from Alexandra, visit her at lovely-pepa.com, or on Instagram at @lovelypepa. And find more of our #InBedWith interviews here!