The fashion community has taken root on Tumblr, and Tumblr is determined to help it grow.

The blogging platform recently hired Rich Tong, the founder of social fashion site Weardrobe (acquired by Google in mid-2010), to serve as fashion director. His first big project? Sending more than 20 bloggers to New York Fashion Week next month.

Eight bloggers are already stationed in New York; the rest will be flown in for the nine-day series of shows and parties, which run from February 9 to 17. Tumblr is fronting the costs for all participants, including flights, hotel accommodations, transportation, meals, etc., and handling all of the invites to fashion shows.

When asked if he was having trouble securing enough invites, Tong replied that the initiative "has been very well received among designers."

Among the lucky 20-plus bloggers, many of whom have never before attended Fashion Week, are Jessica Quirk of What I Wore, Sara Zucker of farpitzs, Rebecca Roe of The Clothes Horse, John Januzzi of Textbook and Erin Hagstrom of calivintage. Tong would not disclose how the bloggers were chosen, but it appears (understandably) that those with the largest followings make up the list.

Tumblr will host a stream of the bloggers' content at nyfw.tumblr.com, alongside news from other media sources. The startup is also throwing its own Fashion Week party for the fashion community.

The goal? "More than anything, this is just to build awareness around the fashion community on Tumblr because it's one of those communities that we [at Tumblr] have noticed but not everyone in the [fashion] industry has," he explained.

Tumblr is also out to prove that its fashion bloggers aren't just personal style bloggers, posting images of their outfits on their blogs, but capable reporters as well, Tong said in an interview with Fashionista.

The fashion community on Tumblr is valuable to brands, he contends.

Image courtesy of Jessica Quirk