Sorry today’s post is a little behind friends, but something’s been bothering me that I wanted to talk with you about. At first I thought it had to do with fashion, but then I realized it’s a bit bigger than that. It all started when I read a few recent articles {including this one and this one} about New York Fashion Week. Apparently, many big designers are turning their backs on fashion week’s traditional hub, Lincoln Center, in favor of smaller, lesser-known and more out-of-the-way venues. The primary reason cited is that Lincoln Center had become “a circus,” taken over by “fashion industry voeyers.” Some articles went so far as to say the shows were being overrun by “posers” and “outsiders” and instead needed to return to being the exclusive experience reserved for “fashion’s elite” only.
Aka us “amateurs” of the blogging world need to be kicked out.
Having attended fashion week a few times now, I’m certainly aware {and if I’m being totally honest, less than impressed by} the media circus it’s become. The primping and preening for the street style catwalk is definitely extreme, but really, what harm is anyone doing? If someone is willing to take and publish a blogger’s image, why shouldn’t she want to show off her style at fashion’s main event? I’m the first to admit I take great care in selecting a killer fashion week outfit and would die and go to fashion-heaven should I ever catch Bill Cunningham’s eye!
But what I really take issue with is what this shift actually represents. It is a dig at bloggers as an industry. It’s a subversive way for fashion’s old guard to say “we think bloggers are unprofessional nuisances who delegitimize the world of serious fashion.” But the last time I checked, every major designer is looking to democratize their brands, make them more visible, more ubiquitous and more accessible to the masses than ever before. The bottom line is about making the sale. And no one helps a fashion brand do that more than bloggers! They push millions of dollars in merchandise every year, yet are too unseemly to be given a coveted seat at a fashion show?? I see it as a classic case of the traditional establishment being frightened by what they can’t control: change. And while yes, there are parts of the blogger frenzy that make New York Fashion Week feel a little cheap and cheesy, there is most often a true passion underneath all the outrageous outfits. At least there is for me!
Having fun with style is one of the easiest ways to express yourself. And clothes can be really gorgeous. Sure you can snag a cheap trendy top any day of the week, but I firmly believe designers create wearable works of art that are worth saving up for. When I’m able to wear a beautifully crafted piece, I absolutely relish the experience. And attending my first New York Fashion Week was like taking a pilgrimage to sartorial mecca. Every moment was jaw-dropping, heartbeat-quickening inspiration. The energy, the drama and of course the clothes stunned me every single time. {Just look at those amazing prints by Mara Hoffman, how do you not swoon!} Experiencing a fashion show in person is like seeing a mini theatrical masterpiece.
The lights go down, the music starts and beautiful art is paraded in perfect precision in front of your eyes. I’m like a giddy girl in a fashionable candy-store. When you have the chance to see pieces up close the intricacies are impossible to ignore. For a “fashion outsider” it was a moment to feel a part of it all and feel more inspired to support favorite designers {aka spend money on their work and tell you all about it!} than ever before. {That Nanette Lepore suit has my name all over it and I only wish I’d been at the Monique Lhuillier show in person – just check out these amazing looks + hello Anna Kendrick, aka my celebrity girl crush, in the front row!!}
I’m sure every industry suffers from some elitism {we never really escape the high school mentality do we?}. But as a fashion fan, a fashion follower and a fashion consumer I take offense that I’ve arbitrarily been deemed “unworthy.” While perpetuating a “cool club” might help make the establishment feel a bit better about themselves, ignoring the wave of change that has shifted how so many of us think about style feels pretty short sighted to me. Today’s world is all about sharing personal experiences and perspective at every turn and that’s a good thing. It’s humanizing businesses, making us feel a part of the conversation and like we have some sort of role to play {real or imagined tbd}.
While fashion brands are happy to have you follow their social media streams, shouldn’t they bend over backward to get their messaging out to the masses through a blogger’s Instagram or two? Rather than dismiss the so-called amateurs, it might do the fashion world a bit of good to figure out how to play nice.
Ok, I just had to get that off my chest. Thanks for letting me share!
original photography {with a keen eye for style!} by Kat Harris for Apartment 34