The first day of fashion week isn't even over and the fashion-sphere is already buzzing.
A lot of rumors have been circulating since Carine's Roitfeld announced she was stepping down, as expected. Was she fired? Was she bluffing when she offered her resignation?
Honestly, we can only make assumptions about that, and what's the use?
And of course, comparisons were inevitable, even when we can assume that choosing Emmanuelle Alt as the new Editor in Chief was a safe bet - they probably don't want big changes for the magazine- but still I do believe Emmanuelle will be bringing changes. Emmanuelle is more street-connected, she is more about whats real.
“I think the street now takes its influence from the Internet and music — more than what designers do. I would love to recreate this impact in the magazine.” - she said.
And it's true. And one thing comes to mind: Fashion Bloggers.
Fashion bloggers are becoming part of the industry. Not just with events, sponsorships and collaborations but nowadays you see bloggers sitting side by side with editors and celebrities in the front rows. Just today Bryan Boy sat Front Row at BCBG Max Azria, and who can forget the Tavi's Bow Twitter Scandal last year at Dior. Was it really the visibility or the fact to be seated second row, right behind a 14 year old fashion blogger?
Which brings me to...Franca Sozzani.
About two weeks ago the Vogue Italia Editor In Chief posted an article discussing (which rose up discussion about the fore-mentioned Bow Scandal again) Fashion Bloggers and their relevance to Vogue. None perhaps, but that doesn't mean they are not relevant for the industry whatsoever.
Ms. Sozzani wrote:
“There are many questions about this invasion of fashion bloggers,” Sozzani writes – nay, blogs. “Why do they have so much credit? Why do they sit in the front row? "
“Their comments are naive and enthusiastic,” she says. “They have no real weight and value for professionals. Of course not.”
And this is where I disagree. The reason they have weight for brands and designers is because they are clients. Fashion blogs are a window for designers and brands to see what people like, how, when and where they use their products. And they become some sort of connection between them and the rest of their clients. It's definitely not same to see a certain purse in picture of a girl your own age that could perfectly be your classmate, than to see it in a glossy, photoshopped and airbrushed ad. It's more real so people connect more to it. I think it was this urge for "real" the reason why fashion bloggers gained such momentum.
And after all, it's not a competition, fashion bloggers will never, nor are intending to replace Fashion Magazines. I mean, not even their own iPad apps will ever replace the magazines themselves, I don't think print is going anywhere, at least for a while.
I like the way Emily O'Brien from My Fashion Life puts it: "Print provide the fantasy, blogs provide the accessibilty." It's like Pret-A-Porter and Haute Couture. They just don't compete with each other.
But wait, what did all this have to do with Emmanuelle Alt? Oh I think we began with the word "street".
Emmanuelle is more connected to the street and she has a more real vibe, and that's what she's bringing into the magazine. After all, that's what we love so much of French Women. Their style is impeccable yet never too pulled together. There's some realness to it. No Hollywood pre-made, plastic-fake anything. A little unachievable perhaps, but real. I think Paris Vogue will get a little fresher.
I am looking forward to Ms. Alt's Vogue and I'm pretty optimistic about her work, even when Franca Sozzani (again) is doubting of a stylist's ability to be a editor, I think Carine's 10 years at Vogue could highly show they are more than up to the task.
I do love(d) Carine's Vogue, I'm a huge fan of the Roitfelds (note the plural), and I'm sure anything she comes up with next will be great.
And about Franca Sozzani, I love her work too. Vogue Italia spreads are a-mazing and she hasn't been 22 years in her job for nothing. Maybe, as Lazaro Hernandez from Proenza Schouler said today at the Evolving Influence Keynote said, "maybe she her idea of influence is different than ours." Maybe. But The Sartorialist isn't listed as one of Top 100's Design Influencers for nothing either.
Still, it shouldn't be Fashion Editors vs. Fashion Bloggers or Fashion Editors vs. Stylists. At the end of the day they're all working for the same industry. And who knows, a blogger could turn out tobe Editor in Chief one day (nudge, nudge to MissCouturable) , or a Stylist then turned Editor In Chief like Carine herself?
Maybe the blogger phenomenon is too recent to predict a future, and why bother, all we know is that today at the beginning of NYFW, fashion bloggers were very well recieved. Evolving Influence indeed.
xx, em.
