A peek at the world of street style from the perspective of a crabby old journalist, that girl Suzy Menkes has been hating on, and a boy in a bathtub. This is a world I enjoy peacocking in, a world I make money off of, so my opinions are a little, um, selfie.
Some random journalist and a few bloggers make cameos in this Garage Magazine video on street style and how it’s become a phenomenon and how it’s annoying now cause everyone is trying so hard and how it’s the reality tv of fashion (Saynt has been giving speeches on that point for years) and how it breeds monsters, not gods. Ugh. Get over yourselves.
Leave it to a fashion journalists to hate on street style stars and bloggers, again.
My personal thoughts are always ‘style and let style’, who cares if it’s not authentic, who cares if it’s a bit over-saturated now, who cares if someone put effort into their look, move on and evolve. I can’t stand it when fashion people make vein attempts at being involved in a conversation, claiming that there was a day when it was pure and real and Carine was your best friend. Complaining while enjoying the benefits of the free publicity and industry notice that the phenomenon has provided. A bit of the Louboutin calling its sole red, no?
Eitherway, the photographers still stalk and the bloggers still flock. Let it be, it means more opportunities for people to gain exposure and draw attention to themselves and their personal brands.
What’s wrong with that? Is it not the world Andy promised us?
Toward the end of the film, the filmmakers wonders if fashion “has bred its own generation of reality TV stars.” After all, both are trying to get press for the sake of press and become varying degrees of famous for doing something as simple as wearing clothing in public view.
At some point, the journalist being interviewed said he used to think the street-style explosion was great for fashion because it got a lot of people enthusiastic about the industry.
But this past season, “Oh, enough,” he thought. “It makes monsters. It doesn’t make gods, it makes monsters.” Really?!? Monsters? It’s that serious!!!
God, people in this industry can be so over the top.
So why do so many journalists have such strong opinions on bloggers and street style stars? Let’s review the facts. First, they’re broke, or broker than they used to be. There are fewer journalists being hired as magazines have cutback costs by hiring bloggers to write and develop content. Magazines like Teen Vogue, Lucky and even Vogue all have their blogger networks, helping them create content with eager contributors willing to do the work for free or cheap.
Journalists have made less and less, mainly due to bloggers and the need for publications to work with influential talents.
Also factor in the new seating rules of fashion week. There was a time where a top critic might get front row, not so with the surge of super bloggers. More and more journalists are having to find a place in second and third, sitting next to buyers and stylists not recognized enough to get the good seats.
Mix this with more than a few bloggers not even caring enough to pay attention to who they are, or without the storied history to justify their “knowledge” of fashion, new comers with a fresh take, who at first seemed like enthusiastic fans, now seem like monsters to the older journalists, stealing jobs and opportunities. I think it’s more than a bit of sour grapes, and more of a fear of being replaced.
Older, and now with fewer lucrative offers to monetize their talent, or even enough clout to hold onto their front row seats, these journalists are finding themselves forced to evolve, creating Instagram and Vine accounts, tweeting and engaging in self-promotional “Guess who I’m Hanging Out With” shots, playing a new game, with old rules that no longer have bearing.
It’s a scary place for the older critic, especially when no one is listening.
At least 20 top fashion bloggers released books in the past year, can you name the journalists who did?
Dozens were flown around the world. Hundreds received payment just to wear something. Thousands were gifted high ticket items. And millions grew in social followers, a new generation ready to make their mark in fashion. It’s a scary world for the journalist who doesn’t evolve.
Personally, I can’t wait for September.
New York, Milan, Paris and London better watch out…I’m gunning for my front row seat and I hear Saint Laurant may have one open now that Cathy Horyn is out.
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< 3. Being addicted to BCGB makes me want everything that Lubov puts her stamp of approval on, including all their runway pieces from last season and a bunch of their Spring designs, which are still on preorder on the site. 
