For the past ten years, Los Angeles Times fashion critic Booth Moore has been covering fashion shows in New York, Paris, and Milan. But at fashion week in New York this year, she noticed that something was different. “Bloggers were the flavor of the month this season,” she says, noting the overwhelming presence of these hyper-intense fashion fans.

Known for their role behind computer screens, bloggers upgraded this year to front row seats at once-exclusive runway shows like Dolce & Gabbana and Rodarte. These trendsetting, influential, and style-conscious members of Gen Y seized the role of fashion editor, with the Internet as their stage.

The number of colorful blogs and fashion forums has exceeded ten thousand, providing some stiff competition for traditional fashion magazines like Vogue and Elle. Fashionistas rely on daily visits to these sites in order to keep up with the dynamic fashion industry.

“The Internet has really allowed for the democratization of fashion,” says Moore . “Now everyone can participate in the discussion of clothing and designers.”

Maneuvering buy amoxicillin online around the fashion and merchandising hierarchy has become easier. Small-town girls in the Midwest, like StyleRookie’s Tavi Gevinson and Sea of Shoes’ Jane Aldridge, comment on the latest fashion trends as they come down the runway, alongside Vogue’s editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.

In addition, online streaming, whether via Twitter tweets, Facebook status updates, or You Tube videos, has proven powerful enough to disseminate the latest in fashion, faster than an experienced Barney’s shoe sale veteran can swipe the last pair of size 7-and-a-half Christian Louboutins.

“Online sources are fast and immediate,” says Robin Givhan, fashion editor at the Washington Post. “They offer instant gratification when it comes to news about the fashion industry.”

At fashion week this year, quick online blog posts proved to be the ultimate source of breaking news. Fashionologie, a forum created in 2005, provided access to Rodarte’s runway show as it took place. With minute-to-minute updates, readers caught a sneak-peak at the collection and the backstage commotion at the show.

Meanwhile, magazine subscribers must wait two months for their glossy “fashion bibles” to hit newsstands. By that time, anything newsworthy has already been discussed and the hot Marc Jacobs handbag is already sold out in stores worldwide.

Fashion editors have taken notice. In order to maintain their reign as the gods and goddesses of clothing and accessories, they have shifted their sights towards an online existence.

“It’s all about online presence,” says Christina Roperti, fashion assistant at Women’s Wear Daily (WWD). “Print media is no longer sufficient in satisfying today’s demand.”

Consequently, WWD has really stepped up its game. Staff members at the midtown office in Manhattan have paid increased attention to the daily trade publication’s website, and they Twitter now. At the Conde Nast building, Vogue’s own style.com has recently released an iPhone application. At the Los Angeles Times, Moore has familiarized herself with the online aspect of fashion journalism and its impact on her job.

In making the move online, magazines have gained the best of both worlds. In providing readers with the instant gratification they seek, they are also supplying expert information that is both trustworthy and influential. Voguettes such as Anna Wintour and Grace Coddington are paid the big bucks for their expertise and their involvement in the fashion world for over 25 years. Working their way up from entry-level positions, they have gained a long view of the industry. And right now, there are no bloggers with that kind of experience.

However, the invasion of the style bloggers has forced traditional fashion magazines to juggle a presence both online and in print. While media gurus claim that the future of print journalism is gloomy, fashion editors need not empty their Birkin bags just yet. Traditional fashion magazines are not doomed.

Although they lack the ability to present the breaking news of fashion trends and events, monthly issues of Harper’s Bazaar and InStyle still offer something unique. With feature articles and editorial spreads, magazines provide an in-depth look at how yesterday’s fashions will affect fashionistas tomorrow. Reading a magazine is a precious experience. Just ask any fashion design student.

“I don’t think the day will ever come when I give up my subscriptions and go strictly web,” says Emily DeTomaso, 21, a design student at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM). “Having the magazine in hand, flipping through page after page of glossy images and fashion delight is something that simply cannot be replaced.”

]]> http://genyu.net/2009/12/09/the-evolution-of-fashion-journalism/feed/ 2 http://genyu.net/2009/10/27/from-backyard-blogging-to-front-row-at-fashion-week/ http://genyu.net/2009/10/27/from-backyard-blogging-to-front-row-at-fashion-week/#comments Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:05:46 +0000 jessicam http://genyu.net/?p=11 Fashion Bloggers Break Down Traditional Obstacles

Tavi Gevinson, from Illinois, describes herself as “a tiny 13-year-old dork that sits inside all day wearing awkward jackets and pretty hats.” Proud of her unique style, she instructs others to “dress however you please and embrace rude stares.” Last year Gevinson launched Style Rookie, a blog devoted to fashion. A few months later, she sat in the front row at Mercedes Benz fashion week, alongside Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour, celebrity fashion icon Victoria Beckham, and actress turned designer Sienna Miller. 

As one of Gen Y’s creative and techni-saavy bloggers, Gevinson used her blog to land among fashion’s elite. While Gevinson’s case is quite extreme, she is not alone. This year blogging is the new black, and more teen bloggers are gaining opportunities and visibility in the fashion world.

Appealing to a Larger Audience:

“It doesn’t surprise me to see more of Gen Y relying on blogs to break into the fashion industry,” says USA Today Reporter Jayne O’Donnell. “This is a generation that is used to having their opinions heard and valued at home, so blogs are another way for them to speak out, just to a larger audience.”

With her eclectic fashion sense, Gevinson caught the eye of Rodarte’s designing duo, Kate and Laura Mulleavy, whose line merges tradition with modern edge. She inspired the designers to take her on as their muse for their up and coming line. Blogging during the months leading up to Fashion Week enabled the teen to correspond with the designers, and shortly after, she scored her front row seat at Rodarte’s show.

This year, teen bloggers from all over the world have maneuvered their way into the fashion world. The pack includes Filipino BryanBoy, who recently prompted the creation of the Marc Jacobs’ “BB Bag,” and 16-year old Rumi Neely, from California, who will assist the design of RVCA’s upcoming clothing line.

The New Professional Bloggers:

Originality and self-motivation drove them to start their own blogs, but they are not alone in the blogosphere. In the past months, magazine editors have freed their Gen Y interns from the fashion closets and set them to work as so-called “professional bloggers.“

“The interns can relate to the reader more so than an editor could, so we always value their opinions,” says Tina Langley, accessories editor at Seventeen Magazine. “It is always interesting to have the point of view of a fashion savvy teen.”

Recently, New York University junior Emily Gaynor was recruited to blog for her Teen Vogue internship. She made the jump from behind-the-scenes, to writing for the online beauty blog.

“Being able to mix fashion with my studies of journalism at NYU has provided me with an incredible peek into what I hope to do as my career,” says Gaynor.  “But I would also have to say that gaining backstage access to the fashion shows in order to cover hair and makeup for the blog has been one of the most amazing experiences.”

At designer Yigal Azrouel’s show, she found herself face to face with famous makeup artist Bobbi Brown, and even snagged an interview for Teen Vogue’s blog.

“I remember how excited I was when I was thirteen and my mom bought me an autographed copy of her [Bobbi Brown’s] book,” says the Indiana native, “So seeing her in action was a huge thing for a girl like me, from the middle of nowhere.”