Before blogging was popular, anyone who wanted to “get into” fashion had to put in a lot of effort, especially if you don’t live anywhere near New York City. Fans had to wait months for magazines to come out describing and reviewing new lines, and even then the reviews were bland and professional. There was no place to look in your small fashion backward town for outfit inspiration.
With the advent of blogging, small town fashion followers finally had somewhere to look for fashion news, reviews, etc. Bloggers would watch live streams of the Fashion Week shows and post immediate thoughts. Some the best things to come out of blogging are “street style” blogs, which feature regular girls and their takes on the newest trends, and Do-It-Yourself tutorials on how to make designer looks for less. Now people didn’t need to live near the Fashion District OR be rich to enjoy Fashion.
Fashion bloggers have ripped the power in the fashion world away from the elite- the Anna Wintours- and given it to the “normal” people- the Tavi Gevinsons.
I’ve been following Tavi for a couple years now and her story is remarkable. She’s the antithesis of Anna Wintour really: young, bubbly, and enthusiastic. But her pull in the fashion world is now just about the same as Wintour’s. And it’s refreshing to see real reviews of shows and designers that aren’t rooted in any commitment to the designer. The relationship between fashion magazines and designers is similar to the relationship between political journalists and the President. When you’re so close to your subject, can you really give an objective view of their work?
That’s what’s so amazing about fashion bloggers, and I couldn’t be happier about the “de-gentrification” of the fashion world.
