Vogue valt bloggers aan en noemt ze “the death of style”

Het is nooit helemaal koek en ei geweest tussen moderedacteuren en bloggers, maar in het jaar 2016 verwachten we inmiddels toch wel dat de magazine editors en de street stylers gezamenlijk door één deur zouden kunnen gaan.

Uit een artikel geplaatst op Vogue.com blijkt dat de wrijving tussen Vogue redacteuren en bloggers nog altijd even groot is. De modebijbel publiceerde een samenvatting van de Milaan Fashion Week, maar dit artikel monde al snel uit in een discussie over bloggers, ontwerpen voor clicks en “the death of style” zoals een Vogue editor de bloggers en hun manier van werken benoemde.

 

Thank you Milan for the memories. ❤️ Cali bound. ✈️ Photo by @walkingcanucks

Een foto die is geplaatst door Shea Marie (@peaceloveshea) op 26 Sep 2016 om 1:48 PDT

Volgens het artikel ontwerpen designers, dankzij de komst van bloggers, grotendeels voor de street style sterren en de paparazzi die de bloggers fotograferen. Een resultaat hiervan is dat de kleding ontworpen wordt met het oog hierop waardoor volgens Vogue collecties met een verkeerd doel gemaakt worden. Het draait volgens de redacteuren niet meer om vakwerk, vernieuwing, creativiteit maar om clicks, likes en wat het beste scoort op Snapchat en social media.

 

Always looking both ways when crossing http://liketk.it/2pbmw @liketoknow.it #liketkit #ltkxnyfw #nyfw Photo by @genstreetstyle

Een foto die is geplaatst door Aimee Song (@songofstyle) op 13 Sep 2016 om 9:14 PDT

De kritiek van één van de editors gaat zelfs zo ver dat ze de front row van tegenwoordig vergelijkt met een stripclub. “Looking for style among a bought-and-paid-for (“blogged out”) front row is like going to a stripclub looking for romance.” (Lees hier het hele artikel.)

De bloggers op hun beurt voelen zich als vanzelfsprekend aangesproken en gaven dan ook direct hun mening. Op social media natuurlijk en met een bijpassende street style foto die door de Vogue editors zo verafschuwd worden.

Zo liet Aimee Song in een statement weten dat ze inderdaad schuldig is aan dat wat de Vogue editors “trolling up and down fashion shows” noemen, maar dat diezelfde Vogue ondertussen contact met haar opneemt met de vraag of zij een aantal van haar street style foto’s zou kunnen sturen. Het blijft dus een interessante discussie waar we het laatste woord nog niet over gelezen hebben. Ook blogger collega Shea Marie van Peace Love Shea gaf een tegen reactie, lees ze beide hieronder.

 

Bloggers can be easy targets because we're the face of our own brands and don't have an institution to hide behind. For the same reason, I think it's important to respond to this type of bullying. Recently, a few digital editors at a major publication had a discussion about how they find it annoying that bloggers are "trolling up and down fashion shows" and causing traffic with street style photographers (btw your Paris office just asked me to send them some of my street style shots). They even went on to offend us on an intellectual level, asking if we are even registered to vote. First, yes, I am registered to vote. Second, bloggers do much more than just get our photo taken. We had to pave our own way for the opportunities to do something we love and inspire people along the way. Some would say that we even created a new category of businesses, that is focused around empowering other people to literally live their best life. Many of us serve as our own stylist, photographers, editor, and publisher. It is because as individuals, we have managed to compete with a global institution like yours that this is suddenly a problem? Quite ironic that this major publication, run exclusively by advertisements (the first 20-30 pages are advertisements and the editorials featured are paid advertorials) is making fun of bloggers for wearing gifted clothes. Or even borrowed, again, another standard in the editorial world we've grown up in. P.S. and to quote TS, I would very much like to be excluded from this narrative, one that I have never asked to be a part of.

Een foto die is geplaatst door Aimee Song (@songofstyle) op 27 Sep 2016 om 3:26 PDT

 

Please read!! Dear a certain few Vogue.com editors- The only thing that is "pathetic" here is this jealous, catty and hypocritical article you've just published. You are exactly the type of people that have given the fashion world the cold, unwelcoming and ruthless reputation it has had in the past. Thankfully those times are changing. I'm sorry if you can't accept that what a "public figure" wears on the street is undoubtedly more influential than your post-fashion week column. That the fashion world isn't controlled by you alone anymore. You even criticize the brands, for what? For having figured out the obvious: (news flash!) what people choose to wear and purchase is greatly inspired by the people they admire- the public figures (influencers, actors/actresses, musicians, bloggers, models). I respect you all deeply and the hard work you put into the industry. I look up to you. Which is why I feel so taken aback now at how tasteless and classless the words are that you chose. I would think an institution such as Vogue would respect young entrepreneurs instead of belittling them. It's ironic how you make degrading comments about influencers, and then put them on your international covers to boost sales. And to echo the statements of others- how many of your covers are paid for "head to toe looks" by brands? What about the daily "street style" pictures and articles on your website homepage. Why? Because-guess what?-that's what gets the clicks. As for your "get a real career" comment- I'm not sure exactly who you're referring to; surely not me or someone like me. I built and design my own successful line, I style and creative consult for countless brands, and am invested in numerous other successful businesses behind the scenes. I grew up in a small town and came from nothing- I'd call that pretty impressive and admirable. I take pride in giving hope to young women around the world that they too can build something from nothing. I think I speak for "us" all when I say the bottom line here is that if you weren't threatened you wouldn't care at all. ✌🏻️ (📸 from New York by @sinx1002)

Een foto die is geplaatst door Shea Marie (@peaceloveshea) op 27 Sep 2016 om 2:04 PDT