Fashion journalism

"Fashion magazine" redirects here. For the Canadian magazine, see Fashion (magazine).

Fashion journalism is a component of fashion media, with a focus on writing and photojournalism. Fashion journalists write about and critique fashion events and trends as well as cultivate and maintain relationships with stylists and designers. Fashion journalists are either employed full-time by a publication, or submit articles on a freelance basis. Fashion photography, which supplanted fashion illustration in the 1900s, is a type of photojournalism used in fashion journalism. The Internet has given rise to several outlets for amateur fashion journalism, such as blogs and vlogs.

History

An example of a fashion plate (1844)

Fashion journalism developed during the 18th century, when the fashion dolls – dolls designed to display relevant fashion ensembles – were replaced by fashion magazines, notably the Cabinet des Modes, which is recognized to be the first true fashion magazine. This Partisan publication had illustrated fashion plates that "...fed the increasing appetite for French fashion, which was growing in tandem with the expanding urban population's desire to separate itself from the way of life plotted out and decreed by the French Court". It was followed abroad by Journal des Luxus und der Moden (1786–1827) in Germany, Giornale delle Dame e delle Mode di Francia (1786–1794) in Milan, and Gallery of Fashion (1794–1803) in Britain.

During the 19th century, numerous fashion magazines were published, employing fashion journalists reporting on the latest trends from Paris. Among the earliest in Great Britain were Ann Margaret Lanchester, who published her own fashion paper, the Le Miroir de la Mode, and Mary Ann Bell, writing for the La Belle Assemblée in the early 19th-century.

A 21st century fashion magazine cover

Fashion magazines of the 20th century include Elle and Vogue.

Digital fashion journalism

Further information: Digital journalism

As society increases its dependence on the internet, the journalism industry is becoming far more fluid. Printing, being more costly and less convenient, many publications (such as Nylon magazine) have opted to focus on digital publication. Digital journalism gives the writer unlimited space (rather than forcing an article to fit in a magazine or newspaper layout), and allows for links to external resources, and many images. Another major advantage of digital media is real-time updates/corrections to misinformation.

Major fashion magazines such as Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, and Paper Magazine have altered their business models due to the onset of the digital age, creating an online component in addition to print. Social media has also contributed to the rise in these digital magazine platforms, allowing them to be far more interactive than they have been in the past.

Amateur fashion journalism

The Internet has given rise to a number of outlets for amateur fashion journalism, such as blogs and vlogs.

Education

Journalism is a general liberal arts major that can be studied at many universities. A concentration in fashion journalism is specific to a number of fashion schools. Generally, a fashion journalist needs at least a BA in fields such as journalism, communications, fashion or other related areas. A strong portfolio and experience in reporting on fashion is key to being hired as a fashion journalist post-grad.

THE RISE OF FASHION BLOGS

The rise of fashion blogging began in 2000 when bloggers started publishing their own fashion commentary online. This improved accessibility to fashion content for fashion enthusiasts. []

Fashion blogging growth spiked in 2003 when a fashion blogger, Kathryn Finney of the Budget Fashionista, was invited to the New York Fashion Week. This was followed by consecutive invitations for fashion bloggers to major fashion shows like Bill Blass, Diana Von Furstenburg, Oscal de la Renta and Dolce and Gabbana - a privilege once reserved for editors, buyers and celebrities. This invitation forced a surge in the activities of fashion bloggers.

Publicist Kelly Coutrone quotes having to watch bloggers as closely as Vogue editors because blog content is permanent and often the first thing designers see; hence it has a high potential of impacting their major decisions. []

Erik Wilson, in the New York Fashion Times, also notes how designers are adapting to bloggers' fast reporting cycle and some magazine editors feeling threatened. []

The rise of this has also provided a means for starters in fashion commentary to gain industry legitimacy through blogging.

An example is the growth of Tavi Gevinson, who started her blog ’the rookie’ in 2008 at age 11 and grew 50,000 readers within the year. []

Blogs allow the audience to comment, question and criticise directly, which is unlike the traditional fashion print method. Fashion blogging fosters conversation and group formation, which is in contrast to the print's one-to-many hegemonic model. Blogs also enable a form of coauthorship between bloggers and commenters, producing multiplicity of representation. [] This democratisation of authorship removes the need for professional journalism as a condition for a fashion dialogue.

Over the years, bloggers have struggled for recognition as legitimate practitioners, particularly from established fashion journalists. Despite this, the fashion blogosphere is continually evolving, driven partly by the ongoing emergence of new social media platforms which create new avenues for blogging practices and monetisation. []

Notable fashion journalists

Vanessa Friedman is the chief fashion director and fashion critic for The New York Times. Before joining the team at the Times, Friedman was the first fashion editor at the Financial Times, alongside her job editing the pages of Luxury360 vertical. Previously, she was the features editor for InStyle UK. She was the 2012 recipient of the Front Page Award for fashion writing and the 2013 Fashion Monitor Journalist of the Year award.

Robin Givhan is the first and only fashion journalist to win The Pulitzer Prize for Criticism as of 2006. She drew attention to her work after criticizing former US Vice President Dick Cheney for wearing casual attire (a ski cap and parka) to a ceremony commemorating the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. In this piece, Givhan stressed the importance of how political leaders choose to present themselves.

Cathy Horyn is the critic-at-large for New York Magazine's The Cut since 2015, having spent 15 years as the former chief critic of The New York Times with roles at The Washington Post and Vanity Fair. In 2001, she was awarded the Eugenia Sheppard Award for fashion writing by the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

Sarah Mower MBE is a chief critic and columnist for American Vogue. She is also an advocate for young designers as the Ambassador for Emerging talent at the British Fashion Council since 2009. Mower received the MBE in 2011 in recognition of her contributions to fashion.

Suzy Menkes OBE is a veteran fashion journalist who was most recently the Editor of Vogue International, departing in October 2020. She also helmed The New York Times International Edition back when it was the International Herald Tribune as its fashion critic for 25 years, ultimately departing for Condé Nast International in 2014. She now produces a podcast "Creative Conversations With Suzy Menkes" and contributes to Air Mail, a mobile-first digital weekly created by Graydon Carter.

See also

• Fashion editor
• Fashion photography
• List of fashion magazines

Further reading

• Miller, Sanda; McNeil, Peter (2018). Fashion Journalism: History, Theory, and Practice (1st ed.). Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1472520173.