Fashion World Insiders vs. Everyday Fashion Bloggers

Having been in NYC just a few weeks ago, I did not tritz over to the City as street-style wannabe; I had neither time nor inclination to forge my print presence in that way.
This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.

'A"shitshow" of beautiful nobodies?'

Papermag lends an interesting slice o' perspective to the Fashion World's proletariat pickle in their September 13th article entitled, "celebrities are the new celebrities." The piece points to the snob n snark being dished out by the FW in its attempt, I am guessing, to scare away the latest Information Age change with which it is being confronted, that of the presence of the everyman/everyday/non-celeb/generally uncompensated fashion blogger. Having been in NYC just a few weeks ago, I did not tritz over to the City as street-style wannabe; I had neither time nor inclination to forge my print presence in that way. But let me as everyday, ordinary gal/fashion blogger speak in defense of my keyboard kin who can and do.

A "shitshow" of beautiful nobodies? How about a faction of free-to-say-whatever-the-frock-they-please soldier ranks of the world of wearables? Welcome to the 21st century, fashion industry insiders and chosen, payrolled few. Meet your next if-you-can't-beat-them-join-them constituency. Funny, an industry that prides itself on its own edginess falls victim (yet again) to old-school snobbery. Funny too, how those who started within the ranks can so quickly forget (freebeeitis?) they are still really just one of them, too.

As for the voices of these so-called nobodies, on top of the 24/7 aspect of info/news/u-call-it, which lends itself to a contextual watering down in the first place, blog-based mass dissemination and its disseminators are here to stay. Not only that, we/it are in our/its infancy. You think there is some smaller, more exclusive shell into which any of this will crawl back? Guess again. I am reminded in all this of the Parisienne contingency at the Versailles 73 fundraising event. Fashion-founded elitist exclusionism like this is evidently as cyclical as it is in all likelihood self-defeating.

Let's illustrate with a comparison: The Koch brothers, two right wing pinnacle dudes who are to politics what Kanye and Justin are to 2013 NYC Fashion Week's definition of success, were unable despite their "celebrity" (money + clout) to get their first choice (any non-Obama entity in pants or skirts) elected, either this last election or the one before it. This proves that shitshows of nobodies (actual, individual votes like the one I cast) can not only make a dent but a definitive difference. Nobodies won the day twice outright, leaving no wiggle room for hanging chad fiascos or Supreme Court buyouts to sculpt its storyline.

Moreover, I would think logic mandates having those tasked with the creating and contriving of must-haviness for the sole purpose of selling product (or those hired to peddle on behalf of said merchants) as wanting to embrace the words of those who have no such vested interest, for in doing so they can still, at least in part, control via positive interaction that which the outside speakers/writers (aka all those ready to wear consumers) say. What does belittling the messenger/shopper accomplish? Any elder knows that to ignore the youngling is to invite the negative ploys for attention, often with lose-lose outcome. Add to that the fact that the nobody of today is and always has been tomorrow's somebody.

To believe bloggers are so determined to be seen in the fashion periphery that they are willing keep circling about like happy little satellites even if shunned and ridiculed is a rather smug assumption at best, or so I would truly like to think. Though fashion and fame no doubt tempt and tantalize and stretch the limits of pride and professionalism, all new information trends organize, evolve and solidify over time. My bet is that it will be no different with the collective blogging voice.

Besides, if Justin Bieber, with his vast and diverse talent, his unforgettable musical masterpieces and all those lasting contributions to the Arts and Humanity for which he will forever be indelibly etched into the minds of Mankind is lauded and magnified as New Fashion Week Celeb Attendee Supreme, then well, golly gee....

Popular in the Community

Close

HuffPost Shopping’s Best Finds

MORE IN LIFE