Sunday, January 13, 2013

Marc Jacobs makes a valid point.

Recently I was reading through the news on the Vogue UK Daily News iPhone application when I stumbled across an article about Marc Jacobs and why he turned down a job offer from Dior.

In it, he says that there are very few Journalists he respects because there are so many that publish stories where the author claims to either love or hate a piece of clothing or a show, or a whole collection. Just because.

Here's a very recent example of poor journalism (bit.ly/Y0eMIG). Clearly the person who wrote this story a) has zero knowledge of Australian racing style and b) doesn't understand how to use Google because a quick search would have let them know that the Gold Coast is in Queensland, not NSW. But that's getting off topic. The point is that this Journalist doesn't understand what they are criticising, and therefore the story is irrelevant.

I think that in order to write stories that really mean something, you need to understand exactly what it is that you are writing about.

Thank you Marc Jacobs, you have made a valid point and today I have learned something new.

Earlier in this blog I stated that I 'loved' British fashion. I totally get that someone could look at an item of clothing or a style of clothing or a trend and love it based on aesthetic alone. But to be a successful fashion writer you need to be able to state WHY you love it. Or hate it. Whatever. If you don't have a valid reason, don't write it.

And so, here is why I love British fashion, or more appropriately, British style.

When I say 'British fashion' I'm referring to the enduring style of London in the swinging sixties. The 'Twiggy dresses' and headline causing shorter hemlines. The figure-hugging cuts, the leather, the bold colours and the mixed prints and patterns inspired by the women's movement of the 1960s. Clothing made to show off a new type of femininity - clothing originally worn by women who had control of their sexuality and their independence.

I love this classic British style for what it represents. Emaciation. I also have a soft spot for it because I was born in the UK and often feel as though I'm naturally drawn to anything British.

So there you go.