The Circus of Fashion - Suzy Menkes | A Must Read

[Fuuma]

Criticism, by and large, deals with the past due to the causal chain of events that leads to criticism (i.e. creation comes before discourse on said creation). The art world (magazines and such) is as "of the moment" as fashion though and they're roughly selling the same thing (money, class, distinction, refinement, peeing very far, gold lamé, international jet set lifestyle).

[Castor]

While I am enjoying this discussion, I am not sure that blogger = fashion critic. Bloggers, editors and other members of the fashionista tribe serve only one purpose--to push the goods. They wear and discuss what they have been gifted openly and unfortunately inspire many others to acquire, copy or simply lust.

Suzy Menkes' lament is that these fashion clowns have more influence over the public than erudite fashion critics. Probably the most influential person in fashion is Kim Kardashian, but that is the meme world we live in. I hope at some point that celebrities, bloggers, etc. will move on, as I believe their influence on designers has been detrimental. I can just picture a designer thinking, "but would Anna, Tavi or Bryanboy wear it?"--ugh.

[Faust]

One time the NYT did a poll of American men and the most recognized name in fashion was Donald Trump, cause he had this line of shitty suits at Macys. That's all I have to say about the public, fucking plebs.

[Castor]

I remember in the 90s when Faith Hill and Madonna started to wear pieces from Gucci and Prada head to toe as shown on the runway. Madonna even colored her hair to match Amber Valleta's in the Gucci ad campaign of the same season. This was the beginning of the end so to speak, because up until then the celebrities and designers seemed to at least have a dialogue about how they would dress and now the celebrities just wear what they are told by designers or dress like insane children playing dress up.

[Faust]

Merz, that moment happened in the late 90s when Bernard Arnault realized that fashion can be turned into a money press.

Well, I am glad someone besides me does not live in Fuuma's world where everything is merely a more-or-less elaborate justification of consumption.

[Fuuma]

Merz, that moment happened in the late 90s when Bernard Arnault realized that fashion can be turned into a money press.

Well, I am glad someone besides me does not live in Fuuma's world where everything is merely a more-or-less elaborate justification of consumption.

Huh, that doesn't reflect mine or anyone else position. What would that "everything" be that justified "buying stuff"? Consumption may be a proxy war about something else but everything that exists is certainly not attempting to justify buying stuff.

[Faust]

I was referring to this post. Did I misinterpret you?

[Fuuma]

I was referring to this post. Did I misinterpret you?

Most definitely.

What we consume is about distinction: yes
everything is justification for consumption (I cannot make sense of this affirmation): no

[malevich]

actually what is being questioned is a real value and difference between criticism and advertising. Unfortunately we are living in a so called information slavery. No matter how good, constructive, inspirational and educational the criticism might seem, it will still be massively swallowed and ignored by huge waves of advertisements. it is obvious because it is still much more comfortable to get zombified by promoted products rather than spend time reading and analyzing and focusing before consuming one product or another. Criticism reflects erudition and taste, while advertisement fuels consumption therefore the battle between criticism and advertisement is equivalent in its concepts as the battle between quality and quantity. And I am abit sorry that fashion falls under the pressure of quantity.

[laika]

arbitrage of taste was already obtained through access by the early 1900s, but the fashion houses did not perceive it as a commodity. i'm not sure exactly of when that shift occurred, and what could be considered the first diffusion line, though maybe laika can fill in those gaps. what i've been trying to get at is that at some point the relationship between the high-end designers and their clients changed to the retail model, previously the domain of department store house lines functioning as mid-tier diffusion. and that is where we are today. the fashion critic's apparent role in this establishment is to keep the wheel greased and foster consumption with random sets of criteria that let everyone make a bit more dough than they otherwise would. except, hey, practically anyone can do that. particularly well if they come with a large audience in your target demographic, and you pretty much put them on your payroll...

Amazingly informative post, thank you, as always, for taking the time.

I was thinking that one of the historical precedents for diffusion lines might be the collections Poiret was doing for American dept. stores after the war, when his business was failing and he was on the verge of being made irrelevant by Chanel. Also worth noting that he was probably the first to dramatize the struggle between fashion and commerce, as he, a self-proclaimed artist, had to re-imagine himself as businessman (much to his chagrin) in an attempt to copyright his name and protect himself from American knock-offs. He lost that battle of course, although I've no doubt a good part of that was due to ego. I've been thinking about this a lot lately now that Wang has been installed at Balenciaga...to have a blatantly commercial designer at the helm of a French house is positively shocking, when you look at it historically.

[Faust]

Blogger drama continues with answers from Man Repeller and Susie Bubble.

[laika]

ironically, Susie Bubble sounds like she's writing an extended post in "strangers reactions to your clothes."

[Faust]

Haha! I actually found Menrepeller's response quite good. And, obviously, I could not agree more that the Interent allows those of us who cannot get the very few editorial fashion jobs are better off building our own (forgive me for the following word) brands.

[Fuuma]

Haha! I actually found Menrepeller's response quite good. And, obviously, I could not agree more that the Interent allows those of us who cannot get the very few editorial fashion jobs are better off building our own (forgive me for the following word) brands.

The post refers to social Darwinism and some "my generation" bullshit, I'm sure you liked the comment about accepting gifts but c'mon!

Susie Bubble's post is funnier because it underlines that fashion is an industry where people can find Emmanuelle Alt classy and wish they had her poise and credibility, which I find hilarious.

One thing I'll give fashion bloggers is that their role is basically to experience affects by proxy for their readers not to offer a critique of fashion design.

[Faust]

The post refers to social Darwinism and some "my generation" bullshit, I'm sure you liked the comment about accepting gifts but c'mon!

Susie Bubble's post is funnier because it underlines that fashion is an industry where people can find Emmanuelle Alt classy and wish they had her poise and credibility, which I find hilarious.

One thing I'll give fashion bloggers is that their role is basically to experience affects by proxy for their readers not to offer a critique of fashion design.

Exactly what I wrote in my wrap up of the NYFW for Walla in Israel (Can't post it, cause it's in Hebrew).

As for your first paragraph, I already pointed out the bit that I liked.