How do you break into the fashion industry from the outside?  Ask almost anyone – including me sometimes – and the suggestion will be to intern.  I feel a bit mixed as I give this advice because it is advice I never took.

While other fashion students were volunteering their time at acclaimed designers and national magazines, I hit the pavement with my meager portfolio and held out for a fashion job of any description – but for financial reasons, only if it paid.  I managed to find a few jobs, the two major ones were working as a cutting and alterations assistant in the basement workshop for a boutique designer and counting threads-per-inch on fabric samples for the private label department of a national retailer.  In many ways my experiences were the same as many fashion interns – with two major differences. One, I got paid a modest wage and two, I rarely had the opportunity to network on the job.

When trading shop talk with my friends and colleagues now I wonder sometimes if I sold myself short for minimum wage.  There are some amazing internship opportunities out there for the ambitious young go-getters.  I asked a couple fashion blog friends to comment on their own experiences.  Ophelia of The Eternal Intern tells me,

In my opinion, internships are the only way (other than personal contacts) to get into the fashion industry.  I have found that the best jobs/internships are never posted online, but spread by word of mouth through what I call “the Old Girls Club”.  I got wind of an internship at FASHION via twitter and since then my former boss has put me in touch with people hiring for jobs that a “contact-less” job seeker would probably never see.  The fashion industry is very incestuous, but once you know the right people all kinds of doors open!  The best way to get in is by interning (and doing a stellar!) job so people take notice and want to call in favors for you.

Ophelia has interned at magazines both in Toronto and Paris and has seen many facets of fashion intern existence – I asked her what she looks for when applying for an internship.

When looking for an internship, I always consider the following:
The company:  Is it well-respected and globally recognized?  If I am going to work for free, I want to make sure I at least have something amazing to put on my resume!

The internship description:  I have done internships where I am treated like an employee and have gained so much experience and then others where I photocopy alllllll day!  The only thing an intern gains from an internship is the experience, so I always look for a chance to learn something new.

The benefits:  A paid internship is a dream come true!  Even if they pay for lunch and a metropass, it’s better than nothing.  For me, the company and the job description definitely outweigh the other criteria.   Working for Vanity Fair for example, would be such an incredible learning opportunity that I would overlook just about everything else!

Length, days/week:  I it is an unpaid internship, being able to intern 3 days/week and then work the others is key.  It gets a little frustrating giving all your time away for free, so having a few days off really helps.

If you’re really interested in intern dish, you must check out Ophelia’s blog – The Eternal Intern – where she and two friends document the dreams and dramas of scoring a job in the glamour industry.

Another fashion blog friend who entered the fashion industry through some prestigious internships is my friend Truc of Deeply Superficial who spent time as a design intern at Marc Jacobs and as an editorial intern at Teen Vogue.  Truc and I are opposite sides of the coin when it comes to our approach to entering the fashion industry so our conversations on the subject can get feisty.  The gist is that Truc believes in working inside the system and I tend to work outside the system.  Truc says,

I have done almost a dozen internships over the years, ranging from museums to fashion designers to small business retailers to national mass market chains. I think I gained a great deal from these internships, and the body of knowledge really build up my understanding of various facets of the fashion industry, and complemented my education in fashion design and later on for my MA research. Most of my internships were unpaid, at least at the beginning. Some I hated and others I stayed on for years at.

What I gained:
1) The internships exposed me to all the different parts of the “fashion” industry, and I was able to really learn what it means on a day to day basis to be, for example, a “fashion designer” in Toronto or a museum curator at the ROM. I discovered my strengths and weaknesses, and what I definitely didn’t want to pursue.

2) I think you have to start somewhere, and being an intern is great because the level of commitment is lower – if you don’t like something, you can walk away easily after the term is over! For me, I’ve always been fortunate that several of my internships (four) lead directly to paying freelance and assistant positions with the same company, which I wouldn’t have necessarily been hired for otherwise.

3) I made valuable industry contacts in Toronto and New York through my internships, and having all that work experience was incredibly helpful when I was looking for my first job (now, 3 years after graduation, I only have 2 publishing internships out of all of them listed on my resume). Even now, I keep in touch with some of my internship coordinators from companies such as Joeffer Caoc and Marc Jacobs, and these women have become my mentors and friends.

4) Thinking back, I was an awful and amazing intern at various points, sometimes during the same internship! But I don’t regret a single experience or lament the loss of potential wages (ie if I had been working retail and getting paid instead for those hours), because I can pinpoint so many things that I’ve learned about businesses and being an assistant and managing others through these work experiences.

Truc is one of my favourite fashion friends – all the more so because we’re so different – and a truly thoughtful fashion writer.  Her take on fashion at Deeply Superficial is highly recommended.

Considering others experiences, it is clear to me that given the right opportunities an internship can be a valuable, wonderful, and even life-changing experience.  I certainly missed out on a world of opportunity by not being inside.  Yet I am skeptical that internships are the only way – or necessarily the best way – to get into the fashion industry. And via Final Fashion, I am essentially betting my own career on this.

Without diminishing the considerable talents of my peers and friends, I think it is fair to state that internships are the most conventional way of entering the fashion industry.  As a system, the fashion intern industrial complex has some issues which are a whole other post – exacerbating financial and social inequalities – which sometimes turn bridges into barriers for the talented and underprivileged. Except, talent can fly.

Two examples. One, the bohemian ideal is exemplified by Viktor & Rolf who created couture in the bubble of a one-room flat in Paris, showed how ambition can manifest success outside the system. Two, the magic of the internet allows a teenager in suburban America to share her passion for style and offers her the opportunities of a lifetime.

My own bid for an unconventional entry is not as meteoric (yet) but takes inspiration from these kinds of stories. The essence is that if you fiercely want to live a certain kind of life and you manifest it even with meager resources – whether it is a blog or in V&R’s case, a miniature collection in 1996 that galvanized their desires – it is possible to enter the world of fashion on your own terms.

Hard work, talent and persistence is a potent combination whether it is inside or outside the system. It is probably not good advice for most people to subvert established channels – unconventional success is rare for a reason.  But I would say that if circumstances determine that you can’t get your dream internship, to not give up, and to consider alternatives that would allow you do what you desire, now. Even if it is just in a small, symbolic way.

It gets plenty awkward when I write what I really think about fashion shows, especially for shows where the designers happen to run in the same social circles that I do.  I have earned a few cold shoulders from the more sensitive souls, and sometimes, surprisingly, earned something like respect – even an interest in my services – from some gutsier designers. I do try very hard not to be mean about it, but if I didn’t enjoy a show, I am incapable of uttering a false compliment. Sincerity, along with a proclivity to broadcast it, is my nature, for better or for worse.

This season, instead of giving my opinions after the fact, I’ve decided to offer them up front.  Designers, it is not too late to make some changes if earning my accolades is something you want to do.  So, without naming names, here are 10 things designers should try to avoid when they put on a fashion show.

1. Don’t tell me what to think. The fastest way to give your show a disadvantage before it even starts is a press kit or line sheet with too many adjectives.  By all means tell me a bit about yourself and your inspirations if you must – but if you are describing your collection before I’ve even seen it with gushing, hoary descriptors like “sophisticated”, “classic”, “edgy”, and so on, my brain is preset at “yeah, right“.  Most fashion writers despise so much unnecessary verbosity, they have lists of their least favourite words which they trade among themselves over drinks.  Designers, do yourselves a favour and focus on your clothes rather than lengthy introductions.
2. Bondage skirts. Whether they are too tight or too long, this is probably my biggest pet peeve when it comes to designers – putting models in clothing which is impossible to walk in simply defies the point of having a show on a runway. Showing such disregard for the basic needs of people who wear your clothes is, to me, offensive.  The only case where my opinion on this can be swayed is when the outfit is so completely over-the-top that it is obviously not meant to be worn off the runway at all. But for pretty evening gowns and pencil skirts, they should be an appropriate width and length to allow the model to stride naturally and beautifully, full stop.
3. Wardrobe malfunctions. The odd random accident on the runway can be forgiven, but if you can’t make a dress which can withstand a 20 yard walk without falling off perhaps you should reconsider having a fashion show.  A lot of WM’s are a result of poor fit or poor construction – two things that should be the highest priorities for a designer.  I think if it is impossible to find a model who can fit a particular dress, it is probably more prudent to cut the dress from the show than to risk sending it out.
4. Default footwear. In almost all cases, a basic black pump – or worse, using the same shoes as another designer in the same season – sets your collection at a sad disadvantage.  Yes, I know that procuring shoes can be challenging, but the ability to select unique footwear that compliments your collection is the mark of an exceptional stylist and designer, and why wouldn’t you want to be exceptional?  Shoes matter to fashion folk – a lot.  Give them something different, even something ugly, and they are bound to be delighted.  Stuck with plain shoes?  Figure out a way to customize them – cover them with tights, add DIY embellishments, just don’t settle for boring shoes.
5. Short and Tight. This is probably more a matter of my own taste, but it is something to consider – fashion occasionally has its sexy moments, but usually fashion’s version of sexy is a lot subtler than short and tight. Try short and loose, or long and tight if you don’t want to hit your front row in the face with a slut-hammer.
6. Safeness. When I am talking about “safeness”, I am really talking about fear. A collection created in fear is more likely to be derivative and dull as the designer second-guesses their own point of view.  A side note on this – designers with an under-developed sense of taste get all confused about the notion of wearability.  “Wearability”, “boring”, “simple”, and “commercial” are NOT synonyms.  Just because your collection has one quality doesn’t mean it automatically has the other.  What I crave as an audience member is a strong statement, and if it incidentally happens to have commercial or wearable qualities it is all that much more impressive.
7. Lack of variety. Showing multiple colourways of a single style, or a collection of relentlessly similar silhouettes is boring.  I might love what I see the first time but if there is nothing new my attention is quickly squandered and I feel like my time has been wasted.
8. Nudity and other cheap tricks. There are all sorts of cynical ways that a designer can attract attention – and none of that attention is praise for raising the bar of fashion design. Showing naked models, screen printed clothing with some kind of obviously shocking slogan or image, selecting celebrity models who are more important than the clothes, runway gimmicks or unusual designer curtain calls will all ensure that your show will get talked about but not the clothes.  That isn’t to say that there are not some genuinely provoking ways to pull a stunt – the watchwords for such risky behavior are originality and artistry. Without those qualities, such special effects come off as hacky.
9. Predictable fabrics. There are some fabrics, which for whatever reason newbie designers seem to love – and probably for this reason they are the same fabrics that seasoned watchers of fashion shows tend to hate – specific to my tastes, cotton jersey and raw silk dupioni, flimsy silver or gold lame and camo prints.  This is probably a personal bias, though I can say with confidence that I share my distaste for jersey and dupioni with several other fashion show regulars. (Edit: @geekigirl and @nathat add to this list taffeta and sheer sparkle organza.)
10. A designer who is enjoying the show more than the audience. Having a fashion show should be a business decision, not an ego trip. Having a fashion show shouldn’t be because it is “fun” for the designer – it should be about communicating an idea and captivating an audience. Nothing saddens me more than seeing a designer milk their curtain call and bask under the television camera lights after a show where the first few rows are fidgeting with their blackberries, and rolling their eyes at their friends on the other side of the runway.  I’ve written more about this in my post last week on what the right reasons for choosing the runway are.

… or, when a designer should do a runway show, where, and why?

Not that I’m an expert.  Yet, I am a fashion blogger who has attended a few seasons of fashion weeks here in Toronto and in New York City, a mediaphile who has followed the coverage of each season closely for over five years, an entrepreneur who is interested in choices available for promotion, and a fashion illustrator who is lucky to count many fashion designers among my clients.

Two designers in Toronto have piqued my interest in this regard – while they both debuted with fashion shows, since their first season they have eschewed the runway for other avenues of promotion. Despite their absence from the catwalk, they’ve managed to achieve both sales and praise.

Juma debuted their line of cool sportswear for Spring 2007 at fashion week in Toronto, and since then they have focused on sponsorships, trade shows, and have experimented with online promotion.  These alternate tactics have won them much success – many press mentions, and a roster of retailers that grows every season.  I asked Jamil, who focuses on the communications for the line, why Juma hasn’t shown on the runway in recent years, and what circumstances would persuade them to show again.

we have stopped doing fashion shows because we only want to focus on showing our collections the best way we can and that is through print and online mediums.  we would only return to the runway if we had the resources to show in a platform with international reach.  even then, i question the use of runways shows while there are less conventional ways to show a line these days that can have similar impact if executed properly. ie installations, web presentations, marketing collaborations

Ashley Rowe debuted her sophisticated collection at New Labels for Fall 2008, though since then she’s been focusing on photo campaigns and videos to communicate the essence of her vision.  Ashley’s designs have been featured in some of the best fashion magazines in the country, and she serves an elite clientele.  I asked her the same thing I asked Jamil, and she tells me…

I would show again with the proper financing in place to produce a show on the scale to which I envision it.  Currently, I am finding more creative ways to show each collection off the runway.

An ideal show for me would be: an appropriate venue for the theme of the collection, great models, lighting, music, and an interesting twist to the regular Fashion Show (not sure what that would be at this moment).

I’m impressed with both of these designers for thinking of resourceful, clever ways to get their lines out there – and what gives me a lot of confidence in them for future seasons is their clear-eyed assessment of the value of a fashion show versus the cost.  All one has to do is look at programs of previous fashion weeks to see how many new designers fall into the deadpool after one or two fashion shows.  I have mused before on why that is in my post designeritus.

Whenever I find myself in conversation with a designer, runway shows are a common topic. Especially newer designers are curious about what I think of the value of a show from the perspective of media.  Here are the basic points that make up my opinion on the subject, for what it is worth.

1. Should I have a fashion show? The perceived prestige of having a fashion show is considerably lower within the fashion industry than it is to the general public.  In general, I believe that if you don’t have the promotional budget to afford an ad in a magazine, you don’t have the budget to do an exceptional fashion show.  For new designers with limited cash flow, I believe that the only things worth spending money on are PRODUCT and SALES. At the beginning stages, a fashion show is an expense that most small businesses won’t have the means to bear, and the results are too intangible to risk borrowing money for.  Read designeritus for more of my thoughts on this.
2. What is the goal of having a fashion show? A fashion show is for PR and branding, not sales, so the real question to ask yourself is what members of the media or celebrities will be in the audience of that fashion show, and who their audiences are.  If the answer isn’t “the same people who are or should be my customers”, then reconsider.  Also, are you in a position to capitalize on buzz from the show – is your line available in stores already, so the coverage you receive can help you sell product?
3. Where should I show? Choose the location of your fashion show to coincide with the markets that you would like to have more press in.  If you want to be picked up by Toronto press (and to a lesser extent Canadian press), show in Toronto – but if you want international press, you’re going to have to show in New York, London or Paris.  If your line appeals to a certain geographical market – say, Vancouver or Miami – you’ll get more bang for your buck showing in those places.
4. Should I show on the official schedule or off site? This depends on how familiar you are with the city you are showing in, and what your budget is.  If you are showing in a city you don’t live in, showing at an official venue will make it easier for press unfamiliar with you to come. Either way, it is critical that you work with a well-connected PR firm located in the city you are showing in or it is unlikely that anyone you are trying to reach will come at all.
5. I can’t afford my ideal fashion show – should I show anyway? I agree with Jamil and Ashley, runway shows shouldn’t be something you are willing to compromise on.  An exceptional fashion show needs be a spectacle, communicating your story and vision in a compelling way to an audience who is already jaded by seeing a million fashion shows – if you are unable to muster the resources make their pulse rise, don’t risk boring them. If you do, you may not get a second chance for their attention.

Have you had a fashion show or considered having one?  Are you a member of the media?  What is your opinion on the value of a fashion show to a designer?

Hello, friends.  I am back out of the woods, for now.

If you’ve been following Final Fashion for more than a year, you know that I love the beginning of a new year.  I love making changes, making plans, and making goals.  Usually I make some personal resolutions (this year is all about skin and hair, among some more daunting ambitions), some business goals, and most importantly for you, some plans for the blog.  Last year was about posting a minimum of five times a week, a standard that I met and often exceeded.  Once the rhythm was set I found it an easy habit to have.

Once I did have that momentum going, and action was happening on the blog, I was able to start a unique sponsorship program.  I am incredibly grateful for the enthusiasm of my readers and sponsors – you all inspire me to keep Final Fashion going, and to make sure it is the best it can be.

As with keeping any commitment, I learned a lot.  And some of what I discovered is inspiring some changes in direction for Final Fashion in 2010.  In no particular order, here they are.

1. A more international focus. I love featuring the work of people that I know personally, and so Final Fashion has naturally become very Toronto-centric.  However, in 2010 I will be in the process of setting up a drastic life transition that will eventually take me out of Toronto.  Part of that preparation will happen on the blog – I’ll be reaching out more to foster internet connections with interesting people all over the world.  Also, I will no longer be posting local events – unless my sponsors or I am directly involved, or if they have relevance to people outside of Toronto.
2. More projects, less posting. Some of the most popular posts of 2009 were about projects – especially major ones.  This makes me very happy because I would love to do more projects, especially ones involving collaboration, new techniques, and even clothing design.  To balance a commitment to more studio work, I’m going to go easier on myself when it comes to posting frequently, and focus more on posting about the creative process, and of course exciting reveals of finished projects.
3. A monthly podcast. One of my favourite parts of blogging is the ability to have conversations, and I’d like to raise that bar even higher by having a monthly conversational podcast, featuring some of the smartest thinking people I know talking about fashion news and issues, project collaboration, as well as some more esoteric subjects.
4. Customized sponsorship opportunities. The transition from local to international will definitely affect the type of sponsorship that will fit on Final Fashion and I am up for the challenge.  In addition to the ability to connect sponsors with local influencers (for instance, with sponsored events), I am ready to come up with more ways to help sponsors make connections all over the world.  Want to do giveaways? Want to become the title sponsor for the podcast? Want to have a livelier online presence?  I would love to talk to you about your goals.
5. More audacity. Over the course of five years (!) of blogging, I’ve changed my mind many times about the level of transparency that is appropriate on Final Fashion.  Where do I draw the line when it comes to sharing my opinions, my hopes and fears?  Do I hide my weaknesses and failures? Do I have to avoid controversy? How can I be professional but still keep the humanity that makes a personal blog interesting?  The ability to navigate the nuances of so-called pro blogging has come with experiences, both positive successes and heartbreaking mistakes.  The way I feel about it now: the best blogging – as with writing and any type of art – is real.  I will not compromise expressing myself no matter what the medium, and I will strive to be as authentic as my ability to communicate will allow me.  Thanks to everyone who has rewarded me for pushing through the fear and being willing to take the risk of being real. I learned that I have nothing to lose and so much to gain by just being myself.

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions for the site – either by commenting or you can use the anonymous survey form.  I would also love to know what you have in mind for yourself in 2010.  What did you learn last year, and how have your experiences inspired you to make changes this year?

What was the biggest trend at the SS10 runway season?  Fashion bloggers! Though us bloggy types have been watching this coming for five years now, it seems that the mainstream media has finally decided to embrace, celebrate and vilify fashion bloggers at a high level of broadcast frequency. Like any major trend it inspires strong feelings.  Recently I posted links to four articles about fashion blogging, and now I’d like to take a few excerpts from them and stick my own oar in.  You can stick yours in the comments.

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BlackBook – The Fight of the Fashion Bloggers

All this attention from the fashion mainstream is blurring the line between independent, accessible fashion bloggers and the rest of the industry gatekeepers. The whole allure with fashion blogging is the fact that it’s an alternative to the fashion media. While not all bloggers are rubbing shoulders with those in the industry, when designers are dressing you for their shows and giving you a front-row seat or department stores are sending you packages, a regular gal you are definitely not. Street-style photographers have turned their lens from nameless faces on the street with great style to fashion insiders with access to designers most could only dream of. The dynamics of the conversation in fashion blogs has changed with the reader left now as the only outsider—just like in glossy magazines. And what’s so indie about that?

I don’t think that the perks that successful bloggers enjoy compromises the “allure” of fashion blogging at all.  What’s “indie” about blogging is that the voice on a blog can be individual in a way that a magazine or a group blog cannot be.

The implication in the first part of the article is that the only way to be an authentic blogger is from the outside of the fashion industry – give me a break.  But the author does provide a balanced opinion.

“I think those who are disappointed by advertisement and endorsements need to shut their computers and start living their own lives,” says Bayne. “The internet is the most public and widely accessed domain for self-expression. To imply all bloggers must be inherently indie while broadcasting themselves online is rather contradictory.”

I also like this quote from Anina which points out the hypocrisy of the criticisms directed at fashion bloggers.

Anina, who runs 360FashionNetwork and Anina.net, believes transparency in fashion blogging is very important for credibility of the bloggers. “Fashion bloggers are mistakenly carrying over old media techniques into new media space. Where traditional media cloaks their advertising into editorials, bloggers are supposed to disclose when they are being paid to promote a product.”

Not that everyone does – but the point is that a blogger who makes an effort to disclose business relationships in a way that is honest and professional earns more credibility – just as the New York Times has greater editorial credibility than Vogue.  It is not about the delivery mode of the media – it is about the best practices of individual broadcasters.

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Independent Fashion Bloggers – Fashion Blogging: The Road Ahead

Jennine of The Coveted has stepped up as a leading advocate for fashion bloggers, and IFB is the platform she created to provide resources for fashion bloggers and encourage best practices.  Yet she has been disillusioned by the media blitz this season.

I don’t want to say, ‘back when I first started blogging, it was like this…’ because there are a lot of factors there, mostly around my own eagerness and enthusiasm for my new found voice. I don’t want to say we had a stronger community then, because, well, we didn’t, or there was less gossip then, because there wasn’t.  But I do think that the fact that back then a ‘famous’ fashion blogger only meant famous amongst people who blog, and not everyone knew what a blog was.

Fashion blogging has changed a LOT since 2006.  Back then, when you told your friends you had a blog, they were like “what’s a blog?”  So the only people who visited fashion blogs were… other fashion bloggers.  The community was a lot tighter, and the participants were a lot more invested, but also felt more free to express themselves.  Blogging was seen as a hobby to be enjoyed, rather than a business, or an avenue to fame.  It was more experimental.

But something is changing here, and I’m not sure what it is. I’m not sure if that changes the goals of my blog, and with that it’s direction. Do I keep pushing to make it better? Of course. Do I know what a ‘better blog’ even means? I’m not so sure, as lately, it seems that SOME of the hottest blogs aren’t necessarily the best ones, and best, well, that’s subjective.

Well, we’re all dedicated followers of fashion so we all know that bad taste is not an impediment to fame and financial success.  Even knowing that, the inequalities of merit will still make you want to throw it all out the virtual window sometimes.  Hang in there Jennine.

Be sure to check the comments too to get an idea of how upstart and mid-list bloggers feel about the shift in status.  Bonus – fashion blog fairy godmother Susie Bubble chimes in -

I really do believe, after much thought, that this will all die down within the next year and that the REAL wheat will be separate from the chaff….i.e. those with tenacity, patience and good quality content will prevail and whilst they may not have 100’s and 100’s of comments, they are garnering readership slowly and gradually, as well as being integrated into communities like these….

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Financial Times – Style bloggers take centre stage

“I speak to you as I speak to any of my other friends,” is how Schuman explains his appeal. “I’m not shackled by advertising or an editor. I shoot men on intuition and I shoot women on absolute experience; the quality of what I shoot is so strong that people really don’t have to ask why.” At one recent signing session for Schuman’s first book, also called The Sartorialist, fans waited in line at Liberty in London for four hours.

Schuman hits the nail on the head – as the most successful fashion blogger he should know – and yet what makes him indie is that he calls his own shots both literally and figuratively.  Its incredibly refreshing (and sometimes kind of embarrassing) to read Schuman interviewed in the press because he is so candid – and the reason he can be candid is because he is independent.  This is something that most people in the fashion industry can’t bear to be – thus the reputation for insincerity.  Up until recently it was only Karl Lagerfeld who could say what he really thought.  But if you are independent – guess what – you decide what you can and cannot say.

For luxury houses – and indeed for consumers of high-end fashion – the question that needs to be answered is: how far should we embrace, or not embrace, the bloggers? In part this is clearly a generational issue. Those who write and read blogs are mostly young, and mostly not typical consumers of high-end designer fashion. Conversely, luxury goods consumers are generally wealthier and older and, consequently, less likely to be interested in the esoteric musings of Bryanboy or Tavi.

Since it is the financial times, it does discuss the phenomenon in terms of how a businessperson would want to analyze it.  But several parts of the article were wrongheaded and incorrect.

Antoine Arnault, son of LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault and head of communications for Louis Vuitton, adds: “It is not a question of whether online fashion media is a growing force but of where it will stop.” Christopher Bailey, Burberry’s creative director, explains: “It’s important that the bloggers become well respected. They have a very articulate way of expressing an opinion. The difference between bloggers and traditional press is that [bloggers] are often talking directly to a final consumer.”

LVMH and Christopher Bailey reveal they have no clue.  “Where it will stop.”? What does that even mean?  Bailey’s got it backwards.  Fashion blogging is still an intramural activity.  What happened this season is that the fashion bloggers, in addition to speaking to eachother, were now being followed by the fashion media.  The final consumer, for the most part, still absorbs information through the established channels.  Whether the media blitz for fashion bloggers cannibalizes the audience of big media itself is doubtful.

This guy gets it: fashion blogging is for mavens, not a general audience.

Hugh Devlin, a brand consultant at Withers LLP law firm in London, draws a parallel between such consumers and fervent followers of the royal family: “Similarly, most consumers of luxury don’t want to see behind the curtain. They want to understand the effort that goes into their products but not all the nitty gritty,” he says.

You’d think the Financial Times would do a little research before claiming something is the “first”.  Some PR person at LV must have gotten a pat on the back for this piece of fiction.

Having witnessed blogging’s ability to reach vast global audiences, brands are lining up to launch new digital strategies of their own. During the recent shows, Louis Vuitton became the first fashion brand to broadcast a catwalk show live, through Facebook from Paris, and 50,000 guests from its 750,000-strong Facebook fanbase logged on to watch.

Considering Alexander McQueen streamed his show just the week before, and Victor and Rolf did an innovative online presentation last season, streaming a show over the internet isn’t any newer than… well… fashion blogging.  Nice reporting, FT.

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The Business of Fashion – Fashion 2.0: Social Media Reality Check

Industry blogger Imran Amed does a bit of what I’m doing here – aggregating a bunch of media brouhaha about fashion blogging and social media -  and breaking it down.

Amed points out that it was  a clever PR move by D&G which suddenly propelled fashion blogging to the popular consciousness – but it was a gesture without real substance.

At that now infamous D&G show in Milan, where bloggers were prominently placed in the front row for all to see, laptops were also set up in front of their seats. The objective, it appears, was to make it look like they were “live” blogging and tweeting during the show, even though none of the selected photobloggers (Scott Schuman, Tommy Ton, and Garance Doré) work in this way.

As a PR stunt, the illusion of live blogging may have done wonders for D&G as press photos of the bloggers appeared in major publications around the world. Conjuring up images of young people streaming their ideas live from the front row made for a great story, but it probably made the bloggers themselves feel uncomfortable.

Amed also praises members of the media industry who have gone beyond rehashing the D&G blogger coup and understand that bloggers are now a part of the media, not its usurpers.

Jefferson Hack, Editorial Director of Dazed Group, has taken this one step further. When hiring for Dazed Digital a few years back, he did not look to traditional editors or photographers to lead his new digital team. Rather, he turned to the internet’s burgeoning fashion talents, hiring photographer Alistair Allan as Digital Director and prodigious fashion blogger Susie Bubble as Commissioning Editor. Long before much of the mainstream media was even paying attention to bloggers, Jefferson was already learning from them.

Look at this alexa chart – whoa!

Still, I regularly hear reports of major online fashion properties who “can’t find the budgets” to hire young digital natives to help them amp up their online content. This is pennywise, pound foolish, especially as these young talents can be hired for a fraction of the cost of major photo shoot or big-time editor.

Well said.  The idea that the internet is a complicated and expensive enemy is old-fashioned – and if there is one thing that will kill your business in this industry – it is being demode.

2009 was a difficult year, despite some success professionally and some good times.  If you’ve followed Final Fashion for a while you’ll know that I love making and abiding by yearly resolutions, so at this time of year I’m thinking about what I’d like to do differently next time around.

As narcissistic as it sounds, 2009 was a bad year for me appearance-wise.  It started out great – a great haircut growing out, some flattering photos on facebook – and then it all went downhill in the springtime.  I got the first of a series of awkward haircuts.  The recession was in full swing and the sense of anxiety was affecting my business.  So I caved in to the promise of a free haircut at a hair school.  The results were… for lack of better word, very hair school.  Not that it was a poorly executed haircut – I was the teacher’s model.  Its just that it was so avant-garde it was verging on unwearable, and beyond my at-home styling skills to render wearable.  I likened it to “wearing a stiletto on my head”, in that it was high-maintenance and weirdly uncomfortable.  I am not a stiletto-wearing girl.

I was offered a second haircut from the same school and I went back, only to get an even stranger haircut and a hair colour.  The hair colour was pretty nice – a “believable blonde” was what they called it, but the haircut was just weird.  It was short on one side, had short bangs, and a “stair-step” bob on the other side.  It was like they left a bit on there just to be fancy, and again, it was verging on unwearable.

At the time I had just been cast as an extra in a major motion picture that shall for now remain unnamed on this blog.  (HINT: guess elsewhere or you’ll get me in trouble.)  I needed the cash.  So I had to keep the haircut for a while.  The film people liked it because it had a cool silhouette.  The extra experience is a lot like being in high school again (I’ll write more about this when the movie comes out).  The other thing that was a lot like being in high school was the zits.  The makeup people were committed to doing up all of the girls with makeup.  I don’t wear makeup usually and my face isn’t used to it – the results – the most awful bout of pimples took over my life.  I even wrote a post about it.

Once shooting was over, I got the haircut modified into something reasonably wearable but very, very short.  Over the next few months, the believable blonde grew out, the short haircut went through a series of awkward stages, and I struggled with my face, and generally felt unpretty.

Here’s the thing.  I’m 27 years old and I am not an unattractive person.  I had never felt unattractive before.  If I was looking at the plus side, I was gaining a lot of empathy for people who feel ugly.  Its a bad way to be.  But I was sure that I could get in control of this thing.  After all, I’m 27 years old and not unattractive.  These should be the hottest years of my life.

The hair would just take patience.  But the skin issues needed attention.  Not that I could help but pay attention – every reflective surface kept it at the front of my mind.  I washed my face – a lot.  Too much?  I washed my pillowcase every other day.  I tried to drink a lot of water.  I gave my face steam baths with tea tree oil.  I tried to sit in the sun more.  I tried not to touch my face.  And none of these things seemed to make a difference.

Eventually, thanks to this post by Gala Darling, I tried the Perfect Skin supplement by Genuine Health.  I was skeptical, but within a week of taking it I saw a difference.  I found a face wash and toner – Clean Start by Dermalogica – that seemed to do a good job too.  And a couple products by Clinique – the green concealer and the clay face mask – also seemed to go a long way to helping my face.  A couple months later, I am blemish free though my face still bears the fading vestiges of a long battle.  Keeping up with the supplement seems to work wonders for my skin and I hope that soon it will be as flawless as it ever was.

My hair right now is at that funny-looking stage between short and long.  It sort of looks like I have dog ears so I have to pin it back or wear a hairband for now.  I am done with haircuts.  My resolutions for next year – long, beautiful hair (my inspirations are the perfect hair of the girls on The City and Gossip Girl) and clear, beautiful skin. Because feeling pretty makes the rest of life’s trials seem that much easier to overcome. Here’s to being hot in 2010.

It is traditional at fashion weeks around the world – bitching. Whether its the Tuileries dust in your Louboutins (to add insult to injury the shoes are also hurting your feet) or the supreme injustices of seating charts, nothing seems to go with a fashion week better than a fine, over-privileged whine.

You can tell who the newbies are at fashion week.  They are the ones who are gobsmacked at the outrageous corruption, the rank amateurism, the pointless pecking orders, and most of all, the reluctance among the “media establishment” to shine light on all of the rotten mess.  Ah, yes, we were all newbies once.

You can tell who the total pros are at fashion week.  They are the ones who swiftly do their jobs before heading to the exit, all the time with a stony expression hiding their true feelings, and when pressed they will only divulge the most diplomatic of non-statements, the careful choice of wording is like a code that only their fellow veterans can decipher.  Its not that they are colluding when they won’t broach the same old fashion week gripes – they’re just bored by them because it is the same every season.

In between, there are all of the various attendees who may or may not be performing useful work – the stylists and accessory designers, public relations teams, proud parents, party animals, favourite clients, local TV personalities, under-appreciated volunteers, bloggerel and doggerel.  All lined up cheek to cheek like sardines inside a tiny tent.  No wonder wearing love wears thin so quickly.  Its enough to send even the most socially sophisticated into ill-fitting rage.

If a fashion week attendee is smart, they will stuff all the rage into a gift baggie, take it home ASAP, shred it into tiny pieces, roll it up snugly and burn it in a purifying ceremony.  After all, its just fashion.  Chill out.

If a fashion week attendee spends too long at too many fashion weeks, and takes it all too seriously, they will be tempted to start raging online – where rather than purifying, flames have a tendency to spread out of control.

These thoughts are all a preamble to my reaction to this article – one of the worst posts written by a good writer that I’ve ever seen. In the spirit of dispelling the silence we usually hold about these things, I feel compelled to share a few candid thoughts:

1. Even good writers can write very badly, but especially so if the assignment is to post reactions and reviews very quickly.  There is this idea that blogging’s great advantage is speed.  I disagree – but that’s another post.
2. If the editors are approving, it may not always be in the blogger’s best interest.  Nothing draws traffic like flames – negativity sucks in clicks like oxygen on the internet and it seems like most online news editors don’t distinguish between quantity and quality of traffic for obvious economic incentives.  SNP had two right instincts in the first part of the article – “I thought I might feel bad about it” and “I’d rather ignore … their ilk entirely”. Its a shame she didn’t trust her gut on either of these, because the post might have been a good one minus the first half.
3. “The unwritten rule of Toronto fashion show reviewing is this: if you can’t say something positive, sssshh.” This is actually the unwritten rule everywhere in fashion reviewing.  Its not so much that expressing negativity should never be done – its just that when it is done inexpertly it damages both the subject and the reviewer.  A well done negative review should encourage the subject to strive towards improvement – this demonstrates the reviewer is a caring, genuine, intelligent person. A crap negative review angers the subject and reveals the worst character traits of the reviewer.  I have learned this the hard way.
4. “I’m also pretty secure in knowing that those who matter (editors, peers) approve privately, so those who don’t (anonymous commenters) can screech all they want.” I’m not anonymous and I have no idea if I matter, but I don’t approve, for what its worth. If “former gifted student” is uncalled for, calling someone’s mother a “battleship” should merit an apology, seriously.  Listen for the deafening silence – if those who matter don’t approve of your work, they won’t tell you.

Its incredibly difficult to express a negative opinion, and this post just proved that to me all over again.  There is nothing wrong about media demanding a higher caliber of work from our designers and fashion show producers, but its far more credible to do it when our own work is beyond reproach.  Lets all strive to do better next season.

There are a number of ways to get into any fashion week, and in particular I’ve got a few tips for ways to attend fashion week in Toronto.  For those who want to go, try one of these, which I have sort of listed roughly in order of how cool they are.

1. Get invited. The designers all get a certain amounts of invitations to give out and if you already know someone they might want to invite you.  Or maybe a friend is going and they have a plus-one.  You are more likely to get invited if you actually have the business to be there.
2. Work it. Be a designer or a model or a makeup artist or a volunteer co-ordinator or a publicist or a sponsor or an industry member in some capacity.
3. Buy a press pass. Write for a newspaper, have a TV show, work for a magazine and your employer will buy it for you.  If not, do you have a website?  If not, volunteer or get yourself hired to write for another website or publication.  Then, when you get in, work it.  Its getting competitive in the media room ever since they started posting press on the wall throughout the week.
4. Be famous. Have your people arrange it.
5. Win a ticket. Google around. A lot of sponsors, presenters, media outlets and bloggers will get passes to give out in contests, designed to get the word out.  Often they get a lot less contest entries than you’d think, so its always worth dropping in an entry.
6. Volunteer. Either for the FDCC or for one of the designers.  Putting on a fashion week is a lot of work so its not very hard to find someone who would be grateful for a little help.
7. Get invited on facebook. Friend request all your favourite designers.  They will often send invites out to their friends/fans.  Remember to read the invitation details carefully because just RSVP’ing on facebook usually doesn’t get your name on the guestlist.  You need to RSVP by email.
8. Buy a ticket. The FDCC sells them in Toronto.  Even NYC sells consumer tickets through sponsor American Express.
9. Request an invitation. This year I’ve heard even more seats were added to the runway, which means that the daytime shows that tend to struggle to fill a house will have an even harder time filling it this season.  Simply email and ask, and if a designer happens to have room on the RSVP list they’ll add you.  This usually won’t work for popular shows.
10. Sneak in. I’m not telling you how to do this, and we’re not supposed to admit we’ve done it, but it is kind of a fashion kid rite of passage.

Do you have a thrift store philosophy?  If I do, it is “thrift without looking thrifty”.  There is an art to selecting items – Tricia of Bits & Bobbins is the master of this.  After much practice, I have discovered my own simple tao of thrift, resulting in some truly satisfying (if less colourful) finds.  This weekend I picked up a never-worn pair of Paper Denim & Cloth jeans, in my size and my favourite wash – dark, no stretch, no fade.  Other great finds I wear all of the time like these sandals, and this shirt in the outfit on the left.  The costs per wear are practically nothing, yet nothing about it looks like cheap second-hand clothes.

I used to be quite awful at thrifting as a teenager.  I would select things without much thought – desperately wanting to find something cool and picking up less-than-ideal bell bottoms, fur coats full of moths that ate my wool sweaters, long polyester skirts, ill-fitting jackets and of course, cheap old slips, filling cardboard boxes with the unworn spoils of my pocket change.  Back in those days at those prices (most things were under a dollar, imagine!) the financial damage was limited – the moth damage was devastating.

Once I came to Toronto where the prices were higher and the choice was much broader, the stakes were raised and I stopped thrifting for a while.  But I have come back to it, and now I put more thought into it.

I go as frequently as possible, and set aside at least an hour or two to do it.  Weekdays are better than weekends, less busy and more recent deliveries. I never go looking for anything specific, and often leave without buying anything.  Like the library, the thrift store is best approached with an open mind, allowing serendipity to draw you towards what you don’t know you’re looking for.

Here is my thrift technique:

1. Run your hands across the fabrics looking for good ones.  How to tell a good fabric – a good fabric feels good.  If it does…
2. Look at the label.  Is it a size that might fit you?  If so…
3. Look at the colour and style.  Does it suit your taste?  If so…
4. Look at the fabric content if possible… natural fibres are often indicative of quality – but always consider the touch of the fabric.  A soft, top quality polyester blend is better than an itchy 100% wool.
5. Anything else that makes it worth trying on… an interesting label?  Made in an interesting location? Nice pockets and lining? Good condition? A good price?
6. Only if it satisfies all these criteria, try it on.  Is it an absolute yes?  If not – a slight yes, any mixed feelings at all, its really a NO.  Only buy things that are great without reservations.  That is the trick to thrifting without looking thrifty.

Do you have a thrift store philosophy?  Any great finds lately?

Today I forgot it was frosh week (I thought that was supposed to happen after Labour Day?) and found myself going to the library and the mall surrounded by throngs of students.  It reminded me a bit of my first few overwhelming days at fashion school.  So, here are some comments from my experience as a fashion student.

1. Use the Library. Its a tremendous resource that your tuition dollars pay for.  Getting familiar with the library is an incredible joy.  You can watch DVDs, leaf through magazines from the past fifty years on hundreds of different subjects, learn to search the stacks intuitively.  It helps you with your grades – but better than that, it helps you be a better writer and a better designer, an inspired and curious human being.
2. Read your assignments. Most of school is just about checking if you’ve paid attention.  So pay attention.  Listen.
3. Go to your classes. It cuts down the amount of time you need to study and makes exam time much less stressful.
4. Don’t stress about grades. If you’re doing the first three things, you’ve got nothing to worry about.
5. Experience is more important than school. The best reason to skip a class is attending or working a fashion event.
6. Use a planner. Don’t be like I was.  I actually forgot a mid-term once.
7. Don’t stress about how you dress or how you design in the beginning. Fashion students can get away with outrageous ideas and bad taste, and bad choices in fabrics and design details, ridiculous haircuts and outfits, or complete lack of clue, especially in first year.  Experimentation and practice leads to more confident, better constructed, more deliberate designs.  No one starts out as a fashion rockstar, except YSL types.
8. Get up early in the morning. This was my secret strategy in fashion school where I never did a single all-nighter and submitted every project.  Get to school at 6am.  Ok, lets be real, before 8am. Early in the morning, the lab is empty, no lineups for machines, empty tables.  Get your homework done before class instead of after.
9. Choose your designs, fabric and techniques to fit within your means and time available. Unfortunately the best way to really learn this is by doing the exact opposite at least once.
10. Appreciate. Going to fashion school is a tremendous privilege.  You can do things there that aren’t possible anywhere else, make amazing friends, learn new skills.  Enjoy it and be thankful!

Are you a former fashion student?  What are your tips for making the most of your fashion school years?