Whether we want to admit it or not, this is the generation of the blogger (and these style-saavy fashion enthusiasts are only getting started). There was a time when front row seats at Fashion Week were filled only with high-power Editors from Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, Buyers from Bergdorf Goodman and A-list celebrities, often whom had been named the “muse” of the Designer.
In recent years however, the game has changed and joining the aforementioned front row staples are internationally recognized fashion bloggers such as Bryanboy and the barely teenaged Tavi Gevinson. In fact, a 2010 article published by Why This Way Founder, Macala Wright states that 53% of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week’s overall coverage came directly from online articles and blog posts.
It’s clearly evident that the presence of style bloggers, not only in visibility but also in influence, has flourished exponentially.
The rise of the fashion blogger has become a hot topic in the fashion community. Why are bloggers so influential? Do consumers trust fashion bloggers more than established fashion authorities and magazines? Do fashion bloggers deserve their “celebrity status” and the perks that come with it? Regardless of your position, it’s clear that fashion bloggers have become a new type of fashion authority. They type and the people listen…but why?
Fashion Bloggers have the ability to build their own personalized brand and attract an audience that relates to the online journalists personal style and the voice in which they write. For example, San Francisco based “blogess” Blair Eadie of Atlantic-Pacific has become a go-to fashion source for feminine Audrey Hepburn types worldwide.
Her website chronicles her personal style through an online look book that is updated daily, and her success can be partly attributed to her accessibility. Donning the latest styles from contemporary retailers such as Zara and H&M, Eadie’s subscribers can literally recreate her looks via the links she provides to where each piece was purchased.
In addition to Eadie’s personal site, her online presence is vast with accounts on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and BlogLovin’. Eadie’s followers know exactly what they are going to get when they visit her website and it’s that continuity that keeps thousands of subscribers returning.
Their accessibility aside, it’s fashion bloggers instantaneous response to fashion and their real time feedback that has changed the platform of fashion reporting. While long-lead media prepares their “books” up to four months in advance, bloggers have the ability to stay on top of trends and report on breaking fashion news promptly. Bloggers have forced print publications to significantly up their online editorial content in an effort to keep their readers intrigued.
Furthermore, social media allows bloggers to invite their followers to an exclusive world of glamor and style. Social media apps such as Twitter and Instagram, provide digital journalists with a platform to invite “commoners” in to invite-only fashion shows, celebrity events and designer previews. It’s like showing up to a party you weren’t invited to and not getting in trouble!
Whether you’re a fan or a foe of bloggers, there is no denying that their influence in the fashion community is growing and although the saying states ‘the faster they rise; the harder they fall’, the reign of the blogger looks like it’s here to stay.
For more information on Jessica’s work, be sure to follow her on Twitter for the latest updates: @jessdenomme
[College Fashion, Atlantic-Pacific and Zimbio]
