This week’s industry insider is Editor-in-Chief of Yahoo! Shine, Jennifer Romolini, who spoke to us about her personal style, the rise of the blogger, and just why fashion publishing isn’t dead.
Overseeing all content and editorial decisions for one of the top women’s’ lifestyle websites, Jennifer is nothing short of an expert on all things fashion and beauty. From previous roles as Lucky magazine’s Deputy Editor, to editorial positions at Time Out New York, the New York Times, the New York Post, Lifetime, Better Homes and Gardens, among others.
“I think it’s incredible how much more immediate, accessible, personalized and honest fashion coverage can be on the web. Coverage on the internet and across mobile has something for everyone—no matter your taste, body, age, or finances.”
Q: How did you get started in the fashion industry and Yahoo! Shine?
Jennifer: In the early 2000s, I was a freelance fact checker at Lucky Magazine, wound up (literally) stumbling into a few serendipitous conversations with (then editor-in-chief) Kim France and we hit it off. A couple years later, Kim hired me back to Lucky as an editor, something I’m super grateful for. She’s a smart, generous editor, with a unique take on fashion and she taught me how to write about style with authenticity and humor.
With Shine, it was another break. Then editor in chief, Brandon Holley, was looking for a fashion editor for her new site. She had read my Lucky blog about eBay shopping and thought I had the right voice for her vision for Shine. People thought I was bonkers to leave a senior job at Condé Nast and go to the internet (this was early 2008), but I’ve felt so crazy-fortunate to make the jump when I did.
Q: Can you tell us a bit about what’s happening at Yahoo! Shine and what you’re most excited about for the near future?
Jennifer: We recently launched The Shine, a daily video show which tackles the latest trends in fashion, beauty, relationships, health, careers, personal finance, home décor, and food. We also have some exciting programs coming up in the fashion area this fall.
Q: What do you love most about your job?
Jennifer: I love the collaboration. I work with a group of smart, creative, funny women who inspire me and I love that get to help them make their work (and in the process, the site) stronger and guide them in figuring out their careers. I was lucky enough to have amazing, strong female mentors and my greatest goal is to give that back.
Q: How would you describe your sense of style? Do you have any particular style inspirations these days?
Jennifer: My style is a mix of vintage-inspired and rebelliously professional. I’ve reached a point where I need to look like a grown up for my job, but I always try to add a detail that still feels very me—a tie-neck blouse with horses printed on it, a 60s-flower brooch, neon nails, a messy, undone bun.
My only real style mantra is that the right red lipstick can make any outfit look cooler. I rarely leave the house without it. I am forever trying to look like: Marianne Faithfull in the ’70s, Meryl Streep in Kramer vs. Kramer, Julie Delpy in 2 Days in Paris, and my latest style obsession: Melanie Laurent in Beginners.
Q: Is there anything in your closet that you couldn’t stand to throw away?
Jennifer: This sounds so lame, but my wedding dress. My husband and I got married in City Hall and I wore an off-white wool shift by Narciso Rodriguez that I picked-up last minute at Kirna Zabete. It has a little caplet that I loved so much sometimes I just open the closet to look at it, maybe because it’s the most pristine and ladylike thing I’ve ever worn.
Q: Now more than ever fashion has been emerging itself into the digital realm. What are your thoughts about the industry’s transition into a tech-friendly platform?
Jennifer: I think it’s incredible how much more immediate, accessible, personalized and honest fashion coverage can be on the web. It used to be, you had a team of skinny women sitting in a posh magazine office dictating what we all should wear; recommending an expensive pair of shoes they got for free that you could never afford, or a “pant” some fancy designer told them looked great but would never work for 95% of women’s hips. Fashion coverage on the internet and across mobile has something for everyone—no matter your taste, body, age, or finances. It’s also easier, like, I like those shoes, and I can click to buy them! Though, of course that can be dangerous.
Q: On that note, is there a particular fashion app that you can’t live without?
Jennifer: I am an eBay obsessive for life—I check my eBay app watch list constantly (even in traffic, although I don’t recommend it).
Jennifer with her daughter, Charlotte
Q: How do you think that blogging, online platforms, digital media and social networks are affecting the fashion industry?
Jennifer: The broad strokes are that there’s a lot more transparency and instant feedback (like real-time reviews) and they’ve made the industry respond to women’s needs better, made fashion more affordable and something that fits most of us better. If you think about it, all of these designer diffusion lines came post-fashion-bloggers, along with lines like Levi’s Curves. Bloggers and “real women” have more influence than ever on what retailers put out—I think it’s all super positive for the consumer.
Q: Right now there seems to be a “Rise of the Blogger” – Given the circumstances, which style bloggers top your list of must-see sites?
Jennifer: I tend to connect most with fashion writing that doesn’t take itself too seriously, that has a sense of humor, that’s unexpected and inspiring and sometimes even feels a little unhinged. Right now I’m following Kim France’s new blog Girlsofacertainage, Man Repeller, and Rookie’s style blog, the tone of which—even though it’s totally not my demo—is so spot-on and fun.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Jennifer: People think that publishing is dead and they romanticize the glossy-magazine salad days. But they’ve got it wrong: This is the most exciting time to be in fashion (or any other) publishing—we have the ability to reach and connect with more women in a more profound way than ever before.
