Does anyone have suggestions for a source of good information on Fashion Week? I mean basic reporting that isn't breathless and fawning like the Times, and doesn't suck like Slate?
Slate's Fashion Week coverage used to be good, back when they had that guy from Tuleh. What happened to him? He knew a lot about fashion, understood the industry, and he wasn't afraid to have an opinion. Last year they replaced him with someone else who didn't seem to know as much about fashion, but at least made an attempt. This time they've got a new guy who announces up front that he's never been to Fashion Week before and knows nothing about fashion. Because you know, ignorance and inexperience are just what I look for in a journalist. I'm glad Slate and I have the same standards in that regard.
In the new guy's first three articles, he gives us the amazing revelations that:
- Betsey Johnson looks like a clown.
- Runway models aren't hot.
- Some socialite named Natalie Reid is stupid.
Did Slate pay that guy for this? Why? He didn't say a word about the clothes until the third article, and even then barely mentioned them in between snarky descriptions of attendees. Back when Style Network was showing Fashiontrance, we had an abudance of riches in Fashion Week coverage. Now we're reduced to this? Guy from Tuleh, come back!
[ETA: Fashion Blogs We Like lists several blogs doing good coverage of the shows, with photos. Thanks to Alicia for the link!]
I'm not going to claim this coverage is good (it's not like I can tell the difference), but the girls at the fug blog are writing up some pieces for New York Magazine here: http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/
I think it's part of the new bitchiness trend. I hear that the contestants on 'Project Runway' this season are encouraged to make scathing nasty comments about each other as well. Apparently people find this amusing. I enjoyed the previous season (haven't seen this one yet because I'll wait for it on DVD) & thought that Santino's humor & singing made up for him sometimes straying into gratuitous unpleasantness. But now bitchiness is the rule. Probably that guy you're talking about was hired for his bitch credentials rather than anything else. Call me a jaded old fogey.
Maybe he didn't say anything about the clothes because he was too flabergasted. The clothes are all shit. Isn't that why you wear fashions from 40 years ago?
Alicia: thanks, I'll check out the NY Magazine coverage!
Goldcube: I wouldn't mind the bitchiness so much -- actually I would mind it but I would put up with it -- if he would at least talk about the clothes once in a while. Santino was a total jerk sometimes, I didn't like when he was gratuitously mean, but he was talented. And the imitations of Tim Gunn were funny. I haven't seen season 3 either because we don't get Bravo. We're waiting for the DVDs too.
Paul: I don't agree that the clothes on the runway these days are all shit. Lots of them are, but Sturgeon's Law applies to fashion the same as everything else. I don't hate modern fashion; it's just not my style.
Sturgeon's Law huh. I didn't know that had a name. Yes, there are always notable exceptions to the everything is crap rule.
I thought Sturgeon's Law was "90% of everything is crap," but Wikipedia tells me that's actually Sturgeon's Revelation. Go figure!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturgeon%27s_Law