Having the title of Fashion Editor was once a highly coveted position that one had to study fashion or art history, sling tons of coffee, maintain the hectic movement of samples as an intern, and then finally be promoted to assistant. Not today; just go online and start a blog or reality show. This has skyrocketed marketing into a whole new dimension. Like I mentioned previously about virtual reality (VR) technology taking over the runway, influencers are taking over fashion. And at the risk of sounding repetitive, things are changing at record pace with social commerce technologies. So much so that social media has bred a new fashion authority. Except it’s happening even faster as the consumer wants to interact with brands in a more personal way. Influencers like the Kardashians, the Jenners, Who What Wear’s Hillary Kerr and Katherine Power, Aimee Song of Song of Style, etc. have hundreds of millions of followers collectively that seem to regard their opinions far more than an ad or editorial in a magazine.
I remember the days when the big Vogue issue dropped and we all ran to snap it up, or at least received it plastic wrapped on our doorsteps. We were clambering for which models were wearing what designers’ new collection each month. Now it’s all about catching a glance of the latest looks via daily online feed from various random influencers. I can’t remember the last time I picked up a fashion magazine or even had a subscription to one. And I’m not alone. I always do a check in with my Parsons’ students to get the scoop on what savvy millennials are up to and it seems to be the same. The winner of the title, most viewed “fashion mag” is Instagram. Influencers and even the old guard are using the platform as the place to show fashion. I feel like it’s not even about the actual blogs anymore as much as it’s about their Instagram pages.
Influencers are known for their personal style, and their personalities. Followers visit them because they relate their personal experiences to their style in real-time. In fact, many of them display an event they have chosen a specific outfit for, or how they have chosen the outfit based on a mood. It’s that storytelling aspect of what they wear, which allows followers to forge a personal connection to them and their lifestyle. Fashion publications were a bit slow to react to this new way of communicating to consumers thus fell behind. And of course, waiting for a monthly hardcopy that’s already obsolete when it arrives doesn’t help, especially when fashion news has become so up-to-the-minute. Hence the days of offering free goodies for editorial coverage or big budget ad campaigns to magazines, has switched to hiring social influencers. I’ve been waiting a while now for the other shoe to drop, when fashion editors flip the script back to their favor. Is that time going to come? Of course, editors are not too happy that their once elite positions of front row at fashion everything is being filled by influencers who may not even have a fashion background. And the publishing houses are shrinking like a cashmere sweater on the tumble dry cycle. Personally, I look at all change like the horse and buggy to automobile. Pull up your big girl knickers and shift gears.
Influencers have become prominent members of the fashion world whether we like it or not. They are constantly featured in blogs and mags during fashion week and collaborate with brand names on clothing lines and beauty products. After all, they seem accessible and offer inspiration to the general public, as well their content is free to everyone with Internet access. As a once traditional magazine reader, I have to wonder if it’s possible that they will become more famous than fashion magazines. As much as I miss my beloved fashion editors of my fave mags, I don’t mind the real-time fashion access so long as it’s a reliable source. That becomes a question…what makes an influencer with no previous fashion industry experience a reliable source? Is it the amount of followers that then pushes them into the sphere where sought after brands product place with them, which then ups their style cachet hence credibility?
Fashion magazine editors are very selective when it comes to featuring clothing and trends in their publication and, depending on the publication, do not tell readers how they should be worn. They state the trends and let readers decide how they want to style them. Fashion influencers offer a more personal perspective to mainstream and the world. As I’m writing this, I checked my feed and Kendall (the fact that I don’t need to write her last name is telltale) is rocking waist high boots (not thigh high!) by Vetements, and is also on the Empire State Building in the Harper’s Bazaar 150th anniversary ad campaign. OK, I give in… I think influencers are not only surpassing fashion editors, but are possibly the new icons…like rock stars.
Michelle Alleyne and Sandra Roy
Ms. Alleyne is MShopNYC.com Founder
Parsons School of Fashion Professor
Instagram/Twitter/Snapchat @mshopnyc
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