
There's a new girl in town. She looks like a model, but she is none. She wears clothes like in an editorial, but on the street. Up to now she was busy backstage, but since streetstyle photographers, particularly noting Jak&Jil, can turn everyone into icons, she's clearly leading the race - the editorialista.
She has the exclusive first hand on the most beautiful dresses of the season, she always knows where and when to wear what. She knows the designers and buyers, she gets everything cheaper and faster than the rest of us. She's the new it-girl, but unlike her contemporary competitors Paris Hilton and Cory Kennedy, she has a job: she works for Vogue or Elle.
Carine Roitfeld, chief editor of the French Vogue, is heading that phenomenon, surrounded by her stylish Armada: Mélanie Huynh, Emmanuelle Alt, Claire Dhelens and Geraldine Saglio, almost as often pictured as their beautiful boss. Attribute of the french gang: cohesive style.
Alongside the editorialistas francais shine Kate Lanphear with her white short hair, style director of Elle Mag, Taylor Tomasi, accessory director of Teen Vogue and the stunning Italian Giovanna Battaglia, fashion editor at L'Uomo Vogue. Dragging behind is conservatively styled Anna Wintour, who is no leading figure in that game.
The editorialistas dominate the game, since they make the rules. They are wearing now, what we are still lusting after on the runway pics. Their talent for combination is outstanding, their courage unbroken. Fashionblogs analyse every single bit - it's worth an entry, when Carine is wearing the collar of her Margiela coat down instead of up. In the past times editors pushed models in the spotlight, now they are in the focus of attention.
The beauty-pressure is rising. To persist in the fashion industry, that is not too known for its considerateness, you have to make an effort. If you want to write about style, you've got to have and show it. And how to wear the beautiful samples if you can't fit into them? The days when women like Suzy Menkes or Cathy Horyn, who both far away from size 0 or the will to get up 3 hours early for the perfect hairstyle, get successfull, seem to be numbered. The youngsters should be a constant object for the best streetstyle blogs, if they want to be taken seriously.
That does not only affect print, but even more online journalism, where mostly those who are most beautiful, stylish, fotogenic and skinny seem to be the most successfull. The relevance of a blog might already be questioned, if the author wears the wrong socks or the blogger runs out of money for new clothes. That symptom stands in opposition to the former promise fashionblogs would turn fashion into something more democratic and open. Where old stereotypes could be torn down, they are manifested in many ways. The one with the lowest weight, the newest jacket and the most expensive bag wins the game.
Maybe it has always been like that, and is just more visible these days. And: who knows what Sarah Mower looks like?
picture: The French Gang, pictured by Jak&Jil.
PS: Adrian Corsin already addressed that phenomenon months ago at Jak&Jil, calling her the "editrix". Of course his English is way better than mine, if you want to read my German version, click here.
PPS: And Miss Bubble explained just now why she is just not very enthusiastic about the editorialista's style.