The Evolution of the Fashion Journalist
Since the invention of the fashion magazine in the late 1700s, fashion journalism has been a career that has evolved several times over. According to Glam Observer, For centuries, the role of a fashion journalist was to write fashion content that appealed to primarily women, giving them a creative escape from their busy days as housewives and mothers. Today, a fashion journalist holds the responsibility of writing for people of all interests through the evolution of what they’re capable of.
The New Portfolio-Builder
Working up to a higher position in the fashion journalism industry is more competitive than it's ever been. One major way aspiring fashion journalists build their portfolio in 2021 is through blogs. According to MasterClass, Anna Wintour states that one of the steps to becoming a fashion journalist is to create a blog where you can share your work easily across the media landscape. It’s important for the fashion journalist to have the capability and experience of multi-platform writing. Outsiders underestimate the competitive and fast-paced nature of this industry when it is only intensifying as the digital era takes over.
Social Media
Social media, if utilized strategically, has become a valuable tool for fashion journalists. Those who would be interested in a magazine or blog may not hear about the story until it pops up on their Instagram feed with a link. Social media allows the general eye to have access to the fashion world without being an expert. According to writer Han, Runway shows used to be restricted to a few privileged editors and buyers, but many brands now live-stream their shows on Instagram for the world to see. A successful fashion journalist in 2021 can be seen creating eye-catching graphics that draw readers of different interests in.
New Point of View
Fashion trends resurface and fade, continuing this cycle that’s been ongoing since the industry came to life. Fashion journalists work to discover a fresh perspective on old trends; without a new point of view, they cannot provide true writing for their publications and readers. According to Han, Fashion journalist Vanessa Friedman explained that a successful fashion journalist should be able to elevate their thoughts from a layperson’s opinion into a credible critique. A true writer can take something they learned in the industry and present it to readers in a fresh, new way.
The fashion industry is constantly changing, keeping the fashion journalist eager to write and share these changes with the world. Thanks to technology and new points of view, fashion journalists are capable of different content aside from print writing, making the future of the industry an exciting one as we welcome this predominantly digital era.
References
Han, T. (2019, May 2). How to be a FASHION journalist, with Vanessa Friedman.
https://thaddeushan.medium.com/how-to-be-a-fashion-journalist-with-vanessa-friedman-da397e79a325
MasterClass. (2020, November 8). How to become a fashion journalist in 5 steps - 2021.
Team, G., & Graziano, G. (2020, November 4). The history of fashion MAGAZINES, how they
operate and what has changed. https://www.glamobserver.com/the-history-of-fashion-magazines-how-they-operate-and-what-has-changed/
Graphics by: Ned Feininger