Challenging times are ahead for the glossy magazines that I loved so dearly growing up. I got an email from my best friend and fellow stylist on Monday: Re: The September Issue is DEAD. Can this be true? And if so, what does that even mean?
September marks the beginning of Fall. Transitioning from the sheer nakedness of summer into layers and textures. Summer is over, school and work commence as we finish off the year as strong as we started it. For the fashion industry, and those who follow it, The September issue has been the Bible. It is loaded with the freshest in Fall fashion showcased and beautifully curated by the masterminds behind what is “IN”. The editors.
Growing up I would plaster my walls with beautiful spreads from W and Vogue. It was the first time that I had seen clothes and fashion used in a way that really spoke to me. These images were an expression and an extension of the creators vision and I couldn’t get enough of them. Imagination was stretched and fantasy was born within me. It was in these pages that I developed my craft as a stylist.
The way that we receive information has evolved drastically. We live in the digital age where everything is available to us in an instant and on our phones. There is no need to wait until September to see what’s happening for Fall. After all, we saw everything on the runway in February! If knowledge is power then the editors of these publications have nothing on us. There is no surprise and reveal when your favorite celebrity influencer is live-streaming the preview from the front row.
With the onset of fast fashion and even faster celebrity influence, can anyone catch up and stay there? Is the patriarchy of the magazine editor over? And if so, are we at the mercy of the celebrity du jour? At what point do we start finding inspiration outside of what someone else dictates to us and find it within ourselves?
We’d like to hear from you. What drives your creative fires? Are they in the pages of a magazine, or in your Instagram feed? How do you remain an Individual in a Social Media driven world?
