Fashion Editors/Stylists as Celebs:The Focus on Their Personal Style & Not Their Work

[BerlinRocks]

Regarding recent comments in the Isabel Marant and Balmain threads (the conversation mainly concerns Emmanuelle Alt, to be frank), I wanted to open this thread where we could discuss about this new situation in fashion world ...

I don't know why, but in a way it reminds me what happened (and was still in conversation in the early 00s) in the art world when curators (austellungmacher/ exhibition maker etc.) became more important than the artists and artworks they exhibited in the 1980s, 1990s etc. The whole exhibition concept, status etc. was at this same period (and due to this situation mostly) rethought ...

So what do you think about this recent focus and media attention fashion editors faced (especially because of the 'streetstyle' blogs) and how does this new power they have in hands affect their work ?!

We should certainly post pictures (i would love to do that but i'm not that patient and hard-worker!) comparing for instance E. Alt's own style and the attitude and style she tries to impose on the catwalks ....

Look at the silhouettes she made for Marant and compare them to her ow style, you'll see it screams Altism ....

- comments from Isabel Marant FW09.10 thread

wheneveriwakeup :

Idk maybe I'm too old school, but a part of me wishes all these stylists would've remained enigmas... it's becoming much too difficult to separate their own personal style from their achievements as stylists.... It's a shame because a lot of these people are truly talented...

Alt, Roitfeld, Lanphear, etc... the immense interest in their personal style, lives and philosophy on clothes + fashion is understandable..
Let's be frank, it is nice to see pictures of people with true style, whether they be fashion types or random individuals on the street... and one can't help but wonder what these people are like and also what kind of things these people may find appealing...
But this almost celeb-like frenzy in regards to these people is taking a toll on the richness and strength of their work as stylists...

But ah, I digress... am def. on a tangent... sorry mods!

laika :

I agree 100% and I think this really needed to be said. Personal style may inflect one's work as a creator (stylist, in this case) but it should not over take the object itself. I would love to hear some stylists sound off on this...in another thread of course.

This thread is to deal with the new status of Fashion Editors as Stylish Icons themselves, the influence on their work etc.
examples : Emmanuelle Alt, Leith Clark, Kate Lanphear etc.

 

[nyc_art_style]

I think this is an amazing idea for a thread. Thanks for starting it Berlin.

I think the new found attention on editors is wonderful. It allows fashion lovers more opportunities to see behind the seams at magazines.

However I do worry about this attention effects editors personally. I believe it's taking a negative effect at Vogue Paris. Carine and Emmanuelle are gaining so much positive attention for their personal styles, that they feature it in Vogue Paris constantly. It is as though they don't want to push outside the box.

So everything Carine, and Emmanuelle touches becomes mini clones of themselves.

 

[nyc_art_style]

In regards to Kate Lanphear, I don't understand all the hype. I do believe she has amazing personal style, but her professional work does not compare to it. Besides Elle hardly has major influence in the fashion industry, at least in my opinion.

 

[MissMagAddict]

Kate Lanphear, Style Director US Elle

The Original...

All black, leather pants, white t-shirt, stacked bracelets, studded belt, short boots




image source | jakandjil, lacouturiernyc, lanecrawford

 

[MissMagAddict]

The Inspired...

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
Elle September 2008
Models: Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens & Ashley Tisdale
Hair: Ryan Trygstad
Makeup: Darlene Jacobs
Stylist: Kate Lanphear
Photographer: Tierney Gearon






source | elle.com

 

[BetteT]

Good eye, MMA! She's incorporated her personal style into her editorials .... or is it the other way around? Maybe she did the editorial and then decided to adopt some of her own ideas? Do we actually know the timeing on these, MMA? Did her own style come before the layout?

 

[MissMagAddict]

Good eye, MMA! She's incorporated her personal style into her editorials .... or is it the other way around? Maybe she did the editorial and then decided to adopt some of her own ideas? Do we actually know the timeing on these, MMA? Did her own style come before the layout?

Thanks Bette and yes... she definitely did have that style before that edit came out.

 

[christrinity]

I think this is an amazing idea for a thread. Thanks for starting it Berlin.

I think the new found attention on editors is wonderful. It allows fashion lovers more opportunities to see behind the seams at magazines.

However I do worry about this attention effects editors personally. I believe it's taking a negative effect at Vogue Paris. Carine and Emmanuelle are gaining so much positive attention for their personal styles, that they feature it in Vogue Paris constantly. It is as though they don't want to push outside the box.

So everything Carine, and Emmanuelle touches becomes mini clones of themselves.

I so agree with this!
Even for those workin in PR in fashion houses in Paris, while one can cultivate by all means a very good relationship with Carine and Emmanuelle, u automatically feel at a disadvantage if what your house is doing is not particularly their personal style/aesthetic, especially if it is NOTHING like the Givenchy, Balmain, Isabel Marant or other more edgy stuff they seem to like, or if it's not a major advertiser like Chanel or Dior.
That being said I do adore their personal style (though maybe Emmanuelle's is getting a little old) and relish finding out more about them and their jobs!

 

[cesarcmma]

For me in VP it started rigurously with the odes to their own styles in the September issue last year, before it one knew if it was her work; now is her....

I don't have any problem with seeing them on the streetstyle blogs if they keep pulling new things out everymonth in the magazine....but it has become repetitive....of course this influence is clearly prevalent in VP...others eds of Kate Lanphear are far from her style imo

I don't think Carine has gone too far...she stills delivers some interestng ensembles...but if I recall good she once said something like "this is what matters now...is almost more important than what you see on the runways"...answering a question about the streetstyle photogs...Alt is other story...

That beeing said I do like to know the face of the person who did the story I'm seeing...it's like an acknowledge of their work....

and I'n order to them becoming little celebs...I think every circle has it's own stars....Hollywood have actors...catwalks, queens...Sports, superman/womans...politics, presidents....highschools..homecoming queens.....It was fashion time I guess.

oh and blame the realities too

 

[Cicciolina]

This is a great thread idea. I openly admit that I enjoy seeing what fashion editors are wearing and often post images of their outfits on these threads. Fashion editors as 'celebrities' are helped along with street style blogs like The Sartorialist, Garance Dore, Altamira and Jak & Jil to name a few. However I find the blatant worshipping of them and the labels they wear like on Jak & Jil and other people online a bit unnerving to be honest.

These fashion editors have now emerged beyond their initial creative vision to become important personalities that are intrinsically associated with their brand (hello, Anna Wintour? Carine Roitfeld? French Vogue girls?).

I think this is a natural part of marketing and brand identity, and it'll probably only serve to increase.

 

[MulletProof]

Moderators Note:

The following conversation occured in the Panos Yiapanis - Stylist thread. This post was MulletProof's response to a comment that another member made, stating that she'd like to see more personsal stuff about him posted in his thread and it prompted some lively discussion about this issue.
BetteT

^ to be honest, I wish we didnt!
He makes such beautiful stories that posting more 'personal' material will only take the attention away from that.. I feel like personal style pics are more suited for the likes of Camille Bidault or Emmanuelle Alt, people who really need that otherwise their work would be completely irrelevant.

 

[wheneveriwakeup]

I agree w/ Mullet. It would be pretty sad to see this gorgeous thread descent into the madness of one of those 'celebrity' stylists threads. Panos' style is cool but his work is even more interesting and prolific, esp. since, unlike those 'celebrity' stylists, Panos' work is not merely an extension of his personal style (coughALTcough) - it has range and variation.

If it were up to me, the threads of Carine R., Emanuelle A., and Kate L., etc. would have all been moved to the Star Style section @ this pt. 9 times out of 10, ppl are viewing those topics to see personal outfits as opposed to legitimate editorial work. It completely detracts from the purpose of Behind the Lens, imo....

 

[*ana*]

that's true. i look at emmanuelle's thread to see her clothes, not her eds, which used to be really nice but have gotten more and more repetitive, and now when i like an ed styled by her it's more because the photography and model helped a lot (not to mention that people don't even post her eds there anymore). panos's styling, on the other hand, is extremely interesting and when i come here all i want to see is his work. he's the kind of stylist that makes me excited about an ed just to know he worked in it.

 

[MulletProof]

^ definitely, I get a little hysterical when I see his name on reviews, it's like a completely different chapter of a very solid story.. I can't say I despise personal pictures of him (always nice to put a face on productions) but this thread managed without any personal reference for years so I hope bloggers don't help turning him into another stylist/celebrity, encouraging people to crave for more streetstyle shots as his creative work speaks louder and clearer than his outfits and deserves for me, all the attention.

 

[wheneveriwakeup]

^ And that's exactly how it should be, honestly. The most talented, innovative stylists are the ones who have no interest in voluntarily posing for Garance Dore and her bf. They are quite fine remaining behind the scenes. There will be pictures here and there, surely, but they're never breaking their necks to be snapped by photogs á la Carine, Emanuelle, Kate, Giovanna, Camille, etc.

I can't even take Alt seriously anymore. Her work just screams self-satisfied, egomaniac. Everything she touches becomes a clone of herself.

But I digress... srsly off topic here.. Sorry mods!

 

[MulletProof]

^ no, it's fine, I think it's a very new problem that stylists have to face.. the fact that streetstyle outfits have generated an insane degree of attention and celebrity treatment and for a field that doesn't rely on that but eventually might get benefited from such attention, I wonder what's going to happen to those who simply choose to keep on working and experimenting with garments in anonymity when some publications clearly favor those that do not (like Alt) or those who suddenly decide that dressing okay qualifies them as one and land jobs based on their personal style hype (Wasson) and then the observers who cut to the chase and just want to see street outfits, occasionally taking a look at their stories just to see what they're up to trend-wise (as it happens with Kate's work)?.
Panos seems to be keeping a balance so far, but I feel like there might be some struggle for lesser known, equally talented figures like Joanne Blades, McKimm or those who evidently just want to create instead of posing.

 

[MissMagAddict]

^I agree with you MP & wiw. I remember when we started this thread we had to hunt around quite a bit to finally find a picture to put in the 1st post... just so we could have a look at him!

I don't care what Panos wears on his feet... jak & jil bore the hell out of me. I'd rather see the focus on his work.

 

[wheneveriwakeup]

^ I don't really think the personal style of a lot of the editors is 'personal' anymore. They all seem intent on outdoing each other and wearing whatever is hot off the runways and most ostentatious, above all. The ones who have no desire to be photographed and fawned over are usually the ones who end up looking most stylish and intriguing, imo. It also shows in the quality of their work. When was the last time Alt or Roitfeld produced a noteworthy editorial? They're too consumed with their own hype to 'create' it seems.

Good pt. Mullet. A lot of beautiful work is being pushed to the back-burner and a lot of new and old talents aren't getting the dues they rightfully deserve. Panos will probably be photographed more frequently now but judging from the pics that have been posted thus far, he really seems far removed from all the hype and fairy dust, thankfully. Now if he were to start voluntarily posing and looking directly into the lens... the end would be near.

 

[*ana*]

the fact that some stylists pose for the cameras doesn't make them worse in their job, i think. the problem is when their personal style gets more interesting. i think panos's work is enough interesting not to be outshined by the clothes he wears, and i also think that emmanuelle and carine dress very well but they're no anna dello russo, what i like about them is their elegance and a certain simplicity in their style, i don't see them as ostantatious, and i think carine's work is still good and not as egomaniac as alt's - sometimes quite predictable, and not as interesting as it used to be in the past, but it's still nice to see, imo. i just think that it's a bit too harsh to automatically undervalue someone's work just becuase that person doesn't reject the attention. if panos starts posing for the cameras i won't mind (which doesn't mean i want this to happen, because i don't really care for his style), as long as his work is still great.

 

[adorefaith]

^ I have to agree, ana. i think what we also forget sometimes is that perhaps the stylist themselves (and of course this is an assumption on my part because I do not know any of them..) enjoys at least a bit of the higher profile that comes these days with the streetstyle / blog phenomenon.. I know we are all so quick to criticise and feel that it is somehow an instant loss of credibility and an instant rise in ego, but the truth is not only that their work shouldn't really suffer even if they are being photographed as ana mentioned, but also that if anything this recent craze with the personal style of stylists has increased their profiles in a positive sense.. even here on tfs, for example, we madly list credits of as many influences as we can in an editorial.. stylists, assistants, hair and makeup.. and i think for the industry, and for the stylist who was often shoved behind the scenes and perhaps appreciated less by the general public, it is now time to be able to step forward a bit and be applauded for doing work within the industry that it's so easy to assume is just an effortless, intrinsic part of the looks and the stories. Good styling is hard and sometimes the best styling goes unnoticed in the sense that the whole package increases in beauty without the viewer necessarily knowing why.. until we understand the skill that goes into what they do, which I think is being appreciated far more now.

Having said that, of course there is an extreme.. and i do agree unfortunately that someone like Emmanuelle Alt seems to have blurred so many lines between personal style and professional styling that it does seem like a detriment to the styling profession and particularly to her own work. and of course there are some stylists who will want to shy away altogether from their personal profile (perhaps Panos is one of these..) and instead have things remain with styling the focus and their own personal style irrelevant. Still, i don't know why there isn't room for both.. if Alt enjoys being photographed and is happy to play that game, why not?. in some sense she should be applauded for having such a persistent vision of her own style that it cannot help but infiltrate her work, i think. i don't know if it's necessarily ego maniacal of her. And so too if someone like Panos would rather not be photographed, that should be respected too. [though i have to say this argument of dressing being so 'personal' that one doesn't want to give it away is problematic I think.. dressing can be creative and expressive, absolutely, but i think we must not forget it is also highly practical.. most of us need to be sheltered and warmed by clothes and once we step out of our front door, part of that creative process instantly becomes public. that's inevitable..]

Sorry for the rant.. it's a very interesting subject though, imo, this current issue we have with the internet / blogs etc..