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

[wheneveriwakeup]

Thanks for your posts, Adorefaith and Ana...
The minds behind the magazines, runway shows, editorials, advertisements, etc. being brought to the forefront is perfectly fine in my book. It is nice that people are finally seeing the substantial amounts of time, effort, creativity, passion, and patience that go into the world of fashion. That's actually the point of the pt. of Behind the Lens. To highlight those who create these mesmerizing pictorials (as well as other vital tasks) month after month. Oddly enough, the general mood has significantly shifted here @ tfs. A few years ago, the only aspects most ppl cared about were the model(s) and designer(s) used to create the editorials/images. Not many cared to know the photogs, make-up artists, stylists, etc. behind the works as well. It was as if the model was solely responsible for outcome of an image - whether it be aesthetically pleasing or not. Now stylists are all the rage, though not due to their work as stylists, but due to what they're wearing during fashion week. The attention many of these stylists are receiving is definitely increasing their profiles as fashion personalities and purveyors of 'good taste', though it hardly ever highlights their strengths are stylists. It is a rarity to go into any of their threads and find someone who is genuinely interested in discussing Roitfeld's newest editorial rather than her newest pair of Givenchy's. And that is perfectly fine as well; different strokes for different folks, but as Mullet already pointed out, hype and increased amounts of public interest tends to eliminate those who either aren't interested in garnering that type of attn or haven't even been given a chance to prove themselves. It's just sad that their personal style manages to outshine a medium that is so broad and limitless. Styling is a blank canvas where anything goes. Whereas an outfit can only be pushed so far before it becomes more cumbersome than beautiful/interesting. Idk, I guess if we've seen every trick you've got up your sleeve thanks to endless amounts of street-style photos and runway shows alike, what else is really left?

This is such an interesting topic. I would love to read more views on it...

 

[MulletProof]

yes, I don't think a decrease of quality, integrity or deformation of a stylist's work is particularly worrisome, not for me anyway, I still think a level of harmony can easily be reached, Kate Lanphear's work is an example as she's yet to make tributes of herself in magazines and seems to invest the same amount of time on the table as she does in front of the mirror, her work is still not my cup of tea and her personal style might as well be more engaging at times but I don't think she's particularly lost 'it', nor I think Della Russo is failing at Vogue Nippon, more the opposite, but I still wonder how many of her followers know what she's doing there and how she's improved the direction of the magazine.
What concerns me is the way the attention and the job of a stylist is being redirected towards a path that takes us away from the focus and the charm of the profession, the fact that we're not entirely satisfied just to see their stories and feel the need to see the person 'out there', like his heart and vision (excuse the cheesiness) isn't out there enough in the pages, conveyed in an fictional outlet with clearly more freedom and room for imagination than a street in the modern world.
I guess it's an argument that can be easily classified as snobbery, the fact that some of us might find it disheartening how celebrity manages to place the art of someone into a box and keep it there to focus on the practical and the mundane as the effect is immediate, easier and accessible, 'ready to wear' for lack of a better term.. but even if a stylist relies on the inescapable practicality of clothes to express themselves (just like someone like Odile Gilbert does on hair yet she's not 'out there' showing what happened to her hair that day), I still think the work of some of them is precisely to inspire the contrary of what streetstyle-celebrity (not photography, mind you) evokes, it's raw inspiration and in Panos' case, a poetry that translates untouched into the viewer's mind and accommodates in a way that makes you feel more confident about your individuality and willing to take it out instead of hiding it behind your enthusiast over someone else's clothes, showcased as the pattern to follow that specific time/season. I suppose this last thing is now deviating me towards my aversion for 'get the look' Bazaar/Vogue eds, so I'll stop.

 

[*ana*]

just to clarify something i said, because i don't want to make 'unfair' comparisons, when i mentioned dello russo, comparing her to alt and roitfeld, i was talking stylewise - her style is a bit over the top, on the borderline between quirky and fashion-victim (for the lack of a better expression), and attracts a lot of attention, and, as MulletProof said, many people get interested only in this 'side' of her and don't really know very much about her work, which is a pity, because she ends up passing for a fashion week character rather than a serious (again, bad word) magazine editor.
i do think, though, that the excess of exposure can be detrimental for our perception of their work - i mean, it's not that they start lacking creativity as they get exposed, but sometimes, when we don't know very much about the person, we can read more into his/her work, and once we start having more and more information about him/her, we can't simply ignore it, and all this information becomes kind of a "barrier" to our appreciation since we are now relating the work to a person, and not just considering the work itself. it's not that they do in their work what they do in front of their mirror, but the exposure is inevitably revealing and sometimes it's better when we don't have access to so much (personal) information...
ugh sorry for my digression, i'm not sure if i'm being clear/making sense, but it's the first time i'm getting into a discussion about this subject and really thinking about it, so all the ideas keep coming as i write.

 

[the-raven]

so far it seems that he isn't trying to join the likes of carine, emanuelle, anna etc and become a stylist/celebrity as almost all shots we've had of him lately are candid snaps where he isn't posing for the camera and doesn't seem aware that he is being photographed. but even these few pictures have created a larger dialogue on this thread than some of his editorials, which kinda shows us that fashion seems to be going down that reality show nightmare. it may be that as mma said, pics of him were hard to come by, and yes it's good to see he's not a sweater and jeans guy, but it'd be sad if this thread goes down that route.

 

[Inaya]

wow! what amazing (and necessary) conversation happening in here. I haven't checked the thread in a couple days because of the same reason that's being discussed... fearing I'd open it only to find a streetstyle detail shot of something gold and studded.

in the beginning, it was hard to even find photos of his work, then more started to show up... each time the thread would get bumped, it was a delight. now it is just street photos of panos for the most part, and as MulletProof said, when this happens.. the focus becomes less on the person's work and more toward them being yet another "personal style icon" or whatever, for everyone to obsess over. so in the end it is a discredit to people who are actually creative and unfortunate to the fans of their actual work.

 

[LostInNJ]

wow! what amazing (and necessary) conversation happening in here. I haven't checked the thread in a couple days because of the same reason that's being discussed... fearing I'd open it only to find a streetstyle detail shot of something gold and studded.

in the beginning, it was hard to even find photos of his work, then more started to show up... each time the thread would get bumped, it was a delight. now it is just street photos of panos for the most part, and as MulletProof said, when this happens.. the focus becomes less on the person's work and more toward them being yet another "personal style icon" or whatever, for everyone to obsess over. so in the end it is a discredit to people who are actually creative and unfortunate to the fans of their actual work.

I def agree and see where everyone is coming from, there are for sure more photos of Carine/Emmanuelle/Kate showcasing their style than there is of their work in their threads, however with all of the coverage that surrounds fashion week, it would be hard to avoid the photographers and fans for that matter. I don't think that the photos discredit those that are creative as it does draw an interest. As for their fans, I'm sure people won't stop looking at their work because they are having their photo taken. Yes, it may take away some of the allure behind the work they produce, but I don't see this ending anytime soon. On another note, all of this exposure does leave room for other people to discover their work and become fans all on their own. Whether or not it is through a pic of their shoes is irrelevant imo.

 

[MulletProof]

This summer I interned at Louise Goldin and I was lucky enough to work alongside Panos. I found out that it was Panos' idea for Louise's A/W09 colour palette to be all in black (amazing) and the Gianni Versace 80's ads to be the Spring/summer colour palette. Panos was a genius and a gentleman and totally not what I expected. He was humble and not in any way full of himself.

Thanks for sharing, girlalamode, sounds like some amazing opportunity and your pictures capture the creative atmosphere and hard work.

Some small comment about the discussion we're having: a lot of people do stop looking at their work, their editorial work is an extra that's not necessarily missed, a fact quite evident in Alt or Carine's thread. I'm not sure anyone's arguing a devaluation of quality in their work by being in the spotlight, but more the attention they receive, the fact that people might just want to come out of an interest for their outfits rather than work.

 

[adorefaith]

Thanks for sharing, girlalamode, sounds like some amazing opportunity and your pictures capture the creative atmosphere and hard work.

Some small comment about the discussion we're having: a lot of people do stop looking at their work, their editorial work is an extra that's not necessarily missed, a fact quite evident in Alt or Carine's thread. I'm not sure anyone's arguing a devaluation of quality in their work by being in the spotlight, but more the attention they receive, the fact that people might just want to come out of an interest for their outfits rather than work.

Mullet, you really think people stop looking at their work ? I see it more as a case of those who are being drawn to a stylist because of their personal style (eg. Alt or Carine) being the ones who don't necessarily pay attention to their work. I see there being 3 possibilities here, generally speaking.. firstly, those who already appreciate a stylists' work (eg. those of us here in Panos' thread, for example, who were drawn here because of his work before pictures of his personal style started to become available..) and who, at the same time, are largely disinterested in the personal style or 'celebrity' of the stylist (or at least would like to keep these two things distinctly separate). Then, secondly, those who are interested mainly in a stylist as another expression of personal streetstyle.. in which case, lets say, a new crowd of people are drawn to this thread to see displays of Panos' daily style choices (I'm using Panos as an example simply because we're in his thread already). Lets say these people are just here to see the latest shoe he's wearing, or how he does his hair, and don't care less about his work....okay. Thirdly, those who are drawn here because of his personal style as he may or may not begin to develop a 'celebrity' status.. and who, in doing so, start to look at his work.... in which case this is a positive thing, no matter how they arrived here...no?

I just don't see the first category of people....those who are interested in his work and choices as a stylist...as being the kind of people who will suddenly stop paying attention to his work because he is being photographed. that would be fickle and senseless. Sure, people who respect the craft of what he does may be upset to see a sudden shift in focus to what he is wearing everyday, but surely these people won't stop paying attention to his work... that wouldn't make sense, as it is his work they wish to keep the focus on. so I'm left wondering.....who is going to stop looking at their work ? People may not look in the first place, or people may look at it as a secondary interest (sad, I agree), but I don't think anyone will look and then stop looking simply because the stylist is becoming an icon of personal style.

 

[MulletProof]

Stop was probably not the best word, adore, I didn't feel like elaborating much this morning but I was exactly referring to the second group of people you mentioned. So yeah, they don't stop because they didn't even start to look at it.

 

[MissMagAddict]

^Exactly... because when you make a post in certain threads about their work it most always gets completely ignored.

 

[Scott]

you know i am totally late in the conversation of earlier posts but to weigh in with my own opinion,well i agree wholeheartedly that the emphasis on personal style's of stylists has got much too out of hand. and it's not even as personal as it once was. i think for me in so much of today's emphasis,we've lost what was so intensely personal and dynamic about a style. before when stylists would become a focal point in terms of how they expressed themselves it never took anything away from the work they did because firstly it often correlated or had a consistent vein in how they worked and secondly as mullet stated,it was never pose-y. i'm talking specifically about melanie ward,jane how and haidee findlay-levin....they had/have such dynamic,intensely personal styles that you sort of never lost that spirit of their work.

i think now,with the alts and roitfield's of the world,the focal point isn't so much about what is so personal for them but what is fashion...status. maybe too because,what they do in their work is much less interesting than the way they dress?

as far as the work,why is it we've become so obsessed with how they dress themselves as opposed to the balance? you see,i've often been interested in both. and also when you think of great stylists like a melanie ward you often see a duality...you see her incredible sense of expression and you also see her tremendous work. and with panos,specifically,on another point,i never necessarily see him as i don't always relate to how he dresses but his work is always so outstanding and inspiring.

 

[ponytrot]

I'm kind of in awe at the amazing discussion in this thread.

I was thinking about this issue, and I wonder to what extent this rapid interest in the personal style of stylists/editors is simply an extension of the general streetstyle trend? The Sartorialist less so, but bloggers like Garance and Tommy from Jak and Jill have definitely heightened the profile of many fashion professionals by featuring profiles on their style (ie. Garance and Anna Dello Russo), or simply by the act of naming the people photographed. It helps to create a sort of celebrity status, because now there is a name to attach to someone who dresses well, and if that person is photographed many times, its easy to develop a fan-dom about her (or him, but most often it's her).

This happened not only with actual fashion professionals but even with random girls! Ie. that girl (I honestly cannot remember her name) with the red hair and wayfarers who was featured constantly on blogs until eventually her name became known and she had a style (either on starstyle or behind the lens - can't remember which). I think this demonstrates the power of streetstyle blogs to mobilise audiences in creating a image and a market for a specific personal style.

While I very much enjoy the personal style of the more public fashion figures, Kate Lanphear, Vanessay Coyle, Giovanna Battaglia, Christine Centenera and yes - Anna Dello Russo . I am primarily interested in their work - Vanessay Coyle for example, produces beautiful eds (though on second thoughts, it is perhaps so great because its very reminiscent of her personal style...hmm), Anna is doing a fantastic job at Vogue Nippon, and Christine Centenera's editorials are by far some of the best in the Australian fashion industry.

I've always myself, been more interested in the actual creative products and less in the style of the creator - I think Alaia is a genius for example, but I could not care less how he dressed, and for that matter, I appreciate my favourite stylists and editors for their work first and foremost before considering their style. However I think that personal style (in the voyeuristic streetstyle sense) is perhaps one way for the public to short-circut the creative process, instead of:

audience --> product (ie. editorial) --> analysis of style elements and inspiration.

you get:

audience --> style elements in a digestable form (streetstyle).

which seems more emulatable (is that a word? ).

I think though that overall it undermines the point of the behind the scenes forum, expecially when a thread is filled solely with streetstyle and speculation rather than showcasing work. I don't think its entirely the audience who is responsible though, imo its a combination of the actual person and the way they have presented themselves, blogger/public coverage, and of course the general trend towards streetstyle.

Barbara Martelo is an interesting example, despite already having a large body of (pretty high quality) work, she came into prominence a couple of seasons ago as an..."Emmanuelle Clone" ( to put it frankly). Her streetstyle, with the OTT amounts of Balmain has kept her relevant and in the public/blogger eye, and that is why 90% of her thread is just streetstyle. However when you look at her website, she has a huge amount of editorials and work that never gets posted and seemingly no one is interested in.

Martelo, to me is an example of:

person portrayal + blogger attention --> setting agenda for public perception, and hence the direction of her thread.

 

[ponytrot]

ETA:

ah, did some digging, the girl I was talking about is Louise Ebel, and who has this thread:

http://forums.thefashionspot.com/f71/louise-ebel-art-director-dirrty-glam-77506.html

as Berlinrocks points out (in the thread) it may as well be in starstyle, because there is close to zilch examples of her work either on the thread or anywhere else.

 

[Manuva]

I'm so glad I found this thread, because this is something I have been thinking a lot about recently. Going back to Panos Yiapanis as an example I'm sure alot of you have read his interview in Industrie magazine, and he makes some very interesting points. Especially considering he is a stylist at the top of his game, and he too can recognise the problems with alot of other stylists.

This quote in particular stood out to me:

"The idea that stylists have assumed this position where what they wear to Fashion Week is more important than their work is kind of comical. I hope that changes."

I still believe the majority of stylists are known more for their work than their personal style (I can't remember ever seeing a style snap of M.A Sauve), it just so happens that the ones who are known for their personal style happen to be among the most powerful.

In the case of VP in particular I think it's been going down hill for years now, and maybe that's because we, the consumer are so aware of the stylists own personal style influencing editorials that the magazine seems to have become sloppy. Every new issue just seems to be a rehash of the last issue.


scanned by frachini

 

[nyc_art_style]

Ohne Titel Skips The Models, Shoots The Insiders

June 16, 2010 1:17 pm

When it comes to advertising campaigns, what you say is (almost) as important as the magazines, billboards, and street corners where you say it. So when Flora Gill and Alexa Adams set out to shoot a campaign for their label, Ohne Titel, they skipped the usual mags (the shots will run primarily on their Web site) and the usual models, tapping Visionaire’s Cecilia Dean, L.A. boutique owner Zainab Sumu, and Interview’s Christopher Bollen for posing duties. “Instead of having a celebrity for the sake of name value, or use a model solely for her looks, we wanted to have people who we could connect with our brand because they’re doing something groundbreaking or unusual,” says Adams. (They’re just the latest groundbreakers to sit for the label—a previous campaign featured the Boston socialite and eccentric Marilyn Riseman and artist Tauba Auerbach.) Adams describes the new shots, lensed on location at the Eldridge on the Lower East Side, as having a “dated glamour.” And as for the models, they had plenty of praise for their outfitters, too. Dean (who posed sans extensions, by the way!) called the collection “creative, sexy, a little hard, very functional and versatile—not an easy combination.”

—Marcus Chang

style.com

 

[XxXRedRubYXxX]

I think it's said best in this quote abut Camille Bidault Waddington in relation to alot of stylist today..

I find Camille's work a bit irrelevant. It isn't horrid by any means but her overall 'coolness' seems to be derived from her personal life rather than her work as a stylist which in turn inflates the true nature of the work at hand. She is like Sofia Coppola in that respect, imo. Completely dire but not horrible in the least as an auteur, but her personal style and innate coolness elevates her otherwise lackluster work into a realm of unwarranted sublimation.

 

[nyc_art_style]

Anna Dello Russo T-Shirts Sold Out in a Day on Yoox.comYesterday, a new collection of T-shirts bearing pictures of Anna Dello Russo wearing her top ten outfits over the years went on sale on yoox.com. The tees, which are pretty great, have already sold out! Yoox is unsure whether they will restock. [Yoox.com]

the cut blog

I'm not sure what surprises me more. That Anna Dello Russo has a t-shirt, or that it sold out in a day.

I knew that editors were becoming celebrities of sorts. However the rate at which editors are becoming famous is startling. Movies, TV shows, and now t-shirts? Not even models get this much attention anymore. What's next?

 

[Fiercification]

I do think that a stylist loses their mystery once they become as public as Carine and Emanuelle...however I don't know that they personally can be blamed for that. With the rise of style documentation, mainly blogging I'm sure they are just taking advantage of this new status that has been given to them and why not?

I personally prefer the work of stylists like Grace Coddington, Karl Templer, Alex White, Edward Enninful, Marie-Amelie Sauve etc. What's funny is that we rarely see style snaps of them out and about at Fashion Week (although they are definitely there). There is a real diversity and variety in the pieces they choose in their work although there is still a nice little signature that makes it recognisable. Personally I find it exciting when a stylist puts together looks for a story that are far removed from their own personal style IRL. In particular I know that Grace only wears black and I think this does wonders for her work because you can seperate the person from what they do...you can still admire them as people but the work comes first and foremost.

What I find tiring about Vogue Paris is that there is predictability...I never get this feeling of fantasy or imagination when I look at the latest I&V/Emanuelle ed...it always feels too connected to their own personal style as Panos mentions and becomes less exciting than what it should be. It'll be interesting to see whose work remains interesting and unpredictable as technology and our knowledge of insiders increases.

 

[BerlinRocks]

I'm not sure what surprises me more. That Anna Dello Russo has a t-shirt, or that it sold out in a day.

We don't know how many tshirts they produce ...
Probably 1,000 samples ... that's basic fashion business ... Produce small amount, so the product is gonna be quickly sold out, and then people who didn't get it / were hesitating to get it will get it, since the "sold out" makes people crave for the item in question !

But, geez ....
I never thought this phenomena will go that far ... that more and more streetblogger-styehunter will mostly focus on them, that an entire magazine will be dedicated to "insiders" etc.

Fashion 2.0 is sometimes sick !
Don't go that fast ... Take your time !

 

[style_expert]

I do think that a stylist loses their mystery once they become as public as Carine and Emanuelle...however I don't know that they personally can be blamed for that. With the rise of style documentation, mainly blogging I'm sure they are just taking advantage of this new status that has been given to them and why not?

Well if you change your outfits 3 times a day during the shows and willingly pose for every photographer there is, I think it's a choice they personally make. They don't HAVE to do that. Emanuelle doesn't have to wear the latest Balmain collection before anyone else, in a way it's a cry for attention as well because she knows she's going to get photographed.
It seems to me they're all concious decisions.

Anna dello Russo must be the stylist who has taken the most advantage of the whole style blogging/ street photography thing. Which is probably why I have no clue what her styling work looks like. In fact, I have no clue what she's doing altogether. Her ridiculous (if I may say so) fashion circus overshadows her work entirely.