Fashion journalism, who and what does it serve? | Bangkok Post: opinion

NOISE

There's a little rule to being a fashion writer (which could be, at times, applicable to a culture journalist). Call it elitism if you want, but it's not easy for fashion writers to not jump into argument once they start talking about fashion with friends who do not work in fashion.

Let me make this clear _ this has nothing to do with taste or whatsoever that can be regarded as "fashion snobbery". It's more about the way fashion is perceived. As long as you don't work in fashion, I can say your shopping life is much more enjoyable. You can look at a dress and admire it for just how pretty it is _ its shape, colours and prints. I recall it as a blissful time, after all.

However, once you trade the mask of consumer for a monthly pay cheque as fashion writer, a piece of clothing is no longer about how nice it looks on your or anybody's body any more. A fashion collection is more about the creative expression of the designer and his/her reflection on the socio-political context in which he/she creates the work. Fashion is no longer a commodity, but instead a creative work that requires exploration, analysis and critical approach. What a fashion writer looks for in a fashion collection, or even a piece of clothing, is something beyond mere beauty.