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.
Then came the problem. At the end of the day, fashion is a commercial product meant to be worn and whether or not it will be purchased depends on how beautiful a buyer thinks it looks on him/her. Year after year during the fashion week period, be it local or international, I have been asked the question _ "Is it beautiful?" _ and I felt like there's a lump in my throat having to answer that question especially if the brand happens to make beautiful clothes, but fail to reflect any creative progress or design direction.
The question that comes a lot to the mind of fashion writers is, considering how they look at fashion from a completely different perspective the majority of fashion consumers do _ who and what exactly does fashion journalism serve? How is it relevant to fashion business and fashion shopper?
Unfortunately, it doesn't. My recent discussion with one our own fashion contributors concludes that readers of fashion writing and fashion shoppers are two different groups of people, with an exception of probably Araya A. Hargate. They can overlap, but most of the time those who really pay for fashion don't actually need that much background of brand and product before swiping their card, not really.
Fashion journalism exists probably for the sake of people who care about fashion the way art enthusiasts are interested in art although they may not be able to purchase any art work. They're interested in fashion as an inspirational creative work which they can discuss among friends. If they happen to have the means to acquire such luxury, they know the craftsmanship, the story and the techniques they pay for. They consume fashion writing to be able to understand the values coming with such stellar price tag that is not just about logo. And in the case of some, they consume fashion writing so that they won't fall victim to counterfeits that spread like wildfire in occasional markets at every nook and cranny of the kingdom.
It exists probably as a fundamental part of a creative industry. Whether it praises or criticises, it's part of the dynamic that drives the industry forward. Although consumers buy fashion simply for its beauty, designers after all produce them as their creative expression.
There's an amount of hard work behind good fashion _ the unyielding will to break away from one's own creative cliche, the desire to achieve a certain aesthetic element and to incorporate innovative technology to give their work an added value. For a fashion writer, if he/she can at least trigger a few fashion consumer to pay attention to this little big work behind the making of clothes or to make them appreciate the creative process of fashion production, it's enough a reason for fashion writing to exist even when it has not much to do with the industry in terms of commercial aspect.
Samila Wenin is Muse editor of the Bangkok Post.