Fashion journalism is a component of

fashion Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fash ...

media, with a focus on

writing Writing is a medium of human communication which involves the representation of a language through a system of physically inscribed, mechanically transferred, or digitally represented symbols. Writing systems do not themselves constitute h ...

and

photojournalism Photojournalism is journalism that uses images to tell a news story. It usually only refers to still images, but can also refer to video used in broadcast journalism. Photojournalism is distinguished from other close branches of photography (such ...

. Fashion journalists write about fashion events, trends and have to cultivate and maintain a relationship with stylists and designers. A fashion journalist has knowledge of fashion history, and stays up to date on industry trends, as they report on what is happening in the fashion industry and what is trending. Fashion journalists are either employed full-time by a

publication To publish is to make content available to the general public.Berne Conve ...

, or they submit articles on a freelance basis.

History

Fashion journalism developed during the 18th century, when the

fashion doll Fashion dolls are dolls primarily designed to be dressed to reflect fashion trends. They are manufactured both as toys for children to play with and as collectibles for adults. The dolls are usually modeled after teen girls or adult women, thou ...

s was replaced by the

fashion magazine Fashion journalism is a component of fashion media, with a focus on writing and photojournalism. Fashion journalists write about fashion events, trends and have to cultivate and maintain a relationship with stylists and designers. A fashion journ ...

s, notably the ''

Cabinet des Modes ''Cabinet des Modes'', with the title La Magasin des Modes Nouvelles Francaises et Anglaises (or Magasin des modes for short) in 1786–1789, and Le Journal de la Modet et du Gout in 1790–1793, was a French fashion magazine Fashion journalis ...

'', which is recognized to be the first true fashion magazine. It was followed abroad by '' Journal des Luxus und der Moden'' (1786-1827) in Germany, '' Giornale delle Dame e delle Mode di Francia'' (1786-1794) in Milan, and

Gallery of Fashion The Gallery of Fashion was a British fashion magazine, published between 1794 and 1803.Kate Nelson Best, The History of Fashion Journalism' It was the first British fashion magazine, being the first publication in Britain devoted exclusively to ...

(1794-1803) in Britain. During the 19th century, numerous fashion magazines were published, employing fashion journalists reporting on the latest trends from Paris. Among the earliest in Great Britain were

Ann Margaret Lanchester Ann Margaret Lanchester (fl. 1802 – fl. 1810), was a British fashion merchant and fashion designer. She was a leading figure within the British fashion industry and referred to as 'The Bonaparte of her day' in the contemporary ''The Complete B ...

, who published her own fashion paper, the ''Le Miroir de la Mode'', and

Mary Ann Bell Mary Ann Bell (fl. 1806 – fl. 1831), was a British fashion merchant, fashion designer and fashion journalist. She was a leading figure in the British fashion industry of her day, particularly during the Napoleonic era, when Great Britain was i ...

, writing for the ''

La Belle Assemblée ''La Belle Assemblée'' (in full ''La Belle Assemblée or, Bell's Court and Fashionable Magazine Addressed Particularly to the Ladies'') was a British women's magazine published from 1806 to 1837, founded by John Bell (1745–1831). Publishi ...

'' in the early 19th-century.

The impact of the internet on fashion journalism

As society increases its dependence on the internet, the journalism industry is becoming far more fluid. Print, being more costly and less convenient, many publications (such as Nylon magazine) have opted to focus on a digital publication. Digital journalism gives the writer unlimited space (rather than forcing an article to fit in a magazine or newspaper layout), allows for links to external resources, and a number of images. Another major advantage of digital media is real-time updates/corrections to misinformation. Major fashion magazines such as

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...

Elle ''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the w ...

Marie Claire ''Marie Claire'' is a French international monthly magazine first published in France in 1937, followed by the United Kingdom in 1941. Since then various editions are published in many countries and languages. The feature editions focus on wo ...

Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...

, and Paper Magazine have altered their business models due to the onset of the digital age, creating an online component in addition to print. Social media has also contributed to the rise in these digital magazine platforms, allowing them to be far more interactive than they have been in the past.

Education

Journalism is a general liberal arts major that can be studied at many universities. A concentration in fashion journalism is specific to a number of fashion schools. Generally, a fashion journalist needs at least a BA in fields such as journalism, communications, fashion or other related areas. A strong portfolio and experience in reporting on fashion is key to being hired as a fashion journalist post-grad. While these schools are specific to the fashion industry, numerous other universities such as

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, th ...

offer programs in general journalism. For programs specific to fashion journalism there is a Fashion Media BS program at LIM College, Fashion Journalism BA program at the Academy of Art University, and numerous programs aboard at schools such as London College of Fashion. https://www.limcollege.edu/academics/degrees/fashion-media-bs

The Pulitzer Prize

Robin Givhan is the first and only fashion journalist to win The Pulitzer Prize for Criticism as of 2006. She drew attention to her work after criticizing former US Vice President Dick Cheney for wearing casual attire (a ski cap and parka) to a ceremony commemorating the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. In this piece, Givhan stressed the importance of how political leaders choose to present themselves.

Notable fashion journalists

Vanessa Friedman Vanessa Victoria Friedman (born December 4, 1967) is Fashion Director and Chief Fashion Critic at ''The New York Times''. Previously, Friedman has worked at numerous other publications including the Financial Times, the New Yorker, American Vogue, ...

'' is the chief fashion director and fashion critic for ''The New York Times''. Before joining the team at the ''Times'', Friedman was the first fashion editor at the ''Financial Times'', alongside her job editing the pages of Luxury360 vertical. Previously, she was the features editor for InStyle UK . She was the 2012 recipient of the Front Page Award for fashion writing and the 2013 Fashion Monitor Journalist of the Year award. Cathy Horyn is the critic-at-large for ''New York Magazine's'' The Cut since 2015, having spent 15 years as the former chief critic of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' with roles at ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...

'' and ''Vanity Fair.'' In 2001, she was awarded the Eugenia Sheppard Award for fashion writing by the

Council of Fashion Designers of America The Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc. (CFDA), founded in 1962 by publicist Eleanor Lambert, and headquartered in Manhattan, is a not-for-profit trade association comprising a membership of over 450 American fashion and accessory d ...

. Sarah Mower MBE is a chief critic and columnist for American ''

.'' She is also an advocate for young designers as the Ambassador for Emerging talent at the

British Fashion Council The British Fashion Council (BFC) is a non-profit organization that aims to enable sustainable growth of British fashion in the global fashion economy. Founded in 1983, the BFC organizes biannual womenswear and menswear showcases, London Fashi ...

since 2009. Mower received the MBE in 2011 in recognition of her contributions to fashion.

Suzy Menkes Suzy Peta Menkes (born 24 December 1943) is a British journalist and fashion critic. Formerly the fashion editor for the International Herald Tribune, Menkes also served as editor, Vogue International, for 25 international editions of ''Vogue'' ...

OBE is a veteran fashion journalist who was most recently the Editor of Vogue International, departing in October 2020. She also helmed

The New York Times International Edition ''The New York Times International Edition'' is an English-language daily newspaper distributed internationally by the New York Times Company. It has been published in two separate periods, one from 1943 to 1967 and one from 2013 to the prese ...

back when it was the ''

International Herald Tribune The ''International Herald Tribune'' (''IHT'') was a daily English-language newspaper published in Paris, France for international English-speaking readers. It had the aim of becoming "the world's first global newspaper" and could fairly be said ...

'' as its fashion critic for 25 years, ultimately departing for

Condé Nast Condé Nast () is a global mass media company founded in 1909 by Condé Montrose Nast, and owned by Advance Publications. Its headquarters are located at One World Trade Center in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan. The company's m ...

International in 2014. She now produces a podcast "Creative Conversations With Suzy Menkes" and contributes to Air Mail, a mobile-first digital weekly created by

Graydon Carter Edward Graydon Carter, CM (born July 14, 1949) is a Canadian journalist who served as the editor of '' Vanity Fair'' from 1992 until 2017. He also co-founded, with Kurt Andersen and Tom Phillips, the satirical monthly magazine ''Spy'' in 1986 ...

References