Before the internet age, fashion publications used to sell a lot of print issues. As things went more digital by the day, publications started to rely more and more on advertisement money to stay afloat. Does this mean the death of objectivity in fashion as we know it? This is especially important as current fashion publications now have a conflict of interest.

It's not just fashion journalism but journalism in general sadly. The rise of the KZfaq reviews has been really refreshing tbh.

I totally agree. This lack of objectivity is going on in music as well. No one is challenging or constructively criticizing creatives due to fear of losing relationships and advertising. Or them spazzing out on social media. I get being smart in business. But I miss the honesty and different points of view. There’s no umph and excitement anymore. I also miss the genuine art as opposed to the obsession of simply the dollar and elite access. Thank goodness channels like yours. Maybe they will be apart of the resurgence of it.

Do you think that with the so called rise of “fashion influencers “, that may be a part of the situation. There are so many seeming regular people buying and commentating on high and low. It’s not subjective, but their words and actions reach many more than magazines. A youtube fashion influence can turn the financial tide for entities like Poshmark, even Target and H&M. There is a trend that all economy’s can shop anywhere, regardless of your income status. Why troll through expensive magazines, see it live

I completely agree with you the fashion has lost it's way when it comes to artist journalism. Especially the part when you said it's all about the celebrities sitting in the shows that is very accurate. But back in the day fashion show was work editors, stylists, photographers, writers all came to see the new collections. This needs to come back

I’ve only been into fashion for a short amount of time and it has never clocked with me how all show reviews are positive. Will definitely be making my own decisions on collections from now on

Robin Givhan has been a fashion journalist for years and is very knowledgeable. She’s the first fashion writer to win a Pulitzer. As an artist/designer constructive criticism is necessary. You must have thick skin as a designer/artist. Art is subjective.

Wow, I see what you are saying. My own personal observation is that everything has an element of politics. And even though there are movements towards such things as sustainability, ethical practices in production of clothing, etc. the bottom line as you say is money and power. But this has always been so in a historical nature don’t you think. It’s deceiving to think that fashion and all it entails is vanity and fleeting. How we dress, who is dressed how, whether rich or poor is a political element. My thoughts.

I love your content and I love listening to you speak on these topics. However, im a very visual person so id like to have more pictures in your videos to help visualize what you are talking about more. Love what youre doing but something to keep in mind for your viewers!

You’re making such amazing content and having much needed conversations! This is the content I’m looking for

Fashion journalism is very much dead at this point, everything in the industry is such bs bc everyone’s trying to please each other (?) imo that’s the main reason why the industry has been so stale and non-creative anymore, designers put out awful/less than great collections and no one has the guts to tell them to improve, a big example of this is Fenty (as a Rih fan I’m disappointed) that brand is so boring yet they treated like it’s the second coming

Stumbled upon this and it is exactly the kind of fashion commentary that is so "under the radar" but so interesting and useful for consumers and bystanders who are not studying or working in fashion to know.

Someone may have already said this below, but I believe this will bring a stagnation in fashion growth, it's creative flow and individuality. That's the biggest reason why I love fashion. It's art, it's expression, it's language, it's past, present and future....and we can't get to the next without a little change, or expression on the expression itself. Thanks for sharing this because this is the very reason I've been a bit discouraged and apathetic about what I have always loved. I should not be that way, I should discuss it.

I learn fashion from the sewers with the zeitgeist, chap.

Robin Givhan is everything! I haven't watched yet but I am glad you'll mention her.

I'm really happy I found your channel. I've been getting into fashion in the past 2 years but I still consider myself a noob. Keep on dude.

Very good topic, didnt consider the advertising of magazines and how it affected the writing

this has been in the peripherals of fashion imo great to bring it the forefront

love all your videos, I'm just like researching and you have a video for E VERY THINGGGG!

AYYEE!!! A hour long video up next!

I've always thought this, as I feel like most reviews aren't entirely constructive to the brand as whole. To see advertising and money halt from honesty is something plaguing a lot of industries; outside of fashion.

Brilliant break down my guy!

this is GREAT.

Awesome video that I think offers up a perspective valuable outside of fashion and apparel world. Who is the person that you mentioned at 11:17 ? I think I misheard and am misspelling when trying to look them up. Also, you got me into reading magazines and at the store, I found a magazine called Document Journal. Are you familiar with that magazine? Absolutely hefty magazine and a LOT of ads, but some pretty cool editorials.

The public wants more independent media in all fields from daily news, politics, art and fashion. KZfaq is the future.

Givhan and Flaccavento are the only ones I pay any attention to.

In Noam Chomsky’s Propaganda Model, He introduces there the 5 filters of mass media. One of those filters involve advertisers being able to have an influence or being one of the sole reasons why media often self-censor. This phenomena, may be applied to fashion journalism and journalism in general. It’s hard to be freely express objective and subjective truth when there’s a bigger entity preventing you do so. An entity providing you income to survive as a journalist, I might add. I guess, fashion journalists like you, is blessed to have a platform like youtube, where you can freely express your opinion on collections without the fear of losing your job.

ohhh cool video 😄

i mean if a brand would invest in advertisment and keep creating a subpar product or design, yes they will get a lot of sales in the immediate period, but as time goes by, either the market will saturate and the product or design direction will go out of style, or because of counter-culture the less talked about brands that do things right will re-emerge, and eventually take over that segment of the market

What is the actual purpose of a critique, think about it. Their job is to give you an opinion on something you can do yourself. This is why it’s reached the point of dancing for the masters, their purpose was disguised in bullshit from the beginning. If fashion is considered an art form then it shouldn’t have critiques.

Dress to impress 💯

Did you read Givhan's critique of Karl Lagerfeld? It basically says that he's a myth which swallowed the designer, and it's not a really a constructive critique. However, she didn't get fired, she wasn't insulted, Lagerfeld just said she didn't know about her, she was actually still invited to the show, she just lost her front row place, and made quite a big deal about it. Brands will sit on the front row, only to those who are functional to them, if she wasn't anymore, well, she may have to sit somewhere else. Adding to that point you make about commentators talking more about the set decoration than the collection itself, it has to do more with the fact of how precarious journalism is, people with no studies on journalism are the ones writing reviews, most of them are fashion students doing an unpaid internship at a magazine, writing good reviews about brands and their events to make good connections and land in a better paid job in an enterprise which fits them better or they are more interested in. Also, most journalists get benefits from writing good advertisements making them pass as reviews, that works for them. Nobody is really making good money for writing,about fashion, have you realized how many fashion journalists now work as PRs, photographers or something else, or write about lifestyle, beauty and other areas? It's because of money. It's not worthy to write a really mindful think piece when you're not backed up by your magazine, even sometimes you're like fuck it! I'm not getting paid enough to write anything about any other more relevant issue, you don't feel like giving an extra for what you get paid. At least that's my point of view as a fashion journalist.

I really don't like Robin Givhan. She has a reputation for criticizing people's choice of garment rather than sticking to critiquing the garment itself. If she wants to attack anyone she should aim her criticism's at the designers and fashion houses who produce the clothes not individual consumers of fashion. Supposed I received a coat as a gift and decided to wear it to show my appreciation. Why should she drag me into her criticism? She should stick to analyzing the clothes only.

I found Suzy Menkes has sort of lost her touch in recent years as the fashion climate has been changing constantly. Perfect example was when a lot of journalists refused to review Dolce & Gabbana due to their scandal, she decided it was a good idea to give them press and publicity which I felt was an out of touch move from her.

I'm not sure which is worse: people selling clothes, people writing about clothes being sold, or people caring about the writings about clothes being sold.