Still ongoing is the special investigation Humor Chic has been conducting into perceptions of “Fashion Bloggers” and the new dynamics that are overwhelming and perhaps redesigning the course of fashion. After talking to the eclectic Diane Pernet and the brilliant Paola Pollo, today it is the turn of another unique and totally unconventional fashion insider. She has two huge doe eyes that would be the envy of the great characters in those eighties Japanese cartoons and is endowed with a direct and intelligent eloquence. She is a true believer in the avant-garde and a nonconformist, a complete maverick, and certainly one of the most entertaining and interesting personalities in fashion. We're talking about Annette Lamothe-Ramos, the fantastic fashion editor of VICE, the most inspired and crazy magazine of art and global culture that exists.
Humor Chic- There are tons of teenagers and youngsters who spend their time posing in front of a camera wearing outfits of their own creation to share on their website/ blog. They call themselves Fashion Blogger. Can you tell us what you think about Fashion Bloggers?
Annette Lamothe-Ramos – I don't mind teen fashion bloggers. If anything I think they are far more creative than most people in the industry. They don't care what anyone thinks, more people should follow in their example.
Humor Chic- Some Brands involve the Fashion Bloggers in co-branding collaborations of some capsule collection, or more frequently the Brands fill them with individual attentions (fashion houses gifts) which so many Fashion Bloggers can't wait to post on their blog as real trophies. What does this mean?
Annette Lamothe-Ramos – That's just good marketing. If you want cool young girls wearing your clothing you should bribe them right? Isn't that how the fashion world works? Ha!
Humor Chic- Fashion journalists were the first to encourage and pay tribute to Fashion Bloggers, and many newspapers and media were involved. But after the initial stage of interest, many journalists are now looking at them with reluctance and suspicion. Why?
Annette Lamothe-Ramos – It all just comes down to jealousy. When you're a proper fashion journalist and gigs that you were once being hired for are now going to a 14 year old girl who built her entire look by browsing through grungy teen magazines that came out before she was even conceived, that has to hurt... a lot.
Humor Chic- During the last catwalk shows in March, Suzy Menkes wrote that wherever she looked, she could see wasps' nests of Fashion Bloggers, an invasion! Is it good or ... bad? And why in your opinion?
Annette Lamothe-Ramos – It's a great thing! But it's just like high school - the cool group always tries to take the pretty new student under their wing. Once that person is also seen as being on their level they suddenly start to despise their creation for getting any attention. Then they try to squash them...
Humor Chic- A few Fashion Bloggers were sitting in the front row. In Milan, some of them where sitting next to the most influential Fashion Journalists in the world. This has bothered many italian fashion journalists. What was that? A provocation? A marketing action or... just a PR mistake?
Annette Lamothe-Ramos – I'm sure it was intentional. They knew if they put bloggers next to Vogue editors etc. everyone would talk about it. That way if the collection bombs at least people heard something about the show!
Humor Chic- In your opinion, are the Designers doing well by giving so much importance to the Fashion Bloggers?
Annette Lamothe-Ramos - Designers want an honest opinion and fashion bloggers are often the only ones who are willing to give that to them. They have nothing to lose by speaking their mind and if anything, they are probably a million times more excited about seeing these shows than anyone else in the room.
Humor Chic- Some very seasoned fashion editors have been influenced by the wave of these young Fashion Bloggers, and some of them have started a Blog, posting a photo of their look every day, in many cases posing like a teenage girl, some enriching it with a post, trying to make a point about Fashion. Do you think that it's ridiculous?...
Annette Lamothe-Ramos – I don't pay attention because whatever they're wearing or writing about is always really watered down and unoriginal. They're not mixing high end and street wear - they're only creating outfits that are wearable/attainable for a small percentage of their viewers. It's pointless and extremely boring...
Humor Chic- Don't you think that all this could become a big boomerang that turns back to the detriment of the real Fashion System in the long run?
Annette Lamothe-Ramos – The "Fashion System" is a monarchy, it is outdated and in need of change so I welcome the rebellion.
Humor Chic- How do you see the future of Fashion Bloggers?
Annette Lamothe-Ramos - I see them running the industry.
Humor Chic- And the future of the Fashion System?
Annette Lamothe-Ramos - In a perfect world, it would have no future... :)
