In Support of Bloggers

This past week a lot of shade has been thrown towards the blogging community for tarnishing the fashion industry. As a blogger, I am biased, but I wanted to take a stance on this issue not as a “blogger” but as a lover of fashion. Fashion week was once only accessible to magazine editors, buyers, and other limited media sources. Today, when you enter a show, you have all those same people, but add a front row full of bloggers and influencers to the mix. Before the shows they are posting photos of their custom looks, and during the show they are sharing their favorite looks with their audience. Their millions of followers are waiting patiently on the other side of the phone for the next photo; this gives these people an opportunity to see a whole new side of fashion. Bloggers have opened up the once exclusive world of fashion and shared it with the general public. Anyone with an Instagram account can go follow @fashionbloggerofchoice and be exposed to more designers, couture pieces, and trends than ever possible without social media. With a quick scroll, you can watch videos from New York, London, Milan, and Paris Fashion Week without a media badge or a coveted ticket. Since the emergence of the fashion blogger, fashion has been brought closer to the people than ever before. The pushback that has been shown over the past couple days scolds bloggers for “exploitation” when in reality they are creating a more inclusive fashion community. The world has become so connected and exposed with the growth of social media platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram, that the only way for the fashion industry to progress is to open its doors to its growing audience. Art without an audience is nothing, and bloggers have sparked the general public’s interest in fashion giving it an audience wider than ever before, which is something worth praising. No, there isn’t enough front row seats for everyone, but there is enough room for all of us to share the industry.