Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large
Yes you read right, we have identified a season defying trend quite simply called "blogger". Gone are the days when just having a blog was trendy enough, now it's all about getting the look of a blogger. That is, piled high with as many designer pieces- preferably borrowed from the catwalk collection- as is physically possible. Where once, one stand-out item would have done, it's now time to adopt the mantra, 'Why wear one, when you can wear five?'. Where a few years ago Kate, Sienna et al made it fashionable to look like you hadn't actually tried too hard, that you'd sort of just thrown on skinny jeans and ballet shoes and made them look stylish, now it's all about being high maintenance, blatant and unashamedly fashion mad.
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| Susie Bubble with her clashing patterns and cute accessories (image from style.com by Tommy Ton) |
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| Bryanboy with brilliant trousers, shoes, clutch, sunglasses (image from www.bryanboy.com) |
There are three solid examples from across the fashion industry which confirm to us that the blogger look is proving to be just as influential as catwalk shows when it comes to setting trends. In fact the blogger look is a new way of dressing, a whole attitude change.
CASE IN POINT #1: River Island's Blogger trend for AW12
River Island held their press day last week. At these events, we're told what the store will be doing for coming season. Alongside the big, to-be-expected trends inspired by the catwalk shows (e.g. Baroque and Futuristic Goth) was another called, quite simply "Blogger". The press release describes this look as 'organised chaos' and 'freestyle'. The words 'exaggerated', 'fun' and 'clashing' all feature- 'it's disorganised but carefully put together'
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| Pile it on was the message at River Island |
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| Of course, these boots must be worn with above cap if you're to work the blogger trend in the right way |
By pointedly using this as a seasonal mood, is River Island saying this is a moment for the so-called blogger- I prefer 'street style star' but it's not so catchy- look? Or is it here to stay as a code we use to style ourselves?
CASE IN POINT #2: Vogue loves bloggers
When one of the world's most authoritative fashion magazines commissions a shoot on a trend, we know it's important.
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| I am a camera... from British Vogue, February 2012 (image from thebostonbazaar.wordpress.com) |
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| British Vogue's February issue (image from thelicenciate.com) |
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| (image from thebostonbazaar.wordpress.com) |
CASE IN POINT #3: Anna Dello Russo designs for H&M
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| ADR works her version of 'blogger' (image from guardian.co.uk) |
Until now, H&M has collaborated with some of the most influential designers in the world-Versace, Stella McCartney, Lanvin.... So the fact that their latest project is not with a designer but a person, Anna Dello Russo, really means something. It's a sure sign that H&M believe that the Vogue Nippon Fashion Director,
blogger and
street style favourite has the same wide ranging appeal as a big designer label as well as the look that everyone wants to get. It's interesting that what Dello Russo wears has become so attached to
her rather than the labels she wears. It's
how she wears it which H & M are packaging and selling as a commercial product. It's also highly astute from a business perspective because in order to get the Anna look, customers will have to buy several pieces. ADR seems to be acutely aware of what's going on, she said last week, "this is the sign of an important evolution in fashion and I am both thrilled and humbled to be the one chosen to lead it".
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| Some of the items which will form the collection (image from telegraph.co.uk) |
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| Anna models her designs (image from telegraph.co.uk) |
Do you agree that this is really how bloggers dress? Will you be wearing "blogger"?
