here is my little literature review which i wrote a few months ago now. didnt really have a clue what i was doing then and still dont now... dissertation for dummies might come in handy! need to get reading it...
Gone are the days where the privileged few such as journalists and editors controlled what was written and discussed in the public eye. The advancements of technology in recent years has allowed new forms of communication to grow and come to light; one such form are blogs. According to John Cass (2007) blogs can be defined as “websites that appear in journal format. The idea of fashion blogging is to write opinions, thoughts and start discussions on various topics relating to the fashion industry. Anyone who wants to voice their thoughts on a chosen subject is able to do so with a blog.
One industry that has noticed a high surge in blogging in recent years is the fashion industry. Linda Leung (2008) describes fashion blogging as “an emerging online phenomenon that has special relevance in discussing how identities, online and offline are defined as fashion blogs typically cover both ideal and real aspects of both the blogger’s and their reader’s identities”. The purpose of this review is to discuss the extent that fashion blogging now has over the fashion industry, considering that they are becoming such a prevalent source of information. I plan to discuss various different perspectives, taken from several authors who have looked into the ‘blogging world’ and evaluate their findings.
In a recent article “Style bloggers take centre stage”, Financial Times journalist Nicola Copping wrote about the recent ‘hype’ of fashion bloggers and the amount of interest they have had in the fashion industry. Copping stated that the, “…spring/summer 2010 round of catwalk shows, which ended last month, was a watershed moment for the bloggers and the fashion industry.” (Copping, 2009)
As a result it showed that the industry regards them to be of great importance now more than they ever have been. Moreover, bloggers like Bryan Boy (shown in Appendix A) were seen in the front row alongside some of the most influential people in fashion such as Anna Wintour.
This is a clear defining moment in terms of communication within the fashion industry. The bloggers are gaining the same kind of recognition as journalists and writers who have spent years training and working their way into the industry. This is recognised by author Mark Tungate who finds that, “…a new tribe has been spotted… staking out the best places at the shows and helping themselves to finger food and champagne. They are fashion bloggers, and they are assailing the elitist world of glossy magazines” (Tungate, 2008). Furthermore, he reveals that, “Well known fashion bloggers are now sent gifts, invited to launch parties and taken on press junkets just like glossy magazine journalists” (Tungate, 2008).
Authors Charles Lamb, Joseph Hair and Carl McDaniel also agree with this concept that fashion blogging is becoming a bigger aspect of the industry and suggest that its becoming so big that its over shadowing traditional media such as newspapers and magazines by stating that, “…fashion bloggers have the attention of the fashion establishment because many claim bigger followings than traditional media.” (Lamb et al, 2009)
It is evident that blogging is fast becoming a popular new wave of media and that this is one of the fastest ways of reaching the fashion consumer. Bryan Boy has a following of 215,000 visitors a day, Scott Schuman also know as the Sartorialist has a following of 225,000 visitors a day according to Copping (2009) and British fashion blogger Susie Lau of stylebubble.com has a following of 10,000 a day according to Tungate. This shows the extent of interest in these blogs and it comes as no surprise that designers want these popular bloggers to be at the front and centre of their shows. Bloggers will most likely get the information out to these consumers about trends and products faster than any other type of media. As a result, they are highly influential and will have an ever growing amount of power in their hands. It has been put forward that, “Bryan Boy knows that his thoughts on the catwalk spectacle about to unfold in front of him will make it onto the website before any of his front row neighbours even make it to the next show. His up to the minute commentary is why his readers log on. It is why the Italian designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana invited him.” (Copping, 2009)
Not only does fashion blogging have a strong influence over the media but it could be seen as having influence in areas of marketing. This is particularly beneficial to brands as they can use fashion blogging as an outlet to reach a specific consumer. Brands can use blogging as a platform for putting emphasis on a particular product or collection. Author Mary Gehlar (2008) agrees with this stating that, “Blogging has become a legitimate PR strategy in itself. Designer Robert Gellar says that blogs directly affect his retail sales. The consumers are passionate and loyal and it builds an “underground” desire for the product.”
It is natural now for retailers to have their own online blog which is usually accessible from their online stores or through social networking sites like Facebook. British retailers such as Topshop, River Island
Not only can the brand partake in fashion blogging but they can also encourage well known fashion bloggers to promote their products. This has been done by brands such as American Apparel and Net-a-porter with The Sartorialist, Scott Schuman.
Designer Christopher Bailey stated in the article “Style Bloggers take centre Stage” (Copping, 2009) that “The difference between bloggers and traditional press is that (bloggers) are often talking directly to the final consumer.” This shows that designers are taking notice of the influence of fashion blogging. Moreover, that they think that it is important to respect these bloggers as they inevitably take part in the consumer buying making process, by influencing consumers to purchase the products they are generally devoting their blog entries to.
Considering the points put across from various different authors, journalists and designers, all of whom have had considerable experience within the industry, it can be said that fashion blogging does have a strong influence over the fashion industry. Fashion blogging has become a new type of media that is considered to be of importance by various members of the fashion world. The general feeling I get from these authors is that this is destined to get bigger in years to come and that fashion blogging is now, most definitely part and parcel of this growing industry. The future of fashion blogging most definitely looks promising.
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