THERE was a time when fashion’s front row was strictly reserved for powerful fashion editors, the world’s most influential fashion buyers and headline-grabbing famous faces, but at Australian Fashion Week a new breed of fashion power broker joined the A row — bloggers.Event organisers IMG Fashion invited — and paid for — “elite” bloggers to travel to Sydney to cover it last week. “We’ve invited some of these guys here because our role is to get people talking about Australian fashion. And when you’ve got bloggers that provide immediate commentary within hours, even minutes, of a show finishing, and they are communicating to hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people around the globe, why wouldn’t you get them here?” says Australian Fashion Week founder Simon Lock.
Among the international bloggers sitting front row was Bryanboy — a Manila-based web developer turned flamboyant fashion blogger who attracts up to 180,000 visitors a day to his blog, bryanboy.com.
Famous for witty and often bitchy fashion commentary, Bryanboy is so respected in the fashion blogosphere that The New York Post recently voted him among the top nine “hottest celebrities on the web” and high-profile American designer Marc Jacobs named a handbag after him.
Bryanboy believes the power of the blogger lies in the ability to give uncensored, unedited fashion commentary at break-neck speed to a global audience.
“I think readers trust us because they know we don’t have a vested interest,” he says. “We don’t have editors or advertisers to please like magazines and I think that gives us a lot more cred. We tell it how it is and people really value that.”
Other bloggers attending the event included New York-based online webzine editor and blogger Jason Campbell from the popular JC Report; Sydney-based shoe blogger Matthew Jordan from Imelda (imelda.com.au); Aussie blog the Vine; and FashioNZ’s editor, Julie Roulston, who has been blogging throughout the week.
Representatives from Style.com and online fashion giant WGSN were also among the front row fashionista. Meanwhile Australian Fashion Week launched its first blog — Chicreport.com.
JC Report’s Jason Campbell says bloggers are becoming an increasing presence at fashion shows around the globe.
“The tide is definitely swinging the way of bloggers and online publishers,” he says. “You know, people want to know what’s happening now, not in a magazine in a month’s time. It’s all about instant gratification and we’re delivering that. And we’re delivering it to a global audience.”
For the first time, buyers from online retailers including the London-based Net-a-Porter.com and New York’s Shopbop.com were also invited to the event as guests of IMG Fashion. Says Lock: “As consumer confidence in shopping online has grown these online retailers have become a real force. They are already selling a number of Australian labels but we are hoping they will pick up more and introduce them to shoppers around the world.”
Some top fashion blogs
www.bryanboy.com
“Material Boy is one of the shows I’ve been looking forward to … I **LOVE** these super straight, super narrow leather trousers … so gorgeous!!! And the SHOES. Oh my god I love the shoes!”
thesartorialist.blogspot.com
“Somehow, a gentleman can wear a safari jacket in Paris and it doesn’t seem contrived, the way it would in New York.”
gofugyourself.typepad.com
“What if Lucky or Elle suddenly tries to convince the world that … we totally should pay $300 for a crotch that sags to the knees and doubles as a place to stash twenty flasks?”
The Cut (nymag.com/daily/fashion)
“Now you can dress like Madonna by shopping at Forever 21. They have looks from every Madge era — just what we’ve always dreamed of.”
Manolo’s Shoe Blog (www.shoeblog.com)
“Roberto Cavalli Wedge, Ugly and Expensive — Manolo says, this is the sort of atrocity that makes the Manolo waver between anger and despair, while the price leaves him gasping.”
For the first time, buyers from online retailers including the London-based Net-a-Porter.com and New York’s Shopbop.com were also invited to the event as guests of IMG Fashion. Says Lock: “As consumer confidence in shopping online has grown these online retailers have become a real force. They are already selling a number of Australian labels but we are hoping they will pick up more and introduce them to shoppers around the world.”
Some top fashion blogs
www.bryanboy.com
“Material Boy is one of the shows I’ve been looking forward to … I **LOVE** these super straight, super narrow leather trousers … so gorgeous!!! And the SHOES. Oh my god I love the shoes!”
thesartorialist.blogspot.com
“Somehow, a gentleman can wear a safari jacket in Paris and it doesn’t seem contrived, the way it would in New York.”
gofugyourself.typepad.com
“What if Lucky or Elle suddenly tries to convince the world that … we totally should pay $300 for a crotch that sags to the knees and doubles as a place to stash twenty flasks?”
The Cut (nymag.com/daily/fashion)
“Now you can dress like Madonna by shopping at Forever 21. They have looks from every Madge era — just what we’ve always dreamed of.”
Manolo’s Shoe Blog (www.shoeblog.com)
“Roberto Cavalli Wedge, Ugly and Expensive — Manolo says, this is the sort of atrocity that makes the Manolo waver between anger and despair, while the price leaves him gasping.”
;)
;)
May 4, 2008 
Reader Comments