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Staci Griffin
Professor Glaum
UNIV 112
March 24,2015
Breaking News: Bloggers Debate Their Influence on Fashion
Characters:
Jazzi McGilbert: Fashion Stylist, Assistant, and Expertise Blogger
Rachel Strugatz: Fashion Market Editor for Women’s Wear Daily
Imran Amed: Creator and Editor-In-Chief of BOF, the Business of Fashion Blog
Anjella J. Kim: College Graduate and Researcher of Fashion Promotion
Staci Griffin: Reporter for VCU’s Focused Inquiry 112
In the front row of Paris Fashion Week’s Haute Couture Fashion Show,
Imran Amed is preparing his first critique for the Business of Fashion, as Jazzi
McGilbert politely trips over his loafers on the way to her seat. Just as Amed is
preparing his rudest greeting for Mcgilbert, Rachel Strugatz, strolls in wearing a
show-stopping fur trench coat, using her eyes to judge everyone in her path.
Strugatz begins to take her seat next to Amed, while a quirky research reporter for
Virginia Commonwealth University, Staci Griffin, begins to interview each of them
on their roles in the industry. They ask that she wait until the social highlights of the
show, towards the end. As she begins her interview, another reporter, Anjella Kim,
begins to ease drop.
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AMED: (whispers to Strugatz) These shows get more and more low budget every
season. When will they realize fashion is business, not some frivolous art show,
which might I add, are usually more expensive to get into then the clothing!
STRUGATZ: I’ve been sitting here asking myself the same question darling. (Rolls
eyes and tries to avoid the conversation by looking elsewhere)
AMED: And now, we have these pesky reporters everywhere trying to figure out
where designers “get their inspiration”. It’s simply rubbish; everyone knows
designer inspiration is completely fabricated by the industry.
Strugatz remains silent.
Jazzi Mcgilbert chimes in.
MCGILBERT: (scoffs) Actually I beg to differ. The design inspiration comes from the
designers surroundings, so it’s actually the people who usually strike up the
creativity for these designers. And by the people I of coarse mean bloggers, such as
you and myself!
AMED: And YOU is?
MCGILBERT: Jazzi Mcgilbert! It’s such a pleasure to finally meet you Mr. Amed. I
read your blog all the time to keep up with what’s happening in the industry.
AMED: Why yes, it is a pleasure to meet me darling. However I wish the feeling were
mutual.
Amed chuckles and begins to play on his phone.
Staci attempts to begin asking questions.
STACI: So would now be a better time for the interview?
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Strugatz and Amed ignore the question.
MCGILBERT: I’d love to answer a few questions, as long as they don’t interfere with
the show of coarse.
STACI: Oh no, this should only take a few minutes. So, How do you think blogging
has influenced the globalization of fashion?
Amed over hears the question and can’t help but give his input.
AMED: Well since your referring to bloggers, I have no choice but to reply. I can
personally attest to the fact that my own blog, The Business of Fashion, has been
internationally accredited for it’s influence on the fashion industry.
Everyone rolls their eyes.
STACI: Well, how exactly are consumers responding to blogging as a new form of
promotion?
Kim interjects.
KIM: Since your asking, research shoes that many luxury houses create their own
Twitter accounts or post themselves on Facebook. Brands and customers are
communicating with each other without any restriction in time, place, and medium
so that old-fashioned one-way communication is changed to interactive two-way
direct communication. In this way, brands and customers are working together to
create new products, services, business models, and values. (Journal of Business
Research, Section One)
AMED:I must agree. The consumers love it!
MCGILBERT: Yeah, I get tons of questions on where I get all my clothes and shoes, so
of coarse I had to start giving credit to the retailers who provide them. People look
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at my pictures, find out where my apparel is from, and immediately start trying to
find somewhere they can buy it. In a sense, the bloggers are the ones who actually
create the fashion!
AMED: (Chuckles and scoffs at Mcgilbert) Such a typical response from an amateur
blogger. The INDUSTRY creates the fashion sweetheart.
Strugatz finally decides to interject.
STRUGATZ: Actually, during my experience with Women’s Wear Daily, I’ve noticed
that since this increase in blogging, retail sales have increased tremendously. It’s
almost as if they sell the clothes for the companies! (chuckles)
STACI: Hmm, well what exactly makes a blog influential or not?
STRUGATZ: You could answer that yourself darling! It’s obviously its accuracy!
MCGILBERT: Actually, I think it’s the blog’s flare and personality!
Amed and Strugatz make snarky side jokes to each other.
AMED: Non-sense, it’s the blogs dependability. Who wants to read senseless rubbish
with no real research behind it?
KIM: Research definitely makes or breaks a page and it’s popularity. Credibility is
extremely important.
MCGILBERT: First of all who’s interview is this ?!
Kim takes a small step back.
MCGILBERT: (To Amed) And I beg your pardon? Who’s wants to sift through six
pages of boring industry statistics? My followers love the personality and flare I add
to my blog, that’s precisely why they seek me for advice on both trends and industry
topics. For your information Amed .
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Amed looks at Mcgilbert in aw.
STACI: WELLLLL, let’s just move it right along h---…….
(Staci is abruptly cut off by Amed.)
AMED: For YOUR information “sweetheart” , my accredited blog is followed by three
times the amount of your peasant followers. My blog influences actual decisions
made in the industry. Such as when to buy what garments, what trends will actually
last, and which trends are only short-lived fads. My blog is a reference for decisionmaking in fashion. What exactly is your blog for? Flare and Personality? How cute!
Amed and Strugatz burst in laughter, so we are asked to continue our interview in the
main hallway, outside of the show. Anjella Kim follows us all out as well.
MCGILBERT: Well you’ve certainly done it now “Mr. Amed”!
STACI: Why don’t we just move it right along so we can get to the next question
everyone, okay?
Everyone sighs and complies.
STACI: Does an individual have to have high position in the fashion world to be an
influential bloggers?
AMED: Nonsense, you simply have to know what you’re talking about.
STRUGATZ: I disagree, my position in WWD as an editor has certainly given me
more clout when discussing the industry and trends in my personal blog.
AMED: Well I started my blog, simply sitting on my couch, watching TV. And even
then I was only a management consultant for Mckinsey & Co.
Kim: Ehhhh, I disagree with you Amed, when I tried to start my own fashion blog I
couldn’t get the first consistent follower on my posts.
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AMED: What is this! Amateur blogger day at Paris Fashion Week? WHO ARE YOU?!
Kim: Oh I’m a researcher Mr. Amed! I’m researching the effects social media has had
on the industry.
STACI: Well this is MY interview Kim, as you know I have research requirements to
meet as well.
Kim is given a look from the side of Staci’s eye.
STACI: Now, lets move on so we can get back to the show. My final question is ,
Where do you all believe today’s fashion truly comes from?
STRUGATZ: Fashion Forecasters. They have to research for two years before any
garment are created.
AMED: The industry of coarse. Fashion is cyclical, trends are simply recreated each
year.
MCGILBERT: You people are all crazy! It’s the people obviously! We create trends
and keep them going with OUR creativity!
Strugatz and Amed scoff and go back into the show.
Mcgilbert relentlessly follows.
Works Cited
J. Kim, Anjella. "Do Social Media Marketing Activities Enhance Customer
Equity? An Empirical Study of Luxury Fashion Brand ☆." Do Social Media
Marketing Activities Enhance Customer Equity? An Empirical Study of
Luxury Fashion Brand. El Sevier Journal of Business Research, 1 Oct. 2012.
Web. 26 Mar.
2015.<http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014829631100358
4>
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Amed, Imran. "Imran Amed, Founder and Editor - The Business of
Fashion." The Business of Fashion. The Business of Fashion. Web. 26 Mar.
2015. <http://www.businessoffashion.com/about/imran-amed-editorlondon>
Strugatz, Rachel. "The Business of Blogging." WWD. 16 Nov. 2014. Web.
26 Mar. 2015. <http://wwd.com/media-news/digital/bloggers-to-business8032726/>.
Mgilbert, Jazzi. "GAP Styld.by X LEAF Tv." Jazzi McG. 1 Jan. 2010. Web.
26 Mar. 2015. <http://www.jazzimcg.com/blog/>.