Wow….Oooo… Hoooo…

After a loooong wait, and even though H&M kind of stole their thunder with the whole Lanvin buzz…. This week Zara had finally opened its online store.

It was really just a matter of time. For a while now, things were going a bit too smoothly in the fashion blogging field. The biggest bloggers have been wooed by the most luxurious fashion houses for several years now; they are invited to the front row in fashion week and get expensive gifts by the dozen. But now a mini web-storm is threatening to touch this indulgent milieu in France. The credibility and very image of all fashion bloggers is hanging in the balance.

It all began with the crossing of an invisible line. The 3rd most popular French fashion blogger, Miss Pandora (with 15,000-20,000 visits per day!), decided to pose for a campaign of the French label “Comptoir Des Cotonniers” with her mother (traditionally, the ads of this brand show couples of mothers and daughters using the same garment of clothing).

Suddenly, a rain of criticism fell on Pandora’s head. The relationship between bloggers and labels became the hottest issue of the day, with articles and analysis all over the net. The attention, the gifts, the privet parties, the hidden sponsorships… Are the bloggers under influence? Asked L’Express magazine. Are they bribed? Wondered Rue89 website. Are they breaking an ethical code when they write about a dress they “adore” and fail to mention this was a gift? Or when they pose in a pair of shoes made by their own label, without full disclosure?

The answer is yes, they are breaking the ethical code of journalism. But they are not journalists.

The real problem is that the difference between journalism and blog writing has gotten too vague. After all, many respectable journalists write a blog on the side and many major events are covered by bloggers… My first reaction says that we have to keep in mind that these are two worlds apart. But judging by the state of the press nowadays, blogs might be the neo-journalism. Nevertheless, If they want to stay relevant, bloggers will have to adopt certain professional ethics, or they will lose their credibility sooner then expected.

Pandora played with fire, but i can only assume that with today’s buzz she got much more visits than Betty or Alix (first and second French fashion blogs)…. And visibility is the name of the game, right?

We have at least two months of warm sunshine ahead, but the fashion world is already switching to a ‘winter state of mind’. Summer sales are practically over, mid-season collections are neatly presented in stores and in a couple of weeks the infamous September issues will list for us next season’s “Must have”s. In an attempt to keep up with this crazy rhythm, I here by open the Fall-Winter season on Issues.

Even in -10 degrees, showing-off feminine legs is always a good strategy to adopt. This winter, you might want to pay attention to the refreshing work of Gal Stern (28).

This young designer graduated two years ago from Shenkar (Israeli College of Engineering and Design) where she specialized in printing. During her final project she had to develop different textiles for women’s pantyhose and there she found her niche. Today, her hand printed tights are sold in Australia, USA and UK (not to mention her online store that ships everywhere).

Issues: Where do you get your inspiration?
Gal Stern: My inspiration keeps changing. In my last collection I was influenced by vertebrates and knots, by forms and their repetitive patterns. Inspiration comes from feelings you get from the world, and so, at this moment I’m also influenced by ‘Avatar’ and ‘Alice in Wonderland’. Both of these films are projected in 3D and are about fantasy.

What technique do you use in your work?
My printing techniques vary from one product to another; I don’t tend to give them away… In general, all products are hand printed one-by-one through silk-screening in my workshop.
There’s a real movement of “back to necessities”, prioritizing hand-made unique and original products over mass production. It’s very important to me in my work process.

Who do you design for?
My customers are girls and women from 17 to 70. They like fashion, know to express themselves in an original way and they don’t ‘go with the flow’.

Do you plan to expand your work to other garments?
My business is still young. Right now I’m focusing on tights but I have a lot of projects. Later on I might develop into working other pieces, maybe bathing-suits…

Photography: Suryanty Theong, Noa Ramone, Dean Podmore

On their web site, the people of Vs Magazine are defining it as an international high-end fashion and lifestyle magazine. Indeed, it’s hard to determine the national identity of this colorful large-format. Vs has a Paris and a New-york office, their distributor is in London and rumor has it the people behind it are really ducth (!).

Recently, Vs had  launched a new web site that supposed to be the first version of a fashion magazine in our internet era, featuring filmed fashion spreads, among other things. “It’s our way of transforming the printed magazine into a LIVE edition”, in their words.

The international aspect of Vs is definitely present on their web site. During my visit I came across a video realized by the Swedish label Monki, which I didn’t know before. Even if it’s only to appriciate their unique universe and graphic signature, the Monki web site’s worth a look as well.