fashionistas - Jezebel

posts about #fashionistas more →
The NY Times Obviously Wants Us To Hate "The Empress Of Edge."
How Do You Solve A Problem Like Michelle?
Karl Lagerfeld: Everybody's Jealous of Carla Bruni
Tough Questions
Who's Behind View From The Fourth Row?

Your version of Internet Explorer is not supported. Please upgrade to the most recent version in order to view comments.

Dsmvwl Admin Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×

pantycrickets
02/23/09

In reply to The NY Times Obviously Wants Us To Hate "The Empress Of Edge."
Is this like when Carrie Bradshaw thought it was going to be "Single and Fabulous!", but it turned out to be "Single and Fabulous?"
Reply

pantycrickets was starred pantycrickets was unstarred

Linnley
02/23/09

@TexasCrude blames Gwyneth Paltrow: Ah, a woman after my own heart. Except I'm broke BECAUSE I went to college. I'm friends with the guy who delivers the overpriced stuff for the vending machines for my massive corporation. Free Reese's Pieces. I save them for dinner!
Reply

Linnley was starred Linnley was unstarred

pandorasmittens
02/23/09

In reply to The NY Times Obviously Wants Us To Hate "The Empress Of Edge."
There seems to be a massive disconnect between what we've seen of the magazine thus far, and this horribly unflattering portrait of its editor. Which leads me to believe that her "high pitched squeak" was emphasized on purpose. Understandable, because the NY Times already has an edgy, high quality, fashion magazine... oh, wait.
Reply

pandorasmittens was starred pandorasmittens was unstarred

emilyanne
02/23/09

@pandorasmittens: good call. Seriously this profile seems nothing like any other interview I've read with Grand.
Reply

emilyanne was starred emilyanne was unstarred

tscheese
02/23/09

In reply to The NY Times Obviously Wants Us To Hate "The Empress Of Edge."
Sadie, I think you touched on something that is VERY accurate about NYT life and/or style writing in general:

To a degree, the disconnect between the (Silly, Expensive Thing)and (OTHER Silly, Expensive Thing) probably doesn't seem as manifest to them as to the casual reader.

This is pretty much it right there. Ever want to sound weirdly entitled and tone-deaf when writing about life or fashion? Pretend you can't fathom the relationships between things! It is working fine for Paltrow!
Reply

tscheese was starred tscheese was unstarred

tscheese
02/23/09

@tscheese: (And by this I mean, I'm talking about the NYT's style, not Katie Grand. I haven't read anything by her yet, but she sounds interesting. I wasn't trying to make her sound like Paltrow.)
Reply

tscheese was starred tscheese was unstarred

TexasCrude
02/23/09

In reply to The NY Times Obviously Wants Us To Hate "The Empress Of Edge."
Meanwhile TexasCrude inherited five bucks from her mom the other day, wears an old pair of pants daily and hangs with such prestigious folk like the homeless guy by the minimart, the bus driver, that math professor she badly wants to bone and the librarian. She constantly indulges in being broke and not being able to go to college!

Tres chic!
Reply

TexasCrude was starred TexasCrude was unstarred

Linnley
02/23/09

Ah, a woman after my own heart. Except I'm broke BECAUSE I went to college. I'm friends with the guy who delivers the overpriced stuff for the vending machines for my massive corporation. Free Reese's Pieces. I save them for dinner!
Reply

Linnley was starred Linnley was unstarred

Penny
02/23/09

In reply to The NY Times Obviously Wants Us To Hate "The Empress Of Edge."
And, as I've said before, Love looks okay. But from what I have seen, I think I will stick to Another Magazine, Jalouse and Flaunt for "edgy" reads.
Reply

Penny was starred Penny was unstarred

Samanthrax
02/23/09

In reply to The NY Times Obviously Wants Us To Hate "The Empress Of Edge."
Oh dang, I didn't view the Ditto cover like that. I thought it was celebretory. Perhaps I missed something.
Reply

Samanthrax was starred Samanthrax was unstarred

Penny
02/23/09

@Samazon: I have viewpoints about that cover that I have refrained from discussing. I think it's a bit complicated and can't really be nailed down to any one thing. But, I think most people interpreted it as celebratory.

Let's see how many more "divergent" types of beauty they will show on the cover. They didn't have many POC in the mag.
Reply

Penny was starred Penny was unstarred

GoldenRatioφ (aka -girl11)
02/23/09

@Penny Plastic: Haha, oh now I'm curious about the viewpoints you have refrained from discussing. I will say obesity-related illness has been a problem for my mother, and I am eager to avoid that, but in general I really like learning about the fat-acceptance movement and love Kate Harding. But I still liked the Ditto cover because the reality is that fear about health issues should not make a certain body type less beautiful than others. I don't know that celebrating Ditto's beauty should be "outrageous performance art" though, if that really is how we should read Grand's statement.

Mostly I am excited for this magazine because every time I pick up Nylon I want to throw it out the window, and Vogue is too fancy for me. So, I can't wait to see what this will be like!
Reply

Penny
02/23/09

@goldengirl11 (is way too earnest): They have nothing to do with her health or whether an overweight woman can be considered beautiful, so no worries there.

If anything, it just seem gimmicky - like they are trying to transgress, but not overly so. I am also bothered by the dichotomies that develop around female beauty, and I think that showing someone different, while somewhat commendable, is not as amazing as some people make it out to be.

Because, in the end, it IS easy to be edgy.
Reply

Penny was starred Penny was unstarred

GoldenRatioφ (aka -girl11)
02/23/09

@Penny Plastic: Ah interesting. Sorry I wasn't trying to put words in your mouth, my Mom has just gone through a lot with her health, and sometimes I am a little conflicted about the way weight and health are discussed here.

But I agree, the very fact that it seems like Grand views Ditto's cover as cutting-edge is depressing. The point of a cover model should be beauty, fashion and accomplishments (sounds like a pageant!) and Ditto has all those, that should be why she's on the cover.
Reply

Penny
02/23/09

In reply to The NY Times Obviously Wants Us To Hate "The Empress Of Edge."
"It's very easy to be cool and self-indulgent."

This is true. Which is why it's relatively easy to creatively direct a fashion magazine.
Reply

Penny was starred Penny was unstarred

Whiskey and Popcorn
02/23/09

In reply to The NY Times Obviously Wants Us To Hate "The Empress Of Edge."
Wow.They found Shopaholic.She really exists.Also, what the frackety frack is a stuffed guinea pig?!
Reply

doodley is not amused
02/23/09

@JanicefromSA: I'm sincerely hoping that by "stuffed guinea pig," they mean a plush toy and not that this woman keeps pieces of taxidermy on the couch.
Reply

nora charles
02/23/09

In reply to The NY Times Obviously Wants Us To Hate "The Empress Of Edge."
Chanel . . . blanket?
Reply

nora charles was starred nora charles was unstarred

GoldenRatioφ (aka -girl11)
02/23/09

@nora charles: Ya know, to throw over your camels when your LV blanket is covering your elephants. Duuuhr.
Reply

morninggloria
02/23/09

In reply to The NY Times Obviously Wants Us To Hate "The Empress Of Edge."
Love is blind.
Reply

morninggloria was starred morninggloria was unstarred

Linnley
02/23/09

In reply to The NY Times Obviously Wants Us To Hate "The Empress Of Edge."
I read this profile. It struck me as unnecessarily bitchy.
Reply

Linnley was starred Linnley was unstarred

emilyanne
02/23/09

@Linnley: that's what I think. Nothing else I've ever read on her makes her sound like this.
Reply

emilyanne was starred emilyanne was unstarred

Linnley
02/23/09

@emilyanne: I just read over the Guardian interview you mentioned above, its as if they're profiling a different person.
Reply

Linnley was starred Linnley was unstarred

emilyanne
02/23/09

@Linnley: exactly. I wonder if she might be too dry for the writer of the New York Times, ie if the comments weren't that serious but the writer missed the point? It's the only explanation I can come up with.
Reply

emilyanne was starred emilyanne was unstarred

Linnley
02/23/09

@emilyanne: Well it is the NYT, odds are pretty good the writer missed the point.
Reply

Linnley was starred Linnley was unstarred

emilyanne
02/23/09

In reply to The NY Times Obviously Wants Us To Hate "The Empress Of Edge."
It's interesting because that profile makes me dislike Katie Grand and yet in every other piece I read with her she comes across as down-to-earth, witty and interesting. I recommend looking at her interview with the Guardian for a better view.
Reply

emilyanne was starred emilyanne was unstarred

Rooo sez BISH PLZ
01/26/09

In reply to How Do You Solve A Problem Like Michelle?
"Michelle Obama makes fashion feel bad about itself."

Okay, raise your hand if you're enjoying that an awful lot.

*raises hand*
Reply

Rooo sez BISH PLZ was starred

Tart of Darkness
01/26/09

@Rooo sez BISH PLZ: Oh YES!
Reply

Tart of Darkness was starred Tart of Darkness was unstarred

misspell
01/26/09

In reply to How Do You Solve A Problem Like Michelle?
There are a variety of ways in Michelle Obama is completely awesome and there are a disproportionate number of articles focusing on this one single aspect. I'm more concerned with the new administration than how much emotional impact she's gonna have on high fashion designers.

"To put it bluntly, Michelle Obama makes fashion feel bad about itself." I think they just haven't figured out how to use it to benefit themselves yet. I know that's a crass angle to take, but I think they are following Billy Crystal's lead: "It's better to look good than to feel good, dahling."
Reply

misspell was starred misspell was unstarred

PhillyLass
01/26/09

In reply to How Do You Solve A Problem Like Michelle?
"Hers is the kind of résumé that can induce a certain self-hatred among people who've devoted their lives to tracking hemlines and hairdos."

I'm not concerned about the self-esteem of people who've devoted their lives to tracking hemlines and hairdos. The haters can suck it.
Reply

PhillyLass was starred PhillyLass was unstarred

Earlier discussions Other discussions Show all discussions Show featured discussions only Start a new discussion