^ I'm not sure I agree completely - for me it would come down to probably an equally simple matter, recreation or inspiration.
There are people that look at stories with the purpose of finding inspiration and integrate the ideas and experiments of an editor into their own personal style, regardless of how similar or different their vision is in comparison to what they're looking at in those pages.
Then you have the people that need ready-to-go ideas, not necessarily for a special occasion but use fashion to recreate, maybe imitate and to be 'up to date'.
In that same way I see those divisions, I see stylists.. there are stylists whose personal style is part of the package or
the package, they bring it on everything they touch and encourage people to recreate it perhaps hoping it expands and becomes a trend, which makes them accumulate more prestige I would guess.. it doesn't matter if they're on assignment or out on the street, the formula is unmodifiable.. they are what they sell and their image is their work.
I could think of a couple of editors that do this, that create little replicas of themselves whenever they stop posing and work, mainly Emanuelle Alt and Camille Bidault.. Alt wasn't always like this but I guess she realised it was a very productive outlet.
Camille |
Camille's work.
[purple-diary/scan by MissMagAddict]
Emanuelle Alt
.. her work.
[rdujour/amorepace at wordpress/herfamedgoodlooks/style.com]
And then you have people that deliver balanced imagery, with clear influences of their own taste (I think it's impossible to detach yourself completely from your work), but focused on art and elements that create a narrative and allows you to find your own interpretation of the story.. it impacts the viewer almost with an assignment to externalise that inspiration through their own vocabulary.. and their personal image isn't really tied to their creations.
Joanne Blades
Her work..
[models.com/scans by a.t.]
Robbie Spencer
.. his work.
[glamcanyon/dazeddigital/carlottamanaigo]
Of course these are extremes and both groups are in completely different stances to the point it's almost unfair to compare, it sort of reminds me of the
why don't designers wear their own designs dilemma. What irritates me a little is that the first group, through their much emphasized celebrity and sporadic work, promote imitation in a field that should ideally (as in the second example) be more liberating and creative and encouraging of individuality precisely because, even if it's on Vogue, it's still on a page and completely about a subjective visual interpretation, it shouldn't command, it should invite..
Again, it's probably very naive of me to expect things to be too creative and for some to abstain from capitalising on a gold mine when '
The must-haves of the season' spreads are already an institution, I just hope that the images that awe you and provoke something through their uniqueness, storytelling and sometimes bravery to the point you want to rip off the page, hang on a wall and keep them there for years don't become a thing of the past eventually, as stylists find themselves in reduced rooms to showcase their creativity and are replaced completely by those that are more about what's in, what's out and other strict rules (see Della Russo above!), instead of showing how exciting it can be to step out of them and perpetuate all these incentives that prolong the inspiration and celebration of your own individuality.
...
