Kirstie Clements - Editor

[fashionistasista]

As im in a bit of a patriotic mood i thought id post a bit on Australian Vogue's editor - Kristie Clements. This doesnt mean i am going to be overly kind too her though . I think the title has some good and also very bad issues.. but to her credit it is always going to be hard to run a fashion magazine in which the content comes out in opposite seasons and also given that we live a long way from any where that is considered fashion central.

Kirstie her self is no debutante or socialite, you will not see her at many press releases or store openings (Australias main events in the social pages). She worked her way up the editorial ranks and has also worked at Australian Harpers Bazaar (which to be honest i think does a much better job) i would love to know a little more about her.. she can seem quite polished on some days (see below photos) but sometimes she looks down right scraggy - like she hasnt brushed her hair and has just rolled out of bed - she can hardly be representing australian style very well overseas!

to comment on her editorial talents she's no anna or carine, i think she is a bit bland and unimaginative, and seems to pilfer alot of American Vogues articles....

On the positive side the clothes and ideas are very accessable and its layout always seems to flow nicely (except for those horrible 'annual plastic surgery guides' which are about 40 pages long and totally bulk out the mag - in complete bad taste if you ask me for that to be printed in a VOGUE)

if anyone else has any other imput i would love to hear it!

 

[fashionistasista]

The Daily Ozzie
It's a countdown to Mercedes Australian Fash Week! A moment with Kirstie Clements, EIC, Vogue Australia

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Kirstie Clemens

(SYDNEY) As a lead-up to Mercedes Australian Fashion Week—starting April 26!—we’ve compiled a dossier on fash insiders from Oz. In today’s edition, we grabbed a moment with Kirstie Clements, the woman who’s been in the top seat at Vogue for nearly seven years. She dishes on the catwalk vibe down under…
What’s the biggest difference between Vogue Australia and other Vogues?
Ours has a bit of a lifestyle feel, there’s sort of a breezy attitude that runs through it. We try not to take ourselves so seriously, so it’s got a lighter hand to it.
And what are the Vogue offices like?
They are in the dodgy bit of Surry Hills. It’s kind of industrial environment, but there are starting to be more little boutiques and restaurants with a Meatpacking district feel. I don’t want to give it a false sense of glamour. But give it a few years, by all means.
How does Sydney differ from Melbourne?
Sydney is much more beachy, a bit more L.A. if you will, much less dressed. Melbourne would say Sydney was more loud and brash; Melbourne is quieter, more insular. It’s more of a café culture where Sydney is a bit more hedonistic.
And who do you get in the front row?
In terms of socialites: Sarah Murdoch, she is always worth looking at when she is there. It’s the girlfriends of the tycoons. Jackie O, who is on radio, she has quite a high profile. It’s really quite industry. Australians have a funny thing about not wanting to be in the spotlight all the time. People are more sort of friendly. They never want to be seen as more important than any one else, so we haven’t got that huge flashbulbs going off kind of thing.
And a few tips on what’s in Vogue…
Vogue Eats: Icebergs, Morris, North Bondi Italian, and La Sala for lunches. “It’s run by this guy Andrea, it’s kind of Vogue HQ in terms of lunch.”

Vogue Shoots: We shoot a lot up in Palm Beach because it’s too crowded around the beaches in Sydney. Australians don’t necessarily want to look at Australian locations. But the Whitsunday Islands…the beaches there are insane.

Mischa’s In Vogue: We did a big shoot with Mischa Barton during the Oscars and took over all of these Australian designers, like Willow and Theodore. Arthur Elgort shot the photos of her with her dog.

 

[fashionistasista]

a couple of photos
getty.com

vogue.com
and getty again

ech i have to comment about the shoes!

 

[charmedp321]

She is such a great woman, she knows what she wants and has an vibe that I love.

 

[ChrissyM]

does Australian Vogue do a lot of its own photoshoots or do they mostly reprint editorials from other Vogues?

 

[Cicciolina]

They received a lot of criticism for reprinting editorials - there was one stage where it almost felt like the whole issue was a reprint. However now it seems to me they're making more of an effort to shoot their own editorials, but they're not really known for that yet right now in my opinion.

 

[lemeray]

My friend did an internship at Vogue Living...she said she saw Kirstie all the time...dressed daggy and in tracksuits sometimes ...personally I don't think she has great style...her clothes were really boring on ANTM...

 

[Bahiyya]

tracksuits.....!?!

 

[helmut.newton]

What’s the biggest difference between Vogue Australia and other Vogues? Ours has a bit of a lifestyle feel, there’s sort of a breezy attitude that runs through it. We try not to take ourselves so seriously, so it’s got a lighter hand to it.

:LOL:

This is too easy to make a joke at.

It's so breezy because they never DO anything creative or innovative!

 

[GWOD]

I really like Kirsty Celements. I think she's very endearing and well-spoken,
but Australian Vogue just bores me.
What everyone else is saying is right; it's completely unimaginative and very limited in terms of its 'fashion-forwardness' (like the vast majority of the Australian fashion industry really).
It definitely does just rip-off ideas from other countries. There's no real push to be new or inventive or create something original that hasn't been seen before (in relation to Vogue Aus and the Aus fashion industry). It's more about just following trends (set internationally) and finding a bankable aesthetic they can milk.

I was actually shopping in Woollahra with my parents a few weeks ago and Kirsty Clements walked right past me!

on Style.com's most recent vodcasts of the fashion weeks Kirsty has been given a lot of air time at various shows in Paris. She's got a lot of good opinions and has a very coherent way of talking about what she's seen. Tim Blanks certainly responds to her.

 

[samoanceleb]

i absolutely love Kirstie Clemments ... vogue australia has always been a favorite of mine, and she is a very smart woman ... she has a weekly column in 1 of the sunday newspapers in sydney and she always has a good balance between the tension of northern hempishere high fashion and the australian woman/consumer ....

she doesnt seem to take herself too seriously and she is incredible when it comes to promoting australian models ... all of the now (or emerging) big australian girls such as Gemma, Catherine, Elyse, Jessica H, Myf, Nicole T, Alice B, Katie B and soon Samantha Harris had Vogue covers very early in their careers ... which is excellent for any model in any country ...

i like vogue australia and although there are reprints from time to time, at least its unlike bazaar australia which is very hard to tell from grazia these days ...

here she is below right at Celine F/W 10/11 during Paris FW ... [source: jak&jil blog]

 

[therawpower]

Thanks for the picture

 

[Sophie02]

For how long has Clements been editor of Aus Vogue? TIA

 

[songbirdsel]

Too long...

 

[Sophie02]

^ Agreed!

 

[YourMonster]

I think Kirstie is a fantastic editor, she cares alot about the australian fashion industry. I cant say the same for Harper's Editor: Edwina McCann because shes not a very visible figure (for me personally) in the industry. She and Harpers seem to like to stay in their own bubble. Even though VA does have its fair amount of re-prints, its not as frequent or as abundant as it was say...4 years ago where i remember it was re-prints galore. But at least with their current crop of re-prints...they're good choices and they at least resemble something that aussie readers can appreciate and take interest in. Shes certainly raise the standards at Vogue and i like that.

 

[samoanceleb]

i agree ^ ... i love her & how she is such a promoter of australian fashion, models & culture ... i think more editors of local editions of a global magazine brands should take her cue to promote the local industry more ... it has been great to see the sep 2011 cover get so much great feedback & to see such a thick issue for VA ... i say keep up the great work, although the typography & layout of their covers generally has been an issue for sometime ...

 

[NakedIfIWantTo]

I will always have respect for Kirstie. She was the first person in the fashion industry I looked up to at the age of 12

 

[AL92]

Kirstie at VFNO Sydney 2011
Source: vogue.com.au

 

[senorgemma]

Vogue editor sacked as heads roll at News Magazines

The Australian fashion industry is in shock following the sudden exit of Vogue Australia editor-in-chief Kirstie Clements after 10 years as editor-in-chief of the magazine.

businessday.com.au rest of article here