The New Fashion Elite

[LUXXX]

radaronline


As fashion goes mass, the barbarians are at the gates ... and the elite are trembling in their Louboutins. In this excerpt from Radar Magazine's March fashion issue, we rank the leading trendsetters du jour.

radaronline

Wake up that anorexic underage Estonian supermodel crumpled in a heap, splashes of champagne staining her Balenciaga silk gazar dress! Sweep the pigeon poop from the floors of the Bryant Park tents! It's time for Radar's first-ever Fashion Influence List, wherein bearded drag queen Andre J. and sultry Web moppet Cory Kennedy, the conniving, miniature celeb-stylist Rachel Zoe, and the fabulous Olsen twins are justly ranked and celebrated.

What can be said of this mad moment, in which intern Lauren Conrad holds more sway than a world-class designer—even one who lost 92 pounds by swishing Nutella and spitting it out? How to explain the ascendance of stylists over editors, trashy tabloids over high-end glossies, know-nothing celebs over real ladies of style?

The seeds were sown decades ago when Coco Chanel put everyone in little black dresses and fake jewelry, telling shopgirls to look like countesses, and vice versa. Though black was her color, Chanel luxuriated in social gray areas. Seventy-odd years before Karl Lagerfeld, who now helms the house that bears her name, entered into his devil's pact to design for H&M, Mme. Chanel paid a visit to Manhattan's then notoriously pedestrian department store S. Klein. On spotting racks of fake Chanels, she offered a Gallic shrug and declared the knock-offs "spontaneous publicity."

Now the tail is wagging the dog more violently than ever and, for most consumers, fashion no longer means Alexander McQueen or Yves Saint Laurent. It's Tyra Banks! It's Tim Gunn "making it work"! Ugly Betty winning a Golden Globe. And then there's Lauren Conrad, a charmingly vapid intern at Teen Vogue who's jetting off to Paris (with an MTV camera crew in tow) this spring, while millions of star-struck girls set their DVRs to find out precisely what she'll be wearing. If Coco were still alive, she'd surely have her 'round to tea.

http://www.radaronline.com/from-the...onrad_anna_wintour_fashion_influence_list.php

The Ranking: http://www.radaronline.com/from-the..._possee_lauren_conrad_karl_lagerfeld_marc.php

WWD's take on things:

RADAR'S FASHION WORLD: Who's more influential in today's fashion world: Vogue or Us Weekly? Well, it depends on who's answering. Radar — you remember, that monthly magazine that has sometimes been unfavorably compared to Spy — has just come out with its Fashion Influence List and, not surprisingly, goes the celeb tabloid route. It ranks "The Hills" star Lauren Conrad as the industry's top trendsetter, puts celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe at number seven and Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour at 17th. While some might view Radar's fashion-themed issue as a way to create buzz in advance of New York Fashion Week (it didn't gain that much advertising — the issue is a slim 90 pages), the title's editor, Maer Roshan insisted the list is completely valid. "It'd be undeniable that today's mass market has changed the balance of power in the fashion community," said Roshan. "A picture in Us Weekly of an outfit on a celebrity will gain them much more traction than a folio in Vogue, and that's saying a lot. It's a new celebrity culture that has affected even high fashion, and fashion has had to adjust to it." So we guess Karl Lagerfeld, Marc Jacobs and Ralph Lauren will next be getting their inspirations from the tiny tube.

http://www.wwd.com/memopad/article/122071

What do YOU think? US Weekly over Vogue...? Hmmmm....which one has more influence today...

 

[Meg]

even though i agree with the idea of a celeb on the cover of us weekly or in a candid shot wearing an outfit will get more publicity and perhaps direct sales than a feature in vogue, certainly the girl leading the way is NOT Lauren Conrad

 

[LUXXX]

I think they chose Lauren because US Weekly pretty much took her and made her a star. She actually does set up shots with them and they pretty much worked hand in hand with MTV to make her a star. It's wild the way the media can do that now without the person actually having a real job.

 

[ChloeFrancoise]

Maybe US weekly could take a lead in the mainstream, but that's it. I hate US weekly frankly. It's not a fashion magazine.

 

[BettinaBuffe]

I would like Lauren Conrad to vanish from the face of this earth.

That girl has absolutely NO relevance whatsoever.

 

[Suburban Snob]

I can't believe of all people they picked Lauren Conrad to feature. WTF?

 

[brokenenglish]

Why is this in Rumor Has It?.... It's a mag.

 

[Luxx]

In 10 years will we even remember who Lauren Conrad is?

 

[jackieonassis]

^ I agree!

 

[LUXXX]

Why is this in Rumor Has It?.... It's a mag.

Because it's more of a discussion? No one will be reviewing this or posting scans...just commenting on the story.

 

[maxfield]

why is anna even sharing her oxygen with this nobody?

 

[Working Girl]

Vogue is not going to die, but they need improvements. But give me a break. LC is not influential. I think it is the female actresses and singers who are influential. Put anything on Angelina and hundreds of people will be wanting to know where they can purchase the item.

 

[MissAnia]

I didn't even know who that girl is

 

[brokenenglish]

I think LC is only influential to the teen crowd.

 

[ChloeFrancoise]

why is anna even sharing her oxygen with this nobody?

It's photoshop, if you're referring to the pictures. If US weekly were legitimately influential, fashion would be completely awful and horribly dull. And I don't see how Lauren is influencing fashion. Is this article a really early April Fools joke?

 

[MissAnia]

^ and tacky like that girl on the cover

 

[maxfield]

oh thank GOD it's photoshopped. i was starting to get very, very worried

 

[LoveLetter]

I am in the industry and don't even care a thing about Lauren Conrad.

 

[Nemezide]

thanks to go it is just photoshop

 

[BettinaBuffe]

lynn yaeger must be so drunk and hallucinating from god knows what to declare lauren conrad as #1.

sorry but i can't get over it.

despicable!