Your Favorite Fashion Critics

[Ruito]

What do you think are the fashion critics worth reading right now?

 

[aracic]

This forum

 

[dior_couture1245]

Myself. LOL.

Kidding aside, Cathy Horyn is the only critic I care to read. Everyone else just describes (eg Suzy Menkes) or indiscriminately fawns (eg Vogue Runway reviewers) or uses a review as an opportunity to show off their own knowledge (eg Tim Blanks).

Cathy has idiosyncratic taste and is never predictable in regards to what she likes and what she dislikes (obviously her Raf obsession is legendary, but even she criticized his Jaws CK collection).

She also offers real, productive criticism to the designers she reviews when it’s due. I believe she has a good sense of what works and why and understands the pulse without ever being gullible to trendy fads. Her point of view is maybe the only one covering fashion that is genuinely insightful.

She has a sense of biting humor and she also is a good writer.

 

[billiejbob]

Myself. LOL.

Kidding aside, Cathy Horyn is the only critic I care to read. Everyone else just describes (eg Suzy Menkes) or indiscriminately fawns (eg Vogue Runway reviewers) or uses a review as an opportunity to show off their own knowledge (eg Tim Blanks).

Cathy has idiosyncratic taste and is never predictable in regards to what she likes and what she dislikes (obviously her Raf obsession is legendary, but even she criticized his Jaws CK collection).

She also offers real, productive criticism to the designers she reviews when it’s due. I believe she has a good sense of what works and why and understands the pulse without ever being gullible to trendy fads. Her point of view is maybe the only one covering fashion that is genuinely insightful.

She has a sense of biting humor and she also is a good writer.

Totally agree. Too many fashion critics are just brown-nosing the designers so they can stay in their good books and keep getting invitations to their shows.

I wish fashion journalists and writers were far more critical of the big houses who have become lazy and complacent like Prada, D&G, and Dior.

 

[Mutterlein]

Easy. Robin Givhan at the Washington Post.

She’s the only fashion critic to have ever won a Pulitzer. It’s not for no reason.

She cuts through all the bullsh*t. There’s no agenda. She’s matter-of-fact yet she writes so poetically. Her clarity and eloquence is really at another level beyond the rest.

Robin is not making judgements, she’s not saying what is good or what is bad. She is merely asking questions. She’s finding out what it all means despite how she thinks it should all be. She’s the only real journalist out there.

Even when I don’t agree with her evaluation, she enlightens and illuminates. You can learn from reading her.

Most importantly, she’s able to talk about fashion and size it up in the larger context of the world today. She gets it but she’s not beholden to it. Most fashion critics are only talking to themselves

I also like Bridget Foley at WWD who tends to know what she is looking at.

 

[Benn98]

Bridget Foley, whose work I follow religiously! Quite possibly the last breed of fashion critics who for the most part have not fallen prey to the strong-arm tactics of brands. She does have her favourites, but even then she always tries to remain objective. And her point of view aligns so much with the unapologetic identity of WWD.

I mostly read reviews from or independent bodies such as WWD, but NOT Business of Fashion. Wouldn't even touch the think pieces of Tim Blanks or Sarah Mower with a barge pole because you need to actually bear in mind who is funding their paycheck. And most newspapers are running luxury supplements with heavy fashion advertising, so their reviews as well are biased at best.

I find the demise of fashion criticism very sad in a way because, in the UK, theatre and dance criticism is still thriving. I suppose it's mainly because the theatre/dance/art audience is not necessarily deterred from seeing a show because of a bad review - it's merely the point of view of a seasoned professional and that's how it should be approached in fashion as well. But that's not the case. After the first critic started dragging the Lapidus collection to hell and back, everyone and their mum jumped on the bandwagon and ultimately all the reviews ended up damaging Lanvin's reputation before they've even hung anything on a hanger. Buyers didn't place orders, that collection was almost invisible in fashion magazines because Madame Wang isn't an Arnault who could leverage other brands, and they even struggled to get paid ads into top tier media brands. So to that point, I can understand why designers are so hell-bent on censoring critics whenever they can.

The system will have to change, and I think there are ways to do that. It's just doubly sad that a newspaper such as The Guardian who is not affiliated with these brands are running flowery, click-bait titles like 'Versace is bringing sexy back with Jennifer Lopez' and what follows will be a short puff piece on how great everything was. I get that they're trying to appease the digital reader with something short and sweet, but isn't education or critical thought as important as just liking something. They have such a great platform and so much freedom to muscle in on a field which is mostly untapped.

Some members often weep and wail on here that 'everyone is so negative/mean/critical/blah blah blah' but actually, we're only adding in the bits which most professional critics deliberately leave out to please their overlords.

 

[perfect blue]

Just this forum really. Most of the time I find critics to not be objective. I don’t ever read fashion reviews because of this. I read interviews mostly but I realize those can be edited too.

I try to avoid being cynical about fashion but also try not to be too in love with certain designers. It’s easy to fall into the trap of either mindset. I like to keep and open mind and understand everyone’s intention and point of view.

 

[Lola701]

A bit like everybody....

This Forum...
When I look at a collection or even when I attend a show, the first thing I do right after is to come here and see what some you guys are saying.
It’s a place where people knows what they are talking about and some of the members opinions are so intelligently expressed that they might sometimes make me think twice about a collection. And people here are realistic and totally understand the business of fashion. It’s a real forum that has a weight somehow...It’s not a fan club (even if I sound like a fan everytime I talk about Karl LOL).


On « journalists critics »...
Anybody who has been banned from D&G or Hedi Slimane
Just kidding but I read almost all the most important: Friedman, Givhan, Foley, Horyn and sometimes Deeny.

Fashion critics are more than rare in France but I like sometimes to read what Pierre « Pam_boy » Mpele has to say on his IG even if his articles have a certain biais due to his connection with Grand.

Today, everybody is a critic but the only ones that matters are those who have a real knowledge.

Critics are in an interesting time now. Since what happened to Slimane at YSL, a lot of things changed because executives saw how the controversy can help raise a brand cachet because it pushed the Anti-establishement narrative but it can backfire...Hedi’s first womenswear for Celine wasn’t the success LVMH expected it to be (even with the controversy) so it’s harder to push that narrative.

Critics have a real power for those who have a real fear...
And they can control Them buy pulling ads from the magazines.
If you are so confident in your work, you shouldn’t be afraid of what people think about it.

 

[Benn98]

Hedi’s first womenswear for Celine wasn’t the success LVMH expected it to be (even with the controversy) so it’s harder to push that narrative.

That's actually an interesting flip-side of how to weather negative fashion criticism. Celine has since amped up their marketing approach and part of it started with Hedi's accessible autumn collection. That collection, as dull and dumbed down as I find it, is actually dominating the current autumn trends and I would say the brand is once again covetable. So after all their efforts, it will hopefully pay off on the sales front too. Madame Wang didn't have the resources to bully buyers into stocking her wares, or magazine to shoot and advertise Lapidus collections. And so you have to wonder what would happen to an even smaller brand who cannot even court the attention of buyers and editors, let alone persuade them to invest despite despite faintly negative reviews.

I still think fashion consumers should be educated that a good or bad review is not an indication of how much you would like something, or whether it would suit you. Because how certain are we that some women may actually have liked Lapidus 90s-lite fare if it were editorialised in magazines, stocked more liberally in boutiques etc? It's this whole idea that you're wearing a 'hot' brand, not an actual piece which flatters your unique style.

 

[bc collector]

I agree with almost all of the above except:
fashion criticism is the Cinderella of all criticisms not because it exerts any particular power on the final consumer (all the opposite, especially these days when the kids could not care less if somebody reminded them that their SL or Off-Whites are a load of s**t).
It is fashion in general, and all things connected to it, that are not considered culturally worthy of a deep insight, despite the examples of the opposite, like Robin Givhan.
There is a deep rooted cultural bias on fashion, that has various reasons but is mostly due to the inner sexism our culture in general is still imbued with. For most people out there, clothes are just for silly women and fags, if you are an intellectually gifted creature (or consider yourself one), you cannot by any mean give importance to how you dress.
And this is why lefties daily like the Guardian, despite its clout in all other aspects of current affairs and art coverage, has the poorest fashion section of them all (even the Daily Telegraph, mind you).
Add to that the power of advertisers on publishers and the fact magazines and dailies alike have been under a lot of pressure over the last few years, challenged but the internet storm, and you get the picture of why fashion critics are now an endangered species.
There are just three names that I would like to add to the ones mentioned above, three critics that I tend to read with great attention and that usually entertain me a lot:
Angelo Flaccavento, who writes very concise and true to facts op-eds for BoF (only for subscribers now)
Guy Trebay, who covers menswear for the NYT, his deadpan irony is priceless.
and Jessica Iredale, who used to cover the shows for WWD (no longer sadly, she's freelancing for the WSJ and other magazines I will always carry fondly in my memory the reviews she wrote for some of the Alexander Wang shows.

 

[Mutterlein]

Bridget Foley, whose work I follow religiously! Quite possibly the last breed of fashion critics who for the most part have not fallen prey to the strong-arm tactics of brands. She does have her favourites, but even then she always tries to remain objective. And her point of view aligns so much with the unapologetic identity of WWD.

I mostly read reviews from or independent bodies such as WWD, but NOT Business of Fashion. Wouldn't even touch the think pieces of Tim Blanks or Sarah Mower with a barge pole because you need to actually bear in mind who is funding their paycheck. And most newspapers are running luxury supplements with heavy fashion advertising, so their reviews as well are biased at best.

I find the demise of fashion criticism very sad in a way because, in the UK, theatre and dance criticism is still thriving. I suppose it's mainly because the theatre/dance/art audience is not necessarily deterred from seeing a show because of a bad review - it's merely the point of view of a seasoned professional and that's how it should be approached in fashion as well. But that's not the case. After the first critic started dragging the Lapidus collection to hell and back, everyone and their mum jumped on the bandwagon and ultimately all the reviews ended up damaging Lanvin's reputation before they've even hung anything on a hanger. Buyers didn't place orders, that collection was almost invisible in fashion magazines because Madame Wang isn't an Arnault who could leverage other brands, and they even struggled to get paid ads into top tier media brands. So to that point, I can understand why designers are so hell-bent on censoring critics whenever they can.

The system will have to change, and I think there are ways to do that. It's just doubly sad that a newspaper such as The Guardian who is not affiliated with these brands are running flowery, click-bait titles like 'Versace is bringing sexy back with Jennifer Lopez' and what follows will be a short puff piece on how great everything was. I get that they're trying to appease the digital reader with something short and sweet, but isn't education or critical thought as important as just liking something. They have such a great platform and so much freedom to muscle in on a field which is mostly untapped.

Some members often weep and wail on here that 'everyone is so negative/mean/critical/blah blah blah' but actually, we're only adding in the bits which most professional critics deliberately leave out to please their overlords.

Tim is brilliant but I find his reviews to be pretty insular and empty overall.

 

[TommysBaby]

Fashion critics are more than rare in France but I like sometimes to read what Pierre « Pam_boy » Mpele has to say on his IG even if his articles have a certain biais due to his connection with Grand.

Great that you bring him up, because as far as fashion criticism goes - him and that YouTuber Like have a LOT of following. I don't care for Luke but I do like the format in which Pamboy gives his reviews. He's savvy. But I do find him a bit full of himself/takes himself too seriously. Maybe because he's young and is getting a lot of attention.

To be honest, I don't have much time these days to really read reviews - I usually just read whatever Robin Givhan has to say. I mostly like checking out people's takes on collections on social media these days - like James Scully or my Twitter feed. I do come to tFS, obviously.

 

[Nomar]

I really adore the work of Lou Stoppard! When she was at SHOWStudio I really enjoyed her as a panel host and how she would navigate the conversations about collections/designers. Maybe it's because she's one of the younger fashion critics out there but I also enjoy her perspective and writing style, I find it very refreshing. Now if only she wrote more....

 

[perfect blue]

I really adore the work of Lou Stoppard! When she was at SHOWStudio I really enjoyed her as a panel host and how she would navigate the conversations about collections/designers. Maybe it's because she's one of the younger fashion critics out there but I also enjoy her perspective and writing style, I find it very refreshing. Now if only she wrote more....

This completely slipped my mind. I also like the panels on Showstudio, where they have a handful of people from the industry sit together and comment on a collection. They’re long videos but interesting sometimes.

 

[Lola701]

^^
I used to like Showstudio panels but I kinda felt that there was a London biais and the criticism was unfair to a lot of Italian brands. While I do loved some of guests opinions, I expected more knowledge and less inaccuracy from some of those « experts ».

 

[perfect blue]

^^
I used to like Showstudio panels but I kinda felt that there was a London biais and the criticism was unfair to a lot of Italian brands. While I do loved some of guests opinions, I expected more knowledge and less inaccuracy from some of those « experts ».

True, I noticed some of the bias too. You can definitely tell when a guest personally dislikes someone.

 

[Ruito]

Myself. LOL.

Kidding aside, Cathy Horyn is the only critic I care to read. Everyone else just describes (eg Suzy Menkes) or indiscriminately fawns (eg Vogue Runway reviewers) or uses a review as an opportunity to show off their own knowledge (eg Tim Blanks).

Cathy has idiosyncratic taste and is never predictable in regards to what she likes and what she dislikes (obviously her Raf obsession is legendary, but even she criticized his Jaws CK collection).

She also offers real, productive criticism to the designers she reviews when it’s due. I believe she has a good sense of what works and why and understands the pulse without ever being gullible to trendy fads. Her point of view is maybe the only one covering fashion that is genuinely insightful.

She has a sense of biting humor and she also is a good writer.

Yeah, she's the only reason I subscribe to The Cut during fashion month! It's always delightful to read her takes, also I love reading Vanessa Friedman's reports on The New York Times, sometimes she can be saltier than Ms. Cathy and for a quick take I always take a look at James Scully's Insta stories. (btw Is he still in the industry?) Because I don't believe a casting director would be so candid about the shows.

 

[Ruito]

A bit like everybody....

This Forum...
When I look at a collection or even when I attend a show, the first thing I do right after is to come here and see what some you guys are saying.
It’s a place where people knows what they are talking about and some of the members opinions are so intelligently expressed that they might sometimes make me think twice about a collection. And people here are realistic and totally understand the business of fashion. It’s a real forum that has a weight somehow...It’s not a fan club (even if I sound like a fan everytime I talk about Karl LOL).


On « journalists critics »...
Anybody who has been banned from D&G or Hedi Slimane
Just kidding but I read almost all the most important: Friedman, Givhan, Foley, Horyn and sometimes Deeny.

Fashion critics are more than rare in France but I like sometimes to read what Pierre « Pam_boy » Mpele has to say on his IG even if his articles have a certain biais due to his connection with Grand.

Today, everybody is a critic but the only ones that matters are those who have a real knowledge.

Critics are in an interesting time now. Since what happened to Slimane at YSL, a lot of things changed because executives saw how the controversy can help raise a brand cachet because it pushed the Anti-establishement narrative but it can backfire...Hedi’s first womenswear for Celine wasn’t the success LVMH expected it to be (even with the controversy) so it’s harder to push that narrative.

Critics have a real power for those who have a real fear...
And they can control Them buy pulling ads from the magazines.
If you are so confident in your work, you shouldn’t be afraid of what people think about it.

Who is Mpele? I never heard of him/her

 

[Ruito]

I agree with almost all of the above except:
fashion criticism is the Cinderella of all criticisms not because it exerts any particular power on the final consumer (all the opposite, especially these days when the kids could not care less if somebody reminded them that their SL or Off-Whites are a load of s**t).
It is fashion in general, and all things connected to it, that are not considered culturally worthy of a deep insight, despite the examples of the opposite, like Robin Givhan.
There is a deep rooted cultural bias on fashion, that has various reasons but is mostly due to the inner sexism our culture in general is still imbued with. For most people out there, clothes are just for silly women and fags, if you are an intellectually gifted creature (or consider yourself one), you cannot by any mean give importance to how you dress.
And this is why lefties daily like the Guardian, despite its clout in all other aspects of current affairs and art coverage, has the poorest fashion section of them all (even the Daily Telegraph, mind you).
Add to that the power of advertisers on publishers and the fact magazines and dailies alike have been under a lot of pressure over the last few years, challenged but the internet storm, and you get the picture of why fashion critics are now an endangered species.
There are just three names that I would like to add to the ones mentioned above, three critics that I tend to read with great attention and that usually entertain me a lot:
Angelo Flaccavento, who writes very concise and true to facts op-eds for BoF (only for subscribers now)
Guy Trebay, who covers menswear for the NYT, his deadpan irony is priceless.
and Jessica Iredale, who used to cover the shows for WWD (no longer sadly, she's freelancing for the WSJ and other magazines I will always carry fondly in my memory the reviews she wrote for some of the Alexander Wang shows.

Is it acceptable to say "fags" though?

 

[Ruito]

I agree with almost all of the above except:
fashion criticism is the Cinderella of all criticisms not because it exerts any particular power on the final consumer (all the opposite, especially these days when the kids could not care less if somebody reminded them that their SL or Off-Whites are a load of s**t).
It is fashion in general, and all things connected to it, that are not considered culturally worthy of a deep insight, despite the examples of the opposite, like Robin Givhan.
There is a deep rooted cultural bias on fashion, that has various reasons but is mostly due to the inner sexism our culture in general is still imbued with. For most people out there, clothes are just for silly women and fags, if you are an intellectually gifted creature (or consider yourself one), you cannot by any mean give importance to how you dress.
And this is why lefties daily like the Guardian, despite its clout in all other aspects of current affairs and art coverage, has the poorest fashion section of them all (even the Daily Telegraph, mind you).
Add to that the power of advertisers on publishers and the fact magazines and dailies alike have been under a lot of pressure over the last few years, challenged but the internet storm, and you get the picture of why fashion critics are now an endangered species.
There are just three names that I would like to add to the ones mentioned above, three critics that I tend to read with great attention and that usually entertain me a lot:
Angelo Flaccavento, who writes very concise and true to facts op-eds for BoF (only for subscribers now)
Guy Trebay, who covers menswear for the NYT, his deadpan irony is priceless.
and Jessica Iredale, who used to cover the shows for WWD (no longer sadly, she's freelancing for the WSJ and other magazines I will always carry fondly in my memory the reviews she wrote for some of the Alexander Wang shows.

oh Angelo Flaccavento is the best! I don't read him anymore because I don't want to pay 18€ per month for BoF, but we both loathe Jacquemus!