Fashion in Conflict
Following our London Fashion Week SS26 panel event on independent print and the politics of representation, VAGUE Resident Daisy returns to the page to ask what comes next.
Fashion media is in conflict.
“Print is dead!” The cry rings out over the battleground.
As media monarchs abdicate their thrones, those next in line step up to fill the role they were born for: editors.
The people trudge through endless sludge, scavenging for news or leadership in the gloom.
Somewhere in the middle of the combat zone, one journalist asks another, “What are we fighting for again?”
No one knows the answer.
It’s fucking chaos.
300 Years of Heritage to Defend
Fashion publications have dominated the industry for hundreds of years; Harper’s Bazaar was founded in 1869, Vogue in 1892, and before these iconic glossies made names for themselves, depictions of fashionable dress were distributed on fashion plates — etched illustrations detailing the current trends, which date as far back as 1770 when The Ladies Magazine (an 1800s British woman’s imprint) first printed them in its pages. The Times
In the beginning, fashion media as we knew it depicted the elite class as those who set the trends. Then, trends were disseminated through painted portraiture (the OG fashion media, if you will), and who got their portraits printed? Royalty and nobility — and clergy, but religion and fashion is a whole other story…
“In the beginning, fashion media as we knew it depicted the elite class as those who set the trends.”
With fashion plates and publications, that representation often extended to socialites. But ultimately it was still a space for those at the top of the socio-economic pyramid to bask in their own image, showing their underlings just what they should be aspiring to.
Notably, fashion publications as such were often owned and published by men, but fell into the category of women’s magazines. Unpack that as you will.
One would be within reason to assume that the format of fashion media would have evolved over the past 300 years, developing with technology, feminism and the many political movements that have come, and gone. Especially with changes in the realm of digital and social media today, one would assume the 19th-century definition of a fashion magazine was no longer applicable. But one would be wrong.
The Current Lay of the Land
Scoping out the current battlefield, it’s honestly carnage. The historic glossies still sit at the top of the hill, naturally. Their writers and editors revolving in one sphere of fashion journalism nepotism (the working class account for only 16% of the creative industries, according to the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre) churning out monthly ‘bibles’ in worship of the new royals: celebrities and the luxury fashion advertisers who pay their wages. Yes, these titles might feature a group of Black models on their cover whenever the topic of BLM and representation breaches into the mainstream, but it’s a sorrowful attempt to cash in, as opposed to call out.
Beyond the gloss, we then have the digital media foot soldiers. Thousands of digital feeds posting daily content in an attempt to cut through the smog, with all the strategy of throwing pasta at the wall to see if it’s done. Many have even stopped making their print publications, pouring their energy into their attention-grabbing click-bait content instead, and contributing to the 3.2 billion images shared online every single day. I probably don’t need to verbalise the question about how producing that quickly can actually be ethical, creative or sustainable — right?
Portraits from our LFW SS26 panel event on the Future of Fashion Media in partnership with Aether Magazine, the Grey Zine and Sanxtuary Magazine
When you look at the current state of mainstream fashion media in that light, it’s pretty damning, not to mention painfully obvious why so many of these publications are struggling.
We don’t want to see adverts when we pay for physical media; they’re already everywhere we look online. We don’t want to read solely about celebrity lifestyles we can’t achieve, or luxury fashion we can’t afford. We don’t want to pine after the same body image and beauty standard we’ve been fed for years; one that doesn’t even look the like the models when they’re out in the world, unedited IRL. We don’t want to celebrate designers accused of assault or appropriation when there are so many talented, emerging designers creating ethically-conscious fashion. We don’t want to pretend our problems don’t exist, and feed into the structures that caused them in the first place.
So whilst established fashion media fight amongst themselves for our attention, a new generation of creatives have gotten tired of trying to tell them what we want over the din and taken action into their own hands.
Making Space for the Future
There are countless indie publications popping up across every genre, from short-run zines to beautiful coffee table publications, with examples like Aether Magazine, Sanxtuary Magazine and The Grey Zine being just a few examples of what fashion media will become in the future, as it’s taken back into the hands of the people who have historically been its victims.
“We don’t want to celebrate designers accused of assault or appropriation when there are so many talented, emerging designers creating ethically-conscious fashion.”
If there’s one mindset shift that can help you make space for (and become part of) the next generation of fashion media, it’s knowing your power.
When the fast-paced, clout-chasing chaos around you feels overwhelming and makes you feel like you aren’t good enough, put your phone down and repeat after me:
“All of this is for my attention.”
Because it’s true, the last decades exhausting game of who-can-shout-the-loudest is all because those brands, publications and advertisers are desperate for even 3 seconds of your attention, for £1 of your salary. This whole conflict is about you.
When you remember that, you get your agency back. And with my full chest, I can recommend that with your newfound freedom, you dedicate time to finding publications that align with you; to reading stories that interest you; and to joining communities that support you. Forget anything that doesn’t serve you and embrace joy in what does.
Sounds simple, doesn’t it?
credits
words — daisy riley
photography — james olusegun
design — karina so.