Frederikke Strandgaard

We live in a time where social media is storming forward and every day the number of users is increasing. In the fashion industry social media, particularly Instagram is getting a larger role. However, what role has social media in relation to the previously dictator in the fashion world, the magazines and specially the Vogue magazine. Is Instagram a better way to promote fashion? What are the pros and cons associated with the digitalization of the fashion industry? 

In the fashion industry, there have for decades been a standardized approach of the 

presentation of new fashion collections. Firstly, the collection is presented on the catwalk for the press and the consumers. Secondly, the magazines, such as Vogue, are going to promote the collections. Third and finally after six months the consumers can then find the items in the stores. Historically, there was hegemony in the fashion industry and Vogue was the biggest player. To get the background of the fashion industry's "rules of the game" read the article here. 

In February 2016, Christopher Bailey, creative director of Burberry, started a change in the industry. He made it possible for consumers to buy items from the catwalk directly after the show. With this concept came the term “See Now, Buy now”[1]. This term has given social media a huge advantage over magazines; it is instant and constant. Social media can share the news when it is current. Furthermore, social media allows any user to express themselves through posts and stories on Instagram or other social media. It allows not only the top in the industry to get the news, but any fashion interested person. 

Even though Instagram offers new opportunities in the fashion industry, there are still some of the traits from Vogue that are reflected. In Susan Sontags book On Photography she describes how capitalist society is based on images. The most important task for the images is to create entertainment that should be able to simulate purchases[2]. Ane Lynge-Jorlén further argues that the content of magazines is dependent and structured according to advertisements[3]. Magazines have always lived off the capitalist society, where their main task was to advertise the fashion collations and to stimulate consumers purchases. Which has made images magazines` most important tool. This is relevant to discuss, due to the increase in the use of Instagram as a tool in the fashion industry, exactly because Instagram is based on images. It can be argued that Instagram is also a part of this capitalist society and as part of the fashion industry it contributes to stimulate sales and purchases. So, in this context, there is not much of a difference between traditional magazines like Vogue and new social media like Instagram. 

One way Instagram differs from magazines is that it has played a part in breaking down the hegemony, and thereby a new trend has unfolded. The trend “new fashion criticism” has emerged, because Instagram has given a voice to all. Diet Prada`s account on Instagram is probably the best known and most talked about, in this new wave of New fashion criticism. Diet Prada is an Instagram account run by the fashion bloggers Tony Liu and Lendsey Schuyler. The purpose of the account is to call out brands, share images as evidence, to criticize copycat fashion, controversial statements, and products. Therefore, Diet Prada is called "watchdog" in the fashion industry. The good thing Diet Prada does is criticizing all brands regardless of status, which has never been done before. This means that fashion companies must be more careful when they come up with new collections or advertisements for their brand.

Ending this article, I wonder if there has been any change at all? Because if Instagram is simply a digital version of Vogue, where it is still based on advertising, what is so the improvement then. 

What differentiate social media from magazines is that it gives any user, who wants it, a voice. Instagram has eliminated the hegemony in the fashion industry and given people the opportunity to express themselves regardless of status. So basically, social media has given any user an audience of countless users, who can be convinced by everything you say and convinced to purchase certain items. 

New fashion criticism with Diet Prada in front has become a part of the fashion industry, where Instagram has made it possible to call out brands with controversial statements and thereby show consumers both sides. Social media, with Instagram in the forefront, has changed the dynamic in the fashion industry, that is a fact. Nonetheless, I do not say social media is only for the better, however, that is a completely different discussion. And there will be another time for that. 

Cited works 

Lynge-Jorlen , A. (2009). Between Edge and Elite: Niche Fashion Magazines, Producers and Readers. London: University of the Arts.

Mendes, S. (2017, October ). See Now, Buy Now: The position of the press in fashion's 'new' consumer model. Retrieved November 2020, from Gale academic Onelile : https://go.gale.com/ps/anonymous?id=GALE%7CA517626164&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=20517106&p=AONE&sw=w

Sontag, S. (1973). On Photography. New York.

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[1] Mendes, S. (October 2017). See Now, Buy Now: The position of the press in fashion's 'new' consumer model. Hentet November 2020 fra Gale academic Onelile : https://go.gale.com/ps/anonymous?id=GALE%7CA517626164&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=20517106&p=AONE&sw=w

[2] Sontag, S. (1973). On Photography. New York.

[3] Lynge-Jorlen , A. (2009). Between Edge and Elite: Niche Fashion Magazines, Producers and Readers. London: University of the Arts.