Bloggers: Everyone’s had an opinion about them at some point or another. In fact, there have been so many opinions shared about them over the last eight years that one might think there were no more opinions to have. Helpfully, Vogue was able to come up with one more.
In a discussion ripped from 2009, several editors from the fashion behemoth bemoaned the presence of bloggers at Milan Fashion Week. Sally Singer, Vogue’s creative digital director and an adult human who lives in a hotel, offered a bit of coy advice to the flock of internet entrepreneurs: “Please stop. Find another business. You are heralding the death of style.”
Sarah Mower, Vogue.com’s chief critic, chimed in, calling bloggers who participate in street-style photography “pathetic,” adding: “[Y]ou watch how many times the desperate troll up and down outside shows, in traffic, risking accidents even, in hopes of being snapped.”
Vogue Runway’s director, Nicole Phelps, was chiefly concerned that bloggers borrowed clothes from brands. “It’s not just sad,” she explained, “it’s distressing.”
And finally, in the throes of an existential crisis, Alessandra Codinha, Vogue.com’s fashion news editor, wondered what the word blogger even meant. She capped it off with a plea for everyone to pay attention to current events. “It’s all pretty embarrassing—even more so when you consider what else is going on in the world,” she remarked, adding, “(Have you registered to vote yet? Don’t forget the debate on Monday!)”
Fashionista was quick to note the swift retort from blogger Susie Bubble, who on Twitter illuminated the hypocrisy of the Vogue staff’s line of grievances. Borrowing clothes in the editorial world, for example, is not only commonplace — it’s an industry-wide given.
Speaking to the Cut, seasoned blogger Bryanboy seemed puzzled about the Vogue discussion. “Why would they knock a certain subset of people who found an alternative platform to make a livelihood doing something essentially similar? It really feels like flat-out bullying! It’s 2016, not 2009, and I cannot believe we’re still having this conversation.”
We agree. And now we leave you with a photo of said Vogue.com editors captured on the street. Which is totally different from posing for street style.
