The Glamorous Life of a Fashion Blogger
Kristin Knox, aka The Clothes Whisperer, was put up by W Hotels during Fashion Week. We visited her room—littered with show invitations and bags of goodies from top designers—to play dress-up and ask questions.
All clothes and accessories furnished by the W Store, except blazer and tie in photo #2 by Tommy Hilfiger.
What is the best ethical defense for fashion?
Fashion, like any creative industries, has two sides, the artistic and the corporate. For whatever reason, the mainstream enjoys expounding on the corporate, which loves to emphasize the esoteric ego-fueled negative side of the industry. That being said, the best “ethical” defense for fashion I can conceive of is that fashion, true fashion, at the level of design and not photo shoots, publicity, magazines, celebrity and all the rest, is a true art form and precious means of social and cultural communication (not to mention documentation). Fashion, clothing, is art which we wear on a day to day basis, the second skin we choose to reveal to world and thus define ourselves without uttering a single word. Many designers utilize fabric as a vocabulary to make social commentary encased in a beautiful outer shell. People like Chalayan, McQueen, Westwood-they are artists in every sense of the words.
What is the essential truth about trends?
That trends, like everything else, evolve, they do not exist in a vacuum as cynics who claim “one season it's this, the next it's the opposite” love to point out. Consumers are too cautious (especially in this economic climate) to merely jump from one pad to the next, maxis to minis, muted to brights, they need to be coaxed into taking baby steps towards updating their wardrobes each season. It's retail common sense, not rocket science.
In what ways does style go beyond clothes?
Kind of the same as the answer to the first question.
Who would you nominate for Most Underrated Style Icon?
Franca Sozzani! Her style is classic impeccable Italian and she is one of the strongest figures in the industry, no doubt. Also the only Vogue EIC who writes her own runway reviews.
Tell us about your favorite classic fashion moment.
I have to say one of my favorites is when Naomi took that tumble in 12 inch platforms at the Westwood show a decade or so ago. I love the ridiculous element of it all, the ludicrousy of the runway and our love of the absurd (especially when it comes to footwear!). And it's also always a nice reminder that no matter how gorgeous the girl, super the model or fabulous the avant garde outfit, we're all just humans, basking in the glory of dress-up as humans are wont to do even from childhood.
Tell us about your book on Alexander McQueen.
Truth be told, it was a commission, though one I was thrilled to receive. I learned a lot about McQueen along the way, a bit like a crash course and came to have a completely new understanding of him and his work. I never had the pleasure of meeting him, nor have I yet been allotted a ticket to one of his (now Sarah Burton's) shows, I hope that will change this season or next. One thing I'd like to emphasize about the book is that it is not a biography. So many people look to the book for the ins and outs of McQueen's personal life, the scandal, the intrigue and that's simply not the book I wrote nor would I ever write it. The book is a tribute which looks at his work only, if you buy it for a juicy read, you will be disappointed.
Photos by Kashish Das Shrestha. Design & Text by Sarahana
