welcome to part two, again you will find me to be a tad displeased about a certain issue i have faced while living in Nicaragua. in short, fashion ignorance.
STORY TWO : EDITORS
again, i will remind you that moving back to Nicaragua has been a tough experience but one i try to make the most out of. therefore, right before i moved back i started emailing print media (newspapers and magazines) my resume and cover letter in order to perhaps snatch or propose a fashion critique, street style columnist or blogger position ala Bill Cunningham or Cathy Horyn.
to quickly give you an idea of (fashion o non-fashion) print media in nicaragua, it consists of 2 mass newspapers, 4 secured magazines, and 3 new magazines. right off, the back, LET ME WARN YOU RIGHT NOW, this will offend you....THE WORST nicaraguan magazines are 2 new ones, Stilo and JetSet. What a ripoff! I think we can all collect our favorite pieces from Net-A-Porter and fashion week, looks from the Oscars, interview our cool friends, and google our horoscope, put them together in powerpoint, add fun font, click print and BOOM i got a magazine! One editor is a tomboy and another just shops online - just because you can put words and pictures together does not make you a fashion editor.
anyways, i tried and tried to reach out to the other print media but was left unheard. the one editor that interviewed me, wanted me as their magazine blogger which was a great idea but unfortunately magazines here sell at $3-$5 and i was at least asking for $250 (yep! $250. nothing!) i eventually received an email stating "we have no budget". oh well. on to the next.
i may have not snagged a cute a little column but i'm sure i have more readers on this blog (+15,000 visitors, +124 countries worldwide) (wassssssup?) than these other media outlets. oh! and i can use foul language!! yeahhh man! always a plus!
DEAR FASHION WRITERS :
What bothers me about not being considered for a writing position at these newspapers or magazines is the fact that their fashion writers AREN'T even living in nicaragua! one guy is a has-been designer, another is a former miss nicaragua, and other people with no fashion knowledge at all! and don't even get me started on how most magazines just splash the pages with
high society pictures of the same people! hellooooooooooo, 1% 'rich' 99% poverty level!
for example, yesterday an editor ended an article on a charity event on a sour note because she was bored of the same collection pieces from 2 distinguished Nicaraguan designers.
"Otras de las colecciones que se presentaron en el evento no aportaron estilos novedosos. Fue más de lo que ya habíamos apreciado en otras pasarelas, nos quedaron a deber ingenio y creatividad." ---> (translation) "while the other collections presented at the event lacked new styles. it's best to even say, we have already seen these pieces at other shows, owing us ingenuity and creativity."
why does this bother me? because i can't stand fashion ignorance and i will explain it as simple as possible.
HOMEWORKDESIGNER: An amazing struggling fashion designer doesn't have a fancy lifestyle and lives at poverty line for the beginning of their career. It's a career made up of tears, sweat, impatience, stress, and tons of fabric. It's a career that takes time, dedication, hard work and above all passion. As this person grows at some financial point, they are given a chance to dream up a harmonious collection which can consist of 15 - 50 pieces.
COLLECTIONS: The collections are broken down by season and debuted on certain dates.
- Fall / Winter
- Spring / Summer
- Resort
- Cruise
- Haute-Couture
SALES / PRESS : Once the collections are exhibited, they are pitched for press and eventually sold on certain dates.
therefore, dear editor, why must you critique these talented emerging designers and their collections? if you wanted to see something new, head on over to forever 21, h&m or zara -
fast fashion. Fast Fashion is a term given to brands who deliver different pieces each week, month and do not work on specific inspiration or look but are driven by sales and trends; while real designers
SET trends and are
DRIVEN by the love of what they do best,
DESIGN.
#justsaying
