Stuck Inside of Target with the L’Eclaireur Blues Again
Why so blue, FashionWeekOnline? Is it because some knuckleheads are saying Paris Fashion Week is “not for regular people”?
Scintillating pop-quiz question: Why do writers who don’t like fashion, write about fashion? (Answer below!)
Why do fools fall in love?
Many questions!
And why is this article called “Paris Fashion Week 2013 Blues”?
Oh, we guess it all started with this article by the good folks at the San Francisco Chronicle, who are the latest super-courageous souls who have dared to buck tradition and take up the lance versus the runways now happening in Paris, in what can only be described as the seasonal valiant charge, that comes as predictably as the rain and so isn’t so very exciting to begin with, we realize, now that this sentence is over.
But why, you ask? Why get annoyed by this?
For one thing, the shows referenced aren’t what most think of as “Paris Fashion Week” proper at all. No, as you the knowledgeable fashion reader knows, these are actually the “haute couture” shows.
Which means, yes, the noble San Franciscan scribes are correct that this is not the nice, familiar stuff we might see on the rack at JC Penney or Target. Not that there’s anything wrong with either of those stores. (Have you seen the Levis selection at JC Penney, lately? Pretty awesome, actually. And Target seems to have better stuff than Macy’s half the time. Editorial opinion.)
No, “haute couture” (which cleverly translates to “high fashion,” those being the French words for “high” and “fashion,” respectively), is more of designers creating a bit of fun visual art, for the very bold few who really want to have fun with it. Think if it more as “designers talking to designers.” Or “designers talking to those who like fashion, and — you know, maybe think it could actually be fun.”
But as we know, most writers online are trying to get ad clicks from enraged readers who want to gape and guffaw in between their other fixes of anger-tainment in the form of articles filled with pointless political bickering or the rage-a-halls of nightmarish sites like Jezebel or Gawker, and hey — there’s really nothing wrong with that, ultimately. Everyone has to make a buck, right?
Except that there seems to a trend of “dumbed down” writing out there that’s just a bit scary. We recently saw a “major motion picture” (yep, that major) with Christian Bale where a character said: “You seem to be something of a prodigal student.”
(“Prodigal” presumably meaning “prodigy” … as in “mad skills.”)
Except “prodigal” means “spendthrift” — as in “likin’ to spend mad money” — something else entirely.
But did anyone proofread, copy edit, or otherwise fact-check that basic bit of grammar, anywhere from conception to revision to production? Apparently, this sort of accuracy is (to borrow a term from fashion), somewhat out of vogue.
What’s the point, SFGate writers?
You are correct that no, haute couture isn’t for everyone. And no, it isn’t for “better” or “worse” people.
It’s for people who like fashion.
And if you don’t like fashion, you could always write about, say, nachos.
We love nachos!
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p.s. We have to admit, the little Iris van Herpen raptor-on-the-shoulder is sort of funny. And please excuse all the typos in this article. See? We’re not so smart.
(Photo: Benjamin Girette)
I second this!
But what I don’t understand is that, Paris Haute Couture for Summer Spring 2013 aren’t up for live runway videos?
Is it not because of the people who consider Haute Couture is not for regular people? Is it actually caused by the notion that designers and Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture feel that it’s useless and a waste of energy to actually record and upload them online? I mean, where’s the fun in that?
God, I love the couture shows. I am a middle aged lady sitting in a blanket at my computer– but the couture shows sometimes take my breath away in their beauty. Particularly if you can zoom in to the details. I have missed Christian Lacroix. Nothing made my heart beat so fast as detail shots of his shoes.
Anyway– let the SF chronicle bitch. When was the last time you heard of SF fashion week? Was it when Anne Kalso came up with earth shoes?
Well, it’s not strange that the Paris fashion week is not for “normal” people or “regular people” and this is the way things should be like. Paris has always been the capital of luxury, culture and arts of any form and the Paris fashion weeks can be described as most “elite” and I think it’s normal that it’s not for regular people. It might sounds snobby for the designers who create and show off their clothes at Paris fashion week are actually showing it or want to show it to people who know and understand fashion. And of course i don’t see why high fashion show of any kind would be for “regular” people, these are strictly for people in the branch who are experts.
@Astrid: “And of course i don’t see why high fashion show of any kind would be for “regular” people, these are strictly for people in the branch who are experts”.
Love the site! 
I kind of wish. There are a LOT of wannabes and ‘it girls’ attending these shows, but I known photographers (who are actually on magazine staff and are on paid assignments) who have been turned down at the door, even with invitations, or who have been given attitude whilst these dolled up fashion junkies strut in, just to immediately post pics of themselves in their seats on Facebook.
@Anne, the couture shows still do bring a tear to my eye sometimes too!
@FWO: As a stickler for lexis myself, may I point out that ‘couture’ actually means ‘sewing’ and not ‘fashion’ (that would be ‘mode’) in French….?
It’s their job to create amazing clothes, even if most of them used to say that it’s not an art, it is, and they artist. haute couture is designed just for the eyes (at first) (it’s my opinion). And like for every type of art, it is not especially for expert. I can see so many fashion victims nowadays and that is very sad, I sincerely love fashion but I am not a victims, and I have got a lot of respect for the artists all around the world (Paris, New York, London…) but those fashion victims should stop to consider them as Gods, it’s completely ridiculous it’s just art, and most of them don’t even have a good sens of fashion, they are just copycat, the new generation is lost, and don’t have the right values.