Feb 17th, 2016, 03:39 AM

Fashion Unfiltered: A New Voice in Fashion Journalism

By Chrystal Vavoulidis
Image Credit: January Skyy
Style.com veteran Katharine Zarella's new site is bringing a fiercely independent perspective to the fashion world.

It sounds like an Instagram hashtag, but Style.com veteran Katharine Zarella wants Fashion Unfiltered to bring a fresh new voice to fashion journalism. And that means being critical if necessary. As the site's slogan says, "No Fluff. Just Fashion". 

Fashion Unfiltered gives space and place for “fashion criticism” — or “smart fashion” journalism. As Zarella said in an interview with The Cut, fashion journalism today lacks edge. Her new site Fashion Unfiltered is hoping to stand out as "fiercely independent" in an industry often considered over-indulgent. "I've been really honest with our advertisers, she said, "saying our editorial section cannot be bought."

Zarella believes a particular audience is not being addressed in the current fashion media landscape. She defines that audience as "a reader who wants to sit for five minutes and read about 'Are Runway Shows Still Relevant?' or about why a trend is happening and how it links back to something that happened 20 years ago."

"I think there’s a reader who doesn’t necessarily want to click through a slideshow of Kim Kardashian,” she said.

 Katharine Zarella (Photo: Marc Kroop, The Cut)

If Zarrella can afford to take those risks, it's perhaps because she's an experienced fashion journo who knows the business. A veteran of Style.com and V Magazine, she began her career after graduating from Colgate University freelancing for Interview Magazine, W Magazine, Dazed & Confused, i-D, Showstudio, The Business of Fashion, among others.” Zarella is definitely not a startup newbie. She has years of experience and did not get “discovered” from blogging in her bedroom at the age of thirteen. She studied her craft, she is knowledgeable, and moved up her career ladder fast. As she told BOF, you don't need to start as an assistant to become an editor.

So, why should we be excited about an alternative, unique and innovative way of thinking and reading about fashion? Maybe it's because many regard fashion as an art. As a Daily Nation article titled "Is Criticism Killing Fashion?" put it: “Throw in brands running the gamut from couture to low cost clothes with one end needing criticism and the other, marketing support, PR and brand building, a vibrant arts and culture industry where intellectual pursuits like film, literature, architecture, art and music are critiqued and appreciated, a more rewarding celebrity culture, a more sophisticated use of social media by celebrities and personalities down to a finer appreciation for lifestyle brands.”

So if fashion is an art, it should be critiqued as an art. As an article in the Guardian argues, criticism is a good thing. However, “taking criticism can be a difficult thing. At some point…you will encounter a customer or audience member – maybe even a reviewer – who wants to tell you how to do things better. It can be hard to deal with; after all, nobody likes to be told they're wrong. But it's not all bad news because sometimes you can use criticism to give you a competitive edge.” The Guardian article continues by stating that criticism is a form of communication, feedback can make the product stronger, and a way for the consumer to become educated and aware of the products available to them.

But could criticism kill fashion? According to the Daily Nation, the answer is no. "A glance at any Best Dressed lists holds surprises with unique, unexpected faces. The runways during Fashion Week compete with the front row aka FROW. Street style grows more intriguing. Models off duty is now a thing. The red carpet is huge business.”
 
Ashley Clarke in the Huffington Post asks the question, "is fashion criticism dying out?" Let's hope not. As Clarke reminds us, British fashion journalist Colin McDowell puts it best when he says "a commentator must be allowed to make a commentary. That commentary must have substance. And writers of caliber must be nurtured, not neutered, by the fashion industry."
 
Let's hope that Fashion Unfiltered finds its place as a strong new voice in fashion criticism.