Loading ...
« Sidewalk Catwalk | Home | Behind the Scenes with a Fit Model »
The Fashion Industry is Text Based?
By admins | April 12, 2010
Recently the New York Observer ran this ridiculous piece, about how the fashion industry’s smart phone of choice is the Blackberry not the iPhone. Now as avid iPhone users right away we were annoyed, but as we read the piece we were even more offended, as fashion designers. The comments made in this piece were ludicrous, occasionally offensive, and often downright silly. Now if we had to guess what the smart phone of choice was for the fashion industry, we’d have to say fifty-fifty. The Blackberry seems to be a fave among certain fashion divisions like sales, accounting, PR, publishing, and marketing. But the iPhone reigns supreme, among the creative types (which the NY Observers seems to have forgotten exists in droves in fashion) like designers, graphic artists, models, photographers, textile designers, and pattern makers.
What’s so infuriating about the piece, were the comments from the fashion professionals that the Observer used to justify their claim. Especially, the comment from Steven Rojas of Archetype Showroom, “I feel like everything a fashion person does is very text-based. If I’m emailing back and forth with editors all day, I can’t be sitting there with my pointer finger gingerly tapping at my screen.” WTF? Text based? Are you kidding? Yes, we realize you, Steven, are in sales, marketing and event promotion, but are you really that egocentric that you have forgotten about the “fashion people” behind the very products you are promoting. Everything we do is text based? Tell that to the designers, sewers, illustrators, drapers, trend forecasters, colorists, photographers, etc who make it possible for you to even have a business.
Equally absurd is the slide-show’s title, iPhones are for Moms and Poseurs. Hmmm, well guess what Observer? The fashion industry is predominately female and many are in fact, mothers! No surprise here, but the article is written by a man and all seven fashion professionals interviewed are men. Men who provides gems like, Derek Blasberg’s, “my big manly thumbs too clumsy for that touch screen” luckily most fashion professionals we know don’t have sausage fingers. Or the Michael Williams critique (which we really don’t see how it’s relative to the fashion industry) “Also, I feel like the best way to get laid with a girl you know is to have her on BBM. You know, you’re out and you’re chatting – there’s no way to replicate that with an iPhone.” Yes, he’s still single ladies!
These guys certainly are entitled to their opinions for preferring one smart phone over the other, (as we all do) but it is unbelievably aggravating for the NY Observer to use them and their preferences, as an example of what fashion industry professionals as whole prefer. Smart phones are a personal preference, like the old right brain vs. left brain debate, there is not one right answer. And the fashion industry, being full of both business minded and creative people, should not be lumped into one category either. Shame on you Observer, for this shallow and narrow minded little piece.
Here is more related scoop;
Topics: Opinion, rant | 5 Comments » 
Email This Post
April 12th, 2010 at 9:55 am
OMG I can’t believe these guys are for real. Half of them sound like they haven’t matured past 6th grade. And what is up with guys writers trying so hard to sound witty by writing like cavemen?
I do agree about AT&T in NYC, I have an iPhone and was thinking about switching because of the service but then had a friend unlock it for me, so I’m can use another service.
April 12th, 2010 at 11:57 am
that is insane! i can’t believe not one single woman was asked in this piece. that said, even with at&t’s awful, terrible, horrendous service (i’ve considered quitting bloggging to start a grass roots campaign against the monopoly.)
it took all but 2 seconds to fall in love with my iphone, and i’m never going back. as far as kool-aid… whatever, i’ve been an apple user back when they weren’t popular and the only people who used them were graphic designers (which I was), before all the imacs, ipods, and iphones, and even though they’re getting a little too cocky and a bit evil, i still prefer apple products.
besides, it’s always the smarmy dudes who play the hater whenever something revolutionary happens. so much for mommies and poseurs.
April 12th, 2010 at 3:01 pm
I have an iPhone and I adore it. I use it for everything. Absolutely everything. Its capabilities are amazing and far outweight the BBM pros. (Though I fail to see how a BBM conversation will lead to a hook-up whereas a text message conversation won’t. Also, that’s your PRO to having a Blackberry, Michael Williams??)
I myself work in the business side of design (sourcing and production quality), rather than the creative side, and I rely heavily on my iPhone. I also know of several design companies that issue iPhones to all of their employees as business phones.
And, who “gingerly [taps] at [the touch] screen” while typing?? I use both thumbs and I’m probably faster than Steven Rojas on his Blackberry.
Of course, there is no right or wrong answer, but the author avoided pros of the iPhone completely. He couldn’t possibly have reached the conclusion that Blackberries are better through interviewing a few Blackberry-carrying men. Poor journalism.
April 13th, 2010 at 1:50 am
What a ridiculous article. It makes you wonder what their editor was thinking in letting this lame brained piece through.
—-
Do you have what it takes to make anything sexy? Enter the Sweatpant Sexy Challenge to find out & you could win some massive prizes! http://highmaintenancewoman.blogspot.com/2010/04/sweatpant-sexy-challenge.html
April 13th, 2010 at 3:37 pm
Are they crazy? I am the only insane one (or two) chicks who still use a BB and only bc I am waiting for Verizon to get the iPhone (which they should by June, I HOPE). Almost everyone from PR to Marketing to Manufacturing to Designers to Street Style folks use an iPhone!