In ‘Hunt for the Incipient Taste,’ Lantz describes magazine editors – journalists – as intermediaries and tastemakers who “have the power to make a mark on fashion.” Considering this in combination with her fashion expertise evident in her advising form of writing, Sykes becomes a tastemaker who, according to Lantz, “categorize[s] and package[s] trends” and “legitimize[s] something already existing in the fashion field.” In fact, Sykes’ recognition as a tastemaker today can be referred to her time at The Sunday Times Style, which has manifested not only her self-employment but her role as a freelance journalist. In this context, I furthermore argue that her fashion persona rather than her journalistic success has led Sykes...
In ‘Hunt for the Incipient Taste,’ Lantz describes magazine editors – journalists – as intermediaries and tastemakers who “have the power to make a mark on fashion.”
Considering this in combination with her fashion expertise evident in her advising form of writing, Sykes becomes a tastemaker who, according to Lantz, “categorize[s] and package[s] trends” and “legitimize[s] something already existing in the fashion field.” In fact, Sykes’ recognition as a tastemaker today can be referred to her time at The Sunday Times Style, which has manifested not only her self-employment but her role as a freelance journalist. In this context, I furthermore argue that her fashion persona rather than her journalistic success has led Sykes to become a powerful position in the field of fashion media.
For Duffy and Hund, the persona of bloggers “draws upon post-feminist narratives of individual choice” in what they argue to result in “entrepreneurial femininity.” In digital media it is often referred to as the “ideal of ‘Having it all’” defined through three tropes; “The Destiny of Passionate Work, The Glam Life and Carefully Curated Social Sharing.” Having it all is what Duffy and Hund argue to be social media-driven bloggers, who create a self-branded image, where personal life and creative labor bleed into one leading to a blurred representation.
The Destiny of Passionate Work is what Duffy and Hund define to be “individuals [who] came upon blogging unintentionally, as an escape from the banality of unrewarding professional lives.” As argued in Chapter One, Sykes saw in the digital format an escape from her day job and strict style codes of journalism. Besides exploring fashion her own way, it has furthermore encouraged her to find a second voice in the field of digital media, a new writing style that was much more frank and witty. In this context, Sykes learned to communicate with an online audience, where she was able to engage with her readers. However, her representation on social media platforms equalizes what Duffy and Hund argue to be “a cultural producer” who clarifies that she is there on business.”
