Parsons Paris

Fashion, Identity, and the Body: In Discussion with Dr. Rosie Findlay

On November 13th, second year MA Fashion Studies students in the course ‘Fashion, Identity, and the Body’ were visited by Dr. Rosie Findlay, one of the forefront academics writing about the relationship between digital media and fashion.

Findlay began her talk by talking about “first-wave” fashion bloggers – people who would post photos of themselves daily, creating looks that they liked. As this was in the early 2000s, these photos were often taken with digital cameras on tripods, or camera phones. Eventually, bloggers became popular, even used by brands in publicity shoots and featured in Vogue. As time passed, these fashion bloggers have become displaced by the Instagram influencers of today – often supported by a production team, their every moment posed and ready for the camera. 

Findlay questioned the sustainability of Instagram influencer culture, noting that it was often a large risk for companies to use influencers to reach their consumers. She also talked about “Influencer fatigue”: Instagram users were becoming tired of influencers and were less likely to follow them. 

She concluded her talk by questioning the authenticity of digital media from fashion and beauty brands. How are brands becoming relatable to consumers? Will consumers be cynical of the marketing tactics, and then not buy the brands’ products?

Findlay’s talk was extremely informative, educating students on the history of fashion blogging and current marketing tactics used by fashion brands on the Internet. Parsons Paris thanks Dr. Rosie Findlay for taking the time to present her work. 

If interested, you can read Dr. Findlay’s work here: https://fashion-arts.academia.edu/RosieFindlay

Written by Amanda Stedman