It's the rite of passage for any arts student in London - go to LFW and sit around sipping coffee and people watch, take photographs and be photographed and finally see what that blogger you used to like when you were 13 and addicted to Lookbook.nu is like IRL. The problem with fashion week is, for all the amazing outfits and free coconut water , it has got nothing to do with fashion unless you are in the industry watching the shows or working to make them happen.
The blogosphere orbits around Somerset House, hoping to be pulled in by invites that can be acquired fairly meaninglessly (At my old internship, I was given a pass that 'no one was going to use anyway,' but when I got there they assumed I was a buyer. I was in the FROW and with goody bag before I could explain otherwise, and I even ended up making an appearance on Made in Chelsea as a result.) People from the big, scary art colleges flock to Somerset House wearing their mot outrageous and infuriatingly awful outfits just to give the many bored street style photographers something to gawp at, and presumably to feel like they have achieved something by dressing like an 80s pop star post-meth binge.
Bloggers have become "celebrities" in their own rights, with high incomes and the honour of being recognised in the streets. But blogging is also becoming much more popular, and stand out blogs are becoming rarer and rarer. Cue the apparition of million of meaningless and mediocre blogs talking about Barry M nail polish and MissGuided X The Scherz hoping to follow in the footsteps of names such as LuLuTrixabelle and DisneyRolledGirl (with names that are just as awful).
Personally, I am pro-blogging. I am nosy as hell and love looking into people's lives, minds and yes, wardrobes - so this is not an attack on the blogging community. I'm rather asking whether a blogger who wears mainly high street brands is really going to produce any valuable insight into Fendi's latest luxurious collection. I think the cult of the amateur fashion journalist (a phrase often interchangeable with 'Fashion Blogger') needs to slow down, as they are crowding an already crowded marketplace for those professionals who spent thousands on journalism qualifications, and invested a lifetime of love and interest into what is sent down the catwalks.