Fashion Criticism In France and Beyond

A conversation with fashion journalist and consultant Philippe Pourhashemi about the evolution of fashion criticism

---

Le Journal Curioso is a reader-supported publication. The idea behind that publication is to write about fashion from angles you won’t find in mainstream media. If you are enjoying this article, feel free to upgrade to a paid subscription.

---

This conversation was meant to be posted during Paris Fashion Week, but the first audio was unuseable because technology was not on my side. So I asked Philippe Pourhashemi, today’s interviewee for this last leg of my Underrated Fashion Professional Talks round exploring the twists and turns of fashion media and fashion criticism, to redo a call with me. He was so kind that on the day I asked, he found a slot in his very busy schedule to talk to me again. So merci Philippe !

If you don’t know about Philippe Pourhashemi yet, you might have heard his voice on the America-based Russian journalist Eugene Rabkin’s podcast Style Zeitgeist. Each fashion week, I tune in to listen to their unfiltered point of view about the shows they went to, the ones they didn’t attend and why, the behind-the-scenes of independent journalists going to fashion week without the support of a legacy publication, etc. It is a delight to listen to them talk about the industry and topics many of us think about but don’t talk about out loud. There is a freedom I appreciate in the way they share their views even when I don’t subscribe to them.

I was interested in Philippe Pourhashemi because after interviewing journalist

Amy Odell

and Rivista Studio Fashion Director Silvia Schirinzi (here and here), I wanted to have the point of view of a journalist who knew well the French fashion system but also has this global view of fashion - I am saying this because, in my humble opinion, it is something that is lacking in French fashion journalism. Interestingly, Philippe isn’t based in Paris but between Belgium and the Netherlands, which gives him another perspective on the fashion system.

Here is a break-down of our conversation:

• The French fashion critique landscape

• The Anglo-Saxon tradition of fashion critique

• The challenges and changes in the fashion discourse

---

Hello Philippe, can you please introduce yourself?

Sure! I'm a freelance fashion coach, journalist, and consultant. I work with upcoming fashion brands and help designers as a coach to grow and get new opportunities, especially at the start of their brands. Then I work freelance for different publications, mostly based in Europe. I also consult with some companies on communication and do copywriting for brands.

Okay, so you do a lot of things.

Yes, I have to because I think companies are increasingly looking for people who can multitask. And I think just doing journalism now is quite difficult for work stability and prospects. So, you need to put your eggs in different baskets.

You need to make sure you have different opportunities.

Yes, I understand because that's my case right now: I'm trying to figure out what I need to do next in fashion because the outlook for e-commerce is becoming bleak.

Yes, it's not easy. Now, you must develop a certain writing style that people are attracted to or acknowledge. And that's also something that takes time. We now live in a time when so many people write on social media, have podcasts, have their own websites, etc.

Everybody's talking. So, it's all about having a voice that echoes, but it's not always easy.

I agree. Talking about a voice that echoes, our initial call was to talk about fashion criticism. I would like to know your thoughts about the role of fashion critique in the French panorama first and then in general because you mainly work in Europe.

It's interesting because since we talked, there have been a few changes, particularly online. I have also met young critical fashion writers and broadcasters, but we will touch upon them later.

But as far as the French landscape is concerned, unfortunately, I don't have any good news regarding fashion criticism and people in the press being able to voice their opinions. It's practically impossible considering that Kering and LVMH dominate the landscape in commercial terms within the fashion industry and, as a result, control most of the publications with their advertising, which means that there are no spaces left for these magazines to voice their opinions or they must be very careful in the way they do it. Otherwise, they get reprimanded by the brands and the advertising gets pulled.

And it's been going on for years and years. We heard stories of designers getting upset, pulling the advertising, somebody writing a bad review, and the advertising disappearing, etc. It's been happening all the time.

But now it's preventing people from being critical. And I think it's a disaster in France. There, the lack of criticism in fashion journalism is shocking.

This is quite amazing, considering Paris is known as one of the biggest fashion cities in the West. But in terms of criticism in fashion magazines, there is absolutely nothing.

I write for Mixte Magazine in France. The editor-in-chief, Antoine Leclerc-Mougne, approached me a couple of years ago because he was interested in my critical analysis. So, when I do interviews for him, I get to talk to designers honestly and ask them critical questions.

Sometimes, you get answers that are very refreshing and quite frank. And I always wonder, “Is it going to get printed or not?” And it does.

I think it's an interesting moment because as much as brands are still trying to control exactly what is said about them, certain audiences long for authentic content with people saying what they think and what they mean. I think we're a little bit in this kind of tension now. But France is in a bad state regarding criticism, which is quite depressing.

And what about the other side of fashion, London, New York, Milan?

There's an Anglo-Saxon tradition, which I think is much more critical regarding fashion. That is why you still have the likes of Cathy Horyn, Vanessa Friedman, Alexander Fury, or Eugene Rabkin, who is Russian but based in the U.S.

So, you still have a few people who are quite outspoken. What I find very interesting are people like Luke Meagher from Haute Le Mode, Bliss Foster, and Odunayo Ojo from Fashion Roadman in London. They are new young voices using YouTube and other channels to express their fashion criticism. I think it’s very exciting to see them appear.

The last time I visited Paris for Fashion Week, I met up with [Odun]Ayo, who's really nice. We spent half a day together chatting about the fashion industry. I am really happy to see someone like him gain more presence and visibility because what he brings to the table is really important. He’s part of a generation that sees criticism as a positive thing, not something negative.

I also think that's a generation that doesn't care about going to fashion shows and being seated front row, back row, or wherever. They don't care about the status aspect and, therefore, don’t have their pride hurt by fashion politics. The fact that they can watch a show and critique it from the comfort of their home makes it difficult for brands to do anything about them, whatever they say.

The only thing they can do is work with and hire them, hoping that it may somehow change their discourse. But Ayo, for example, is not someone who will be bought out by brands — well, at least not now.

I don't know about the others, but I know that Haute Le Mode signed a big contract with a creative talent agency. That means that he's going to do a lot more commercial projects. And Bliss Foster is also a different story.

But I think what people appreciate from these guys is how they built a community of like-minded people around them. And this community has similar values and similar opinions about what is right or not in fashion. And I think seeing the growth of those communities is something that brands cannot control. That is why I find that quite exciting right now.

I follow Ayo a lot. I think he's one of the fresher voices in fashion, along with Recho Omondi from The Cutting Room Floor. They all have a clever approach to doing videos. Both are on Patreon, and it allows them to not rely on big brand deals as their viewers are the ones funding them. I think they are building an intelligent, business-savvy model. And I don’t think we have ever heard of traditional fashion critics being business-savvy because they were always so reliant on magazines and brands.

Yes, it’s interesting to see. I became much more vocal about fashion during the pandemic because it gave people time to rethink things. But it was also sad to see that we needed everything to stop to discuss, think and exchange ideas.

At the time, it seemed like people were really keen on rethinking the industry and how things were, but three years later, you see that the same shows are being held in the same far-off places, and the industry is still flying hundreds of press people to attend them. All this money is being spent on events that are not sustainable.

On top of that, the whole issue of body image and diversity looks like trending topics, but when it comes to real change, we don't get enough of that.

Fashion has never been so commercial, so it's quite bleak. The other day, I was thinking about logos while writing something for the Antwerp Academy graduation show for their yearly publication.

In 2000, there was logomania, and people criticized it in the fashion business because they thought it was lazy to send something down the runway that had no real design value — you know, just shoving a logo somewhere. But ten years later, we haven’t gone out of the logomania. And I’m wondering, what is the problem with the consumer? How they can’t appreciate design yet pay a lot of money for a logo? Because this is where we are right now.

It's the status. Everyone wants status rather than quality.

I think it shows how insecure people are. Then you see all these videos of influencers saying, “I bought all these bags, and now I'm selling everything”. And suddenly, they convert themselves to a life without materialism and everything. I mean, it's a bit ridiculous. Nobody finds a balance between the two. But it is a lot about showing off today, and it's a lot about putting your stuff on social media and trying to make other people envious.

---

Contribute without strings attached to help me reach my 2024-2025 (a.k.a. pay for my driving license). I know not all of us can commit to supporting every writer and artist we love regularly. If you can’t commit to a monthly or annual subscription but still want to support, you can buy me a coffee below.

---

I wanted to ask you about the Style Zeitgeist podcast. Why did you start reviewing shows with Eugene? How is the podcast going? When I first heard you, I found how you talked about fashion refreshing. I enjoyed it. It wasn’t interviews but just your honest point of view of the shows. I appreciate the behind-the-scenes you give as show-goers; it is an aspect people rarely discuss.

We needed to find a space where we could exchange ideas, communicate without any form of censorship, and share experiences. Before meeting Eugene, I felt alienated by certain things in this industry.

After talking to Eugene, whom I had known for a while, and starting the podcast, I realized that quite a few people were thinking along the same lines. I got a lot of feedback from people saying they were happy that we talked about the shows and fashion the way we did. So, thank you for formulating it this way because I struggle with how to put it in words.

I realized what we were doing was powerful because our conversations were honest and frank, and we were really trying to make sense of what was happening. It continued because it became increasingly popular with more and more people downloading the episodes.

The one we did on menswear back in January was downloaded over 3,000 times, which is crazy for me. So, it seems that there's a hunger for these types of conversations between insiders who know about the industry but are also questioning aspects of it and trying to figure out how to change things.

Another thing that is really important for Eugene and me is to highlight new talent and use the podcast as a platform to talk about independent brands and people in showrooms presenting great work, to focus on them and give them space to exist.

I think that's necessary. Now, I don’t even want to go to see big brand shows. I’ve lost interest in them and am disappointed by what they do. I'd rather focus on the best independent talent and newcomers when I go to Paris. I found that when I came back last March, I was happier because seeing all these big shows that are empty of substance just makes me depressed.

The Paris Fashion Week Men’s F/W 24 episode of the Style Zeitgeist podcast Philippe mentioned above.

And it shouldn't be like that. Fashion Week should be THE place where newer brands get the spotlight. I agree with you that we are always talking about the same brands on and on. Chanel will always be Chanel. There is nothing special about it, but we keep on raving about these big brands, completely forgetting that one of Fashion Week's goals is for newer designers to showcase their work and give them the possibility to be known and sell.

There is this conversation about London not being the haven it was before for new talents, and the main reason is that the focus is on storied brands instead of supporting younger designers who are struggling to keep their brands going.

It's difficult to figure out why the big brands are so discussed. Right now, fashion is a huge international business involving a lot of profit and money. It has become a very greedy industry.

People are excited about the drama. For example, the Kering fallout and Gucci losing money. It feels like Dallas. It's part of the news cycle, and people like to discuss it. This is when they talk about big brands critically, looking at their shortcomings and what they do/did wrong. But as interesting as it is, it’s not an excuse not to push new talents.

I agree with you. The industry should put a lot more effort into promoting and supporting young designers in the long term instead of always talking about the same names, which is boring.

I wanted to add something about the Style Zeitgeist podcast: I don’t necessarily agree with everything you and Eugene say. We always see disagreements as very heated moments, but when I listen to you both and I don’t share your views, it pushes me to think forward rather than being angry, not liking what I hear, and stopping listening to the podcast. Instead, I sit with what is said, reflect on my thoughts and yours, and try to find the reason for the disagreement.

I think this moment of pause and reflection about what has been said on both sides and the reason behind a disagreement is highly missing in fashion because we are used to seeing fashion as very polarizing. It's either you hate it or love it.

Saying a collection is great or that you love it doesn’t add anything. It’s like saying a Chanel collection is very “Chanel.” For me, that's not a review or a critique. You need to be more specific and talk about several things to get there.

So, I will always listen to someone with a valid argument because it's not about agreeing with somebody but being able to argue and discuss things. That's what's interesting and what keeps the conversation alive.

Another thing I want to say, which I will write and talk about, is that I find that people in our industry lack passion now. They should be more passionate about the things they believe in. They should talk about them. They should be more vocal in a way that also educates others and allows people to learn why they are this way. I think it's sad that we lost this passionate dimension in fashion. I think of people going to the shows crying, clapping, being really excited, hating designers, and loving designers. Today there's a sort of indifference, there's fatigue in this business. People go to the shows, record stuff, and then leave to go to the next one. They're so tired they won't even sit down with you and talk about what's happening.

Sometimes, I think, “What is the point?” I mean, as a community, we should be there discussing things, and that's missing. It's a shame because fashion should always be a space of exchange, dialogue, and communication. That's what keeps it alive.

But that's also why I think the conversation is flattening; we keep discussing the same fashion capitals. We don't go elsewhere than Milan, London, New York, and Paris. I think that's also one of the reasons why it has become less and less interesting: we see fashion from just one spectrum. And when someone brings something new that is coming from elsewhere, they are either put on a pedestal for a couple of years, then forgotten, or they go back. Kenneth Ize and Thebe Magugu, who are both doing amazing work, are the perfect examples. They couldn't sustain what fashion here in the West asked them because the production and industry in their home country [respectively Nigeria and South Africa] are completely different. So, this is also a conversation that needs to be had.

That’s the problem with hype. If we continue using this hype system, we'll burn the brands.

We're giving all this attention to someone all of a sudden, and then we move on to the next thing. That's why I worry a little bit about body image, diversity, and all these issues. I feel that sometimes they are treated like trends and, therefore, are not taken seriously.

The other thing that you're addressing, this Eurocentric aspect, I think it also comes from the fact that fashion is extremely self-referential and spends a lot of time looking at itself.  Because of that, you end up in this bizarre bubble that people can't escape from.

That's the conversation I'm having now with

Talía Cu

[editor’s note: the Mexican journalist I interviewed about Latin American fashion here and with whom I have something cooking for you, dear Curious Minds]. We are both on Substack writing about fashion, and we noticed that all the big newsletters in our category are now either written by people who used to be huge on other platforms or are doing shopping newsletters. It feels like it reflects a very American consumerist society [editor’s note: Substack is based in the U.S.]. It’s a lot about consumption instead of discussing the industry.

In a way, these designers are consumed, right? They are consumed to the point that people suck them dry and then throw them away and move on to the next one. And I think that's the vampiric nature of fashion, as it is an industry that is all about fresh blood. It's all about what's coming next, and there isn't much pity or patience for people to succeed now. Look at last year; it was really extreme. On my Instagram, I predicted that many people would lose their jobs, and it happened. People were fired after one season [editor’s note: for context, we can think of Ludovic de Saint Sernin and Charles de Vilmorin, who respectively exited Ann Demeulemesteer and Rochas in 2023]. It was really shocking.

I mean, it's unheard of. We are in such a nervous, unstable context that designers are very fragile right now. And it seems like the industry treats them like commodities.

They are. To be honest, I also think all this happened because the people who hired them were not qualified to hire designers.

Right. Because we’ve seen some massive casting errors, and straight away, I thought, “Why is this person running such a brand?” And we know they’ve been hired for the wrong reasons. But at the end of the day, who has that power? Who makes those decisions? Who are these people? And why does it happen like that? I think about this whole story of Alessandro Michele walking out of Gucci and slamming the door. The situation Gucci is in right now is a lesson luxury groups should learn from. And if they don’t, then they will make the same mistakes again.

Yes, it's so funny because right now, they really try to push Sabato De Sarno with that ‘documentary’ they did. This made me wonder, “Do you need to spend money on that? Why?” You know, we don't need that.

I think a lot of people loved Alessandro. He strangely moved people. Some people hated what he did as well. They criticized his work, but it didn't matter in the end because it provoked an emotional reaction, whether it was love, worship, or rejection. That's part of what luxury is to me.

There is an emotional aspect to fashion, and that’s why we gravitate towards it. And with Sabato, nothing is going on. There’s just product. The image is quite poor and quite boring. And there's nothing else to talk about. There's no political stance, no idea.

I’m not sure there is no political stance because when I read articles in Italy about Sabato De Sarno, they talk about him as someone who is reviving an idea of the bourgeoisie. And I find it quite funny because it’s so out of touch.

If you think about what Alessandro was like, he was very engagé. He was looking at women's rights, for example. He said to his staff in the U.S., “If you are willing to get an abortion, we will help you”. [editor’s note: Philippe was referring to the Gucci Resort 2020 theme against the threat of an abortion ban in the U.S. Kering, through their non-profit organization Chime for Change, has been fighting for women’s rights since 2013. The Chime for Change logo was emblazoned on one of the t-shirts of the Gucci Resort 2020, with its proceeds going to charities focusing on women’s reproductive health]. He was really committed and had a strong stance, which is definitely not bourgeois.

On the other hand, Sabato's approach is terribly conventional and uninspiring. I think that's a problem for a brand like Gucci because it needs to be exciting for people.

This Gucci Resort 2020 dress by Alessandro Michele with an embroidered uterus was one of the main pieces highlighting the collection’s political stance.

Journalists and analysts keep saying we must wait for his products to hit stores to see, but the excitement doesn’t seem to be there.

If it was such a hit, we would know. You would see it everywhere, and there would be a movement towards it. But that's not happening. And there’s also the fact that, as a person, nothing that he says is interesting either.

So, I don't know. It's a big PR fail.

Thank you for saying that because I haven’t found any interview he did compelling.

I can acknowledge that coming after Alessandro is difficult because he is a maximalist with over-the-top language, and anything next to that may look a little bit simple. But I thought they would elevate Gucci in terms of merchandise and make it super luxurious with a strong point of view and storytelling. And I feel nothing there.

It’s good that we talk again now because I feel certain things are changing. So, I'm actually quite positive about criticism, except in France. I don't really see that happening, but maybe it will. Let's be optimistic.

In Italy, there are Angelo Flaccavento and Giuliana Mattarese, who are both very good as well.

But they have a culture of fashion criticism. They have the fashion writers. I think in France, we don't have the fashion writers. I don't feel that we have that culture.

Or it used to exist, and it was there, but the big brands and conglomerates have crushed it economically.

I don't know. I think there's an interesting story there. French culture is critical, but within fashion, it seems to evaporate.

That’s intriguing because I cannot give you one name of a fashion writer apart from Sophie Fontanel.

But she's not a fashion writer anymore because she also works with many brands. She’s more of an influencer now, which gives her a different position.

---

Thank you for reading Le Journal Curioso! This newsletter is about the fashion industry - from the perspective of an underrated fashion professional - and a space for culture and storytelling - with a fashion twist - about the African diaspora. A subscription is 6€ a month and 48€ a year. Consider supporting my work by upgrading your subscription.

---