H&M
In the spring issue of H&M Magazine…
…and now the fall issue.
The way they write off fashion bloggers annoys me a little.
First of all because so many fashion bloggers out there front H&M without getting anything in return. As a fashion blogger I do get some perks, occasional free stuff or discounts I wouldn´t have gotten otherwise, but never anything from H&M which is probably the brand I write the most about. I´ve even been in contact with an H&M designer giving them my tips of what I´d like to see in stores as a H&M shopper without being offered anything. I don´t expect to get things for free, I write about what I like anyway, it´s more of an observation. With all the coverage H&M get from bloggers I bet they owe a good percentage of their sales to them and should be careful about what they say about them.
Secondly, blogging is a way anybody can express themselves. Having to have the right background or the right photographic skills to blog would ruin what blogging is all about. What I like about blogs is that I can get inspiration from all kinds of people from all around the world. If I wanted to see polished pictures of perfect models I´d go buy Vogue. Blogs are an alternative to glossy magazines.
Now I doubt this is written by a high profile journalist or that H&M Magazine really weighs much in the industry, but it is handed out in every H&M store around the world and it is saying something negative about someone they probably should try to take better care of.
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30 Comments
September 8th, 2007 at 10:37 pm
I agree with you!!! I don’t even buy magazines anymore because now I get so much more from all the blogs I read. H&M should know better than to print something like that when bloggers makes people shop at their stores more!
September 8th, 2007 at 10:52 pm
How awful how they write about us! I also pay that much attention to H&M.. Like DonnaSandra says: You and other bloggers make readers shop at H&M. How ridiculous.
September 8th, 2007 at 11:06 pm
Yeah totally there with you. When I opened the mag I couldn’t help but to think “don’t bite the hand that feeds you H&M”. . . now granted, they don’t need us to survive, but I certain purchase and write about enough H&M stuff. They probably realize by now, that it was a major faux pas too.
September 9th, 2007 at 1:11 am
Their mention of you is totally flattering! Don’t worry about the fashion amateurs thing, which doesn’t mention you. Please! They said you’re the best of the bunch and they spelled your URL right and that’s all that matters. It is great publicity for you and that’s how you need to think of things like this.
September 9th, 2007 at 1:13 am
Whoops! LOL, I just realized one is spring and one is fall. Well, fall clearly doesn’t apply to your blog which is well-written, informed and has great photography. Ignore it! Who cares about generalizations like that.
September 9th, 2007 at 2:00 am
how rude of them to say that. i was so irked when i saw that in my issue. im a blogger too for coollikechloe.blogspot.com and i know how much time and effort it takes to work on these.
keep doing the great work that you are doing agathe.
they really have no clue
September 9th, 2007 at 5:56 am
hi agathe,
i agree with you wholeheartedly…i can understand the attitude of fashion big wigs who think some fashion blogs are amateurish in knowledge and layout but i think that is precisely why they are blogs, rather than well-invested, brainstormed productions which have been funded and fiddled with by a select team of stylists.
as we all know from the frivolousness of couture from season to season, fashion is not only dynamic and moving but appropriates (some might say ‘plagiarises’) different ethnic and cultural styles within the cut and thread of garments…so i think it only makes sense that what is written, reflected on and spoken (within this same dynamic, but more organic, sense) about fashion comes from the public, rather than simply a select, well-combed few.
whew…sorry for the diatribe. i think i’ve been skipping class way too much and i needed to vent about something…
September 9th, 2007 at 9:38 am
Congratz! :D
September 9th, 2007 at 10:09 am
Thanks for commenting guys! If it would have been anybody else writing those things I wouldn´t even care, but since so many of us offer so much time to H&M I just felt stupid reading it. I´ll think twice the next time I shop from them. Sadly there aren´t many good high street shops in Norway, but if I can find it elsewhere I won´t leave my money at H&M.
September 9th, 2007 at 11:47 am
Thanks to the H&M Spring issue I found your Blog and became a regular reader. I like your Blog very much, keep going!!
In the German Copy of the fall H&M Magazine in the Editorial it says: You’re the inspiration! They call the readers their source of inspiration and present it like a company philosophy.
I find that quite remarkable as it doesn’t make sense compared to their Trendbarometer.
Please keep going. I just love your Blog!!!
September 9th, 2007 at 12:52 pm
That’s just stupid of them…
September 9th, 2007 at 3:25 pm
I think you misunderstood what H&M was saying in their “Trend Barometer”. I think what they meant to say is that there are many blogs out there that simply aren’t well maintained. Clearly you put in a lot of effort in your blog and I think H&M meant to say that they are hopeful that blogs like yours will be an asset to fashion. You’re looking at this the wrong way.
September 9th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
I didn´t feel like they aimed it at my blog or any other in particular, but I do think it is something they should be careful about saying about someone who are their biggest supporters. Do they think only fashion experts shop their stores? Their shoppers are often those who blog, just ordinary people…
September 9th, 2007 at 3:34 pm
It looks like the magazine is hardly put together by fashion journalism professionals, making that remark nonsensical and ironic. For one thing, aren’t we all by definition fashion amateurs, unless we actually work within the industry? That entry is hardly above the level of writing it seems to criticize! Anyway, I bet it was written in haste by some person in the company’s PR/editorial department. and probably has very little to do with H&M’s actual design team, who probably had no idea it was being written (and would probably be aghast to see it).
September 9th, 2007 at 3:55 pm
Good point Catherine! Most of those who aren´t amateurs probably don´t even blog, at least not unless getting paid for it. And I don´t think that this was a well thought through writing either, probably done in haste as you say, cause the whole barometer seems kind of meaningless, but I can´t help being a little annoyed anyway.
September 9th, 2007 at 6:18 pm
Yeah, I can see how it would be annoying. I bet, though, that H&M will pay close attention to your blog entry. If they’re calling you for design tips (which is cool!), I imagine their PR dept. will take your note about not alienating “fashion amateurs” seriously. You are right about bloggers doing their outreach for them. H&M is so large the only way I was able to find out about cool pieces was if I saw pics on blogs and on Wardrobe Remix. It didn’t matter whether the pics were blurry or not.
September 9th, 2007 at 7:36 pm
I noticed the same thing. don’t like it at all.
juliet xxx
September 9th, 2007 at 7:41 pm
I think we are free to talk about fashion because H&M stylists are people like us, maybe they born like stylists, hum? I don´t think so…
September 9th, 2007 at 7:51 pm
What is also disappointing is the idea that fashion bloggers have ‘no knowledge.’ Style is about being an individual and wearing what you like and speaks to you…”fashion knowledge” is often just memorizing trends rather than making something uniquely your own. I am ALWAYS more inspired by the original outfits on fashion blogs than conventional Vogue spreads.
September 10th, 2007 at 2:31 am
Oh, that’s too bad. I get so much inspiration from so many fashion blogs — yours especially!
September 10th, 2007 at 9:08 am
Trend barometers or any hot or not lists are crap. Serious, does anyone actually follow those things? They are like:” In: Grey. Out: black”. Like anyone will actually stop wearing black. It’s people who follow to so called rules that are dressed the most boring.
There is nothing wrong with fashion blogs. If anything, they are a great way to show how you REALLY wear an item. Shorts look good on any model, but it takes a real person to show how you can wear it in real life. Your blog rules and no H&M barometer can change my opinion about it.
September 10th, 2007 at 1:34 pm
that’s so insulting to all of us.
it’s ashame that h & m would publish something like that. ugh.
September 10th, 2007 at 6:01 pm
I am sure that H&M designers and other designers search for blogs like yours for inspiration, the comment is very unfair, but do not worry about it, it is not worthy
September 10th, 2007 at 9:42 pm
Leste dette i HM-magasinet jeg også - og jeg er helt enig med deg. De for utrolig mye reklame gjennom “amatør-blogging”, så de burde være kjempeglade !!
Bloggen din er super bra og helt proff, så deg gjelder det i alle fall ikke:) Du er virkelig flink til dette!
September 11th, 2007 at 11:07 pm
How rude of them! I would far rather read a blog about fashion than a magazine. With a blog, I appreciate the lack of editing that might obscure what the writer actually wanted to say. Besides, magazines come once a month, whereas stylebytes & other blogs are updated almost constantly!
September 12th, 2007 at 12:29 am
this is clearly a case of print vs. online battle, which is a lot like cats vs. dogs or apples vs. oranges. i wish some print writers would grow up and notice that fashion blogs do not function the same way print magazines do, and they are not supposed to. they are different animals. and not all blogs are of the same species anyway… i know how it feels to be in close proximity to such a debate, as my blog has been in the past. i want to have thicker skin, but honestly, it does get to me.
September 14th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
It’s super-annoying to read something arrogant like that from such a crappy magazine
September 14th, 2007 at 5:54 pm
Just to let you know I have never really been a fan of H and M until I started reading your blog and now I hunt down great out fits in there store and am spending all my money there. If it weren’t for your site I would not spend my hard earned dollars in their store. Keep doing what you are doing cause it is AMAZING!!!!
September 14th, 2007 at 8:16 pm
agathe,
would you mind if i posted this article on INDEPENDENT FASHION BLOGGERS?
ifbu.blogspot.com
September 14th, 2007 at 8:22 pm
Janelle, thank you!
Lady Coveted, not at all, go ahead! :)