I just got around to reading Lisa Marsh’s article in the New York Post’s Fashion Supplement on who sits in the front row of fashion shows and why. The supplement appears to have been successful in garnering ads but as an editorial product it was in our opinion, and in most others who we have spoken to, a poor if not tacky production. It looks like the “fine hand” of Fashionwiredaily in the page design and reminds us of their now defunct 24/7 Magazine. Anyway Lisa included most of the usual suspects but there were some pretty strange omissions. First on my list of choices would certainly not be Lauren Ezersky (read our 1997 profile on her) Maybe front row at some of the smaller downtown shows would be appropriate for her but I mean really “Behind the Velvet Ropes” is an obscure show on public access channel 35 (Robin Byrd Show and Midnight Blue also run) where host Lauren practices what we call the art of “kneepad” journalism – an especially virulent form of fashion celebrity groveling. Granted Lauren is a fixture – if not an antique – now for almost 20 years covering the shows and she does writes a column for Paper. But she hardly compares to Fashion Television’s Jeanie Becker whose show reaches millions. And what about Linda Wells and Paul Cavaco and the others at Allure? How about the editors of Elle Magazine? And speaking of Elle where is Elle’s coverage of the New York Fall 2002 shows? Click on to Elle.com and their runway coverage is still the Spring/Summer 2002 shows. The only thing up to date on this site is the Mercedes-Benz ad. I guess they felt they could not compete with Style.com!
