Irony as the Medium, Earnestness as the Message: An Interview with @Createmodefashion

What initially inspired this account? Were there any accounts or commentators that inspired you?

I was just tired of the industry saying that everything was good. When a lot of what we’re seeing on the runway is not. I think I have become a little bit disillusioned with the state of fashion journalism. I think back to when Cathy Horyn was banned from the Saint Laurent show or when Lyas wasn't invited to the Dior show after sharing criticism. I think influencers want to go to the next show so they hold their tongue when it comes to seeing the collections in person and I think journalists don't want to be blacklisted or have advertising pulled from magazines. Everyone walks a delicate balance. I think being anonymous is something that allows for more critical takes on the collections. Especially when certain brands look the same, but just have a different logo stitched inside.

Was there anything you felt missing in the industry that motivated the creation of this account?

I just think that people need to be more critical and understand what certain things mean or say. With the advent of the internet, people have access to more information than ever, especially in terms of fashion, but people don't necessarily have the critical thinking skills or aren't fostering these skills to maintain and support a specific point of view. Because it all moves so fast, we have whiplash. We keep moving our eyes from one thing to the next, going through thousands of runway photos. In the end, we’re not able to sit down, watch a full runway show and let it wash over us. Then seeing if we resonate with the ideas, the narrative, or with the context in which it finds itself. I think a lot of the time we are so interested in trend forecasting and what's next. What is next? What's next is we don't actually live with the things in front of us. Yet we find ourselves immersed and in a wash of ideas.

What’s your current relationship to the fashion industry? Do you study, work, or just consume for pleasure?

I work in fashion. I'm not going to say where I work or what I do, but I do know what good fashion looks like. Therefore, when I see things that are mediocre or not thorough, I feel the need to say something about it.

Where do you consume your fashion industry knowledge?

I don't think knowledge of fashion is something that you should fast track. I think it’s more important to find things that you like and follow that thread into a root system of historical context. Additionally, developing a point of view in terms of quality and letting that be your guide as you continue to learn and process what quality and taste is over time. One does not arrive at good taste but one needs to put attention towards developing taste.

What informs your posting & what you choose to talk about ?

I don't feel the need to comment on every show or every runway. I think when I participate in a conversation around ideas, specific brands, or types of fashion, it's from my own biases and the things that I enjoy, and want to live with.

Your comment section is proof that fashion consumers & industry professionals alike yearn for a re-imagined ecosystem - do you have a vision of what this ecosystem could look like?

I hope that the industry will become less fragile with its image and embrace a level of criticism and insight that can only come from The Other. Fashion outsiders, become insiders, and fashion insiders lose touch with what's truly happening. Young people need context and understanding, and the older guard of fashion needs to be open to emerging ideas and understanding our current cultural landscape.

More specifically, what would you like to see change about fashion journalism?

We all need to keep the lights on, but I would love for there to be less ego associated with fashion as a whole. Democratization gets thrown around a lot, but what are we actually saying when we use that word? Does that mean more people in the room like at Lyas’ watch party? Does that mean more people being able to buy a logo T-shirt or a logo belt? Or does that mean being able to engage in criticism of runways via the Internet?

How do you feel social media platforms hinder open dialogue around fashion & culture? In what ways does it support it?

I think the Internet facilitates both extremes, high love/hate or vapid like/dislike. I always feel like people point at references and say whether something is good or bad depending on their personal taste. People also get views from saying extremes, so the intelligent criticism that actually seeks to do something positive, sometimes isn’t regarded as much. Therefore, you have to do some digging and focus your attention. I personally really love when taste is attention and that can’t be fast tracked nor is it a place of arrival. I also think it’s important to acknowledge and be self-aware of our biases. People see bias and objectivity as opposites, but our biases lead us deeper into ourselves. Fashion is always a conversation between us and other people, so the tension of bias and objectivity and seeing the perspectives of others is incredibly important. It can be done but it is not an easy task.

Your posting style combines meme-like content with niche and intentional critique; how do you strike a balance?

I think we exist in this interesting postmodern world of fashion, which is self-referential. It’s ironic, it’s satirical, and I think sometimes you have to push through an irony to get to something earnest, because ultimately, we as a society cannot just be earnest. But just like Danish existentialist philosopher, theologian, and poet Soren Kierkegaard, I believe both of those things need to exist at the same time.

Some might call your account style “shitposting” - how much intentionality goes into each post and story?

I see it as a form of auto-fiction in the same way that acclaimed novelist, Sheila Heti, goes about it. I don't think it's easy to decipher the shit post from the stream of consciousness and the genuine takes. I don’t post with the intention for it to blow up.

Fuck. Marry. Kill. Stylenotcom, Boringnotcom, Philippe Pourhashemi’s IG stories

Well, Boringnotcom blocked me. I think I would rather just have dinner with all three of them and engage in some productive conversation without ego. At the end of the day, we all like fashion for specific reasons and we want to see it be better. Other points of view are important and that dialogue, including being wrong and admitting you're wrong, is incredibly important for growth. People tend to be experts in different areas and have different life experiences so it's always interesting to hear other people's stories and understand things in the bigger picture.

Audience engagement like DM’s and comments seem to play a crucial role in your posting - what do you enjoy most about these interactions?

I really enjoy when I get DM's because I am opened up to different points of view. I always want to learn more and more at the end of the day and when I'm wrong, I see that as a way of growing and learning in public. We need experts in respected fields and to learn from each other in those various fields.

Do you have a favorite message/encounter?

Honestly, I just like hearing the points of view of people within the industry who really want to see fashion be the best that it can be.

As the account continues to grow, what values do you hope to maintain at the core?

This account is not a job, it's more of a hobby, and I enjoy doing it. If I don't enjoy doing it any longer I'll probably just stop. The best part of the account anyways is the people I've met.