Deputy Fashion editor of The Guardian (and former editor of Cherwell) Hadley Freeman warns Daniel Rolle that fashion journalism isn’t all about doing lunch, meeting celebrities and bitching.Hadley Freeman is by no means the kind of journalist we usually associate with the hair-flicking, airbrushed world of Vogue, Tatler, or even the fashion section of the Guardian. As she walked over to the reception area of 119 Farringdon Road (the Guardian HQ) she immediately struck me as quite a normal person. No ridiculously puffed-up hair, no huge bag stuffed with the entire cosmetics section of Selfridges – not even, it seemed, wearing any make up. Fashion journalism brings with it images of a champagne sipping, celebrity mingling, Chihuahua-cuddling world. If we take Hadley for our model, so to speak, then this could not be further from the truth.
Hadley’s journey to her current position as Deputy Fashion Editor of the Guardian, and a contributing editor of Vogue, started surprisingly close to home. Hadley was an English undergraduate at St. Anne’s, which she descrbies as “that ugly, concrete one”; she also honed her journalistic prowess here at Cherwell, where she was Editor in Michaelmas 1998. “I knew I wanted to do some form of journalism at University, so I went along to Freshers’ Fair and picked up a card for both the student papers. When it came to going along to meetings, I found that Cherwell had been clever enough to put a map on the back of the card. So I ended up there, and started writing film reviews.”
Hadley is quick to explain that the world of fashion journalism differs greatly from the stereotypes generated by films such as The Devil Wears Prada. “Most fashion journalists are not calorie counting, champagne guzzling, peroxide-blonde darlings; the fashion world, and in particular fashion journalism, is a highly demanding, highly competitive industry.” Fashion journalism seems to suit Hadley Freeman, both personally and as a journalist: she comes across as someone who, thankfully, does not take herself too seriously. This is apparent from her writing, which is often very tongue in cheek without appearing to be aloof; a balance which is hard to strike when dealing with some of the characters she has to handle on a day to day basis. Her columns and articles on Guardian Unlimited are a testimony to this: topics range from Kanye West and his Derrida-esque linguistic strategies to Paris Hilton’s chihuahua’s latest brush with the law. In essence, then, Hadley is quick to recognise the fundamental paradox of her trade: “As a fashion journalist you must be aware of the silliness of your subject, but not apologise for it. Fashion has a stigma; nevertheless there’s no reason to feel guilty about it.”
The fashion world has a marked relationship with celebrity and Hadley’s blog is filled with insightful, witty comments about celebrities and their ‘love’ for fashion. Our discussion led to the recent activity of Sean ‘P.Diddy’ Combes – ‘rapper’, ‘producer’ and all-round party animal. “I’m convinced that P.Diddy was sent to this planet to make me laugh…he’s like a pseudo-ghetto court jester”, Hadley notes. Indeed, she has a number of excellent Diddy-related anecdotes, the best of which relates her experience at one of his own fashion shows. The star held it to market his clothing line Sean John, but it seemed little more than a front for nudity. He had a number of women walk out wearing nothing but suede bikini tops and g-strings – resembling what Hadley refers to as “Flintstones go porn.”
Any conversation concerning the fashion world these days undoubtedly touches on that media favourite, the body image presented by the industry and its effect on teenage girls. Hadley’s stance on the subject is interesting; particularly her response to claims that modern fashion overly sexualises women. “The idea that feminism is incompatible with fashion is absurd. Feminism is not about having hairy armpits and wearing frumpy dresses. We have this idea that women’s fashion is designed purely for male gratification. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Moreover women lead the fashion industry wherever you look – it is a supportive industry, where it is quite normal for a woman to be incredibly high powered.”
The end of our discussion led us to the future of fashion journalism: where is fashion headed? What does the rise of the internet mean for the press? First of all, Hadley quite rightly points out that print is very much still the way forward: “You can’t read a Blackberry on the beach – it just wouldn’t be practical; similarly, the fashion press isn’t going anywhere: we are like cockroaches”. Moreover, Hadley predicts a push within the industry towards more sustainable fashion and a move away from the throwaway culture of late.
Either way, it is clear that Hadley Freeman is one to watch in the future of fashion media. Whatever the next few years hold, she promises one thing: she will never forget those hours spent cultivating headlines for front pages, rewriting shoddily written features and formulating letters addressed to herself at ‘that little pink building next to Christ Church’.Hadley Freeman is by no means the kind of journalist we usually associate with the hair-flicking, airbrushed world of Vogue, Tatler, or even the fashion section of the Guardian. As she walked over to the reception area of 119 Farringdon Road (the Guardian HQ) she immediately struck me as quite a normal person. No ridiculously puffed-up hair, no huge bag stuffed with the entire cosmetics section of Selfridges – not even, it seemed, wearing any make up. Fashion journalism brings with it images of a champagne sipping, celebrity mingling, Chihuahua-cuddling world. If we take Hadley for our model, so to speak, then this could not be further from the truth.
Hadley’s journey to her current position as Deputy Fashion Editor of the Guardian, and a contributing editor of Vogue, started surprisingly close to home. Hadley was an English undergraduate at St. Anne’s, which she descrbies as “that ugly, concrete one”; she also honed her journalistic prowess here at Cherwell, where she was Editor in Michaelmas 1998. “I knew I wanted to do some form of journalism at University, so I went along to Freshers’ Fair and picked up a card for both the student papers. When it came to going along to meetings, I found that Cherwell had been clever enough to put a map on the back of the card. So I ended up there, and started writing film reviews.”
Hadley is quick to explain that the world of fashion journalism differs greatly from the stereotypes generated by films such as The Devil Wears Prada. “Most fashion journalists are not calorie counting, champagne guzzling, peroxide-blonde darlings; the fashion world, and in particular fashion journalism, is a highly demanding, highly competitive industry.” Fashion journalism seems to suit Hadley Freeman, both personally and as a journalist: she comes across as someone who, thankfully, does not take herself too seriously. This is apparent from her writing, which is often very tongue in cheek without appearing to be aloof; a balance which is hard to strike when dealing with some of the characters she has to handle on a day to day basis. Her columns and articles on Guardian Unlimited are a testimony to this: topics range from Kanye West and his Derrida-esque linguistic strategies to Paris Hilton’s chihuahua’s latest brush with the law. In essence, then, Hadley is quick to recognise the fundamental paradox of her trade: “As a fashion journalist you must be aware of the silliness of your subject, but not apologise for it. Fashion has a stigma; nevertheless there’s no reason to feel guilty about it.”
The fashion world has a marked relationship with celebrity and Hadley’s blog is filled with insightful, witty comments about celebrities and their ‘love’ for fashion. Our discussion led to the recent activity of Sean ‘P.Diddy’ Combes – ‘rapper’, ‘producer’ and all-round party animal. “I’m convinced that P.Diddy was sent to this planet to make me laugh…he’s like a pseudo-ghetto court jester”, Hadley notes. Indeed, she has a number of excellent Diddy-related anecdotes, the best of which relates her experience at one of his own fashion shows. The star held it to market his clothing line Sean John, but it seemed little more than a front for nudity. He had a number of women walk out wearing nothing but suede bikini tops and g-strings – resembling what Hadley refers to as “Flintstones go porn.”
Any conversation concerning the fashion world these days undoubtedly touches on that media favourite, the body image presented by the industry and its effect on teenage girls. Hadley’s stance on the subject is interesting; particularly her response to claims that modern fashion overly sexualises women. “The idea that feminism is incompatible with fashion is absurd. Feminism is not about having hairy armpits and wearing frumpy dresses. We have this idea that women’s fashion is designed purely for male gratification. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Moreover women lead the fashion industry wherever you look – it is a supportive industry, where it is quite normal for a woman to be incredibly high powered.”
The end of our discussion led us to the future of fashion journalism: where is fashion headed? What does the rise of the internet mean for the press? First of all, Hadley quite rightly points out that print is very much still the way forward: “You can’t read a Blackberry on the beach – it just wouldn’t be practical; similarly, the fashion press isn’t going anywhere: we are like cockroaches”. Moreover, Hadley predicts a push within the industry towards more sustainable fashion and a move away from the throwaway culture of late.
Either way, it is clear that Hadley Freeman is one to watch in the future of fashion media. Whatever the next few years hold, she promises one thing: she will never forget those hours spent cultivating headlines for front pages, rewriting shoddily written features and formulating letters addressed to herself at ‘that little pink building next to Christ Church’.
By Daniel Rolle
