“I think that a lot has changed to some degree, but we still have a long way to go. “
Whether it’s talking about the influence that media has had on our society, or talking about the persona around certain candidates, the one and the only Jeanne Beker has always delightfully surprised me with her insights as a powerful woman in journalism. We both seemed to have similar personas for a young woman trying to make it in the world of fashion, but the only difference was the period in time. This brought us both to the powerful and enlightening conclusion that since as long as any woman could remember, there has been a distinct unfairness when it comes to keeping all things professional. Women have been a little too touched and smiled at too softly for decades, and it takes a very powerful woman to not only recognize it, but to stay clear of it.
If you didn’t grow up watching Fashion Television like me, or are unfamiliar with whom Jeanne Beker is exactly, note she started @Fashion in 1995 (by then this was the Internet’s first-ever fashion website), and became one of the best Canadian journalists Toronto had ever seen. Not to mention the worlds first applauded fashion journalist. She went on to host the infamous Fashion Television, and since has released books, interviews and became a writer for the Globe and Mail.
Jeanne Beker is the ultimate role model and inspiration for any young person interested in the fashion industry, but also she is the perfect representation of a young woman making it in the big, scary place called the real world. The world of fashion is countlessly debilitated for being too posh, or too phony, but what most people don’t understand is how much fashion impacts us in our daily lives.
Journalists in every industry have to battle with the constant angst of being blasted for speaking out on something. Remaining a really respected journalist is what gave me the passion to interview her in the fist place, so I wanted to talk to Jeanne about the importance of putting your own name on something first.
- What do you think the most important thing(s) to remember are when you are publishing something in the public eye?
I used to have a rule of thumb years ago that was if it would be OK with your mother, then it should be for the rest of the world. You’ve got to be responsible, and you have to be true to yourself first and foremost. You do have to weigh certain things and take awhile before you actually write about it. In the heat of the moment, you do get carried away. Once it’s in the print, it is a very powerful thing, because it’s there for people to read and interoperate in so many different ways. You have to be careful, and mean what you say, but also say what you mean. Think long and hard before you write something, but one of the things I’ve also realized is that some people are offended no matter what. People get their backs up quite easily, and at the end of the day every journalist has to be true themselves, you just may be shut down and there is really nothing you can do except walk away. Compromise is not a dirty word, and sometimes you can still get your point across without crossing the line. In my last book, I wrote about P Diddy doing something just horrible, and I let it rip. I had a very good relationship with him, and was a huge supporter, and he let a bunch of people down one day and I thought it was so inexcusable. Weigh what’s the worst thing that can happen to you, and go with that.
- How do you feel about the Kardashian/Jenner impact, and the growing impact of ‘fast fashion’?
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. There’s a lot of fast fashion, fast celebrities… everybody wants a quick fix. It’s all about this instant gratification, and people becoming” superstars” overnight, and does that really happen. In some cases it seems that people may not deserve something because of being born at the right place at the right time, and all the sudden they have a lot of power and influence. The rest of us think that’s not fair because we all work very hard, but the first think you have to learn is unfortunately life is not fair. It’s not about being deserving or not, but it’s all about what resonates at a particular point in time. Believe me, everything comes with a price, and as much as your might look at someone and think you want what they have, you have to think hard of what goes along with that. At the end of the day, it’s not all cracked up to what its said to be. Stop comparing yourself, especially if you’re a young girl. US magazine is the perfect example because they do they “WHO WORE IT BETTER” page in their magazine, and it is the total recipe for unhappiness. The minute you start comparing yourself you won’t win. There will always be someone richer, smarter, cuter, etc. That’s what a lot of these publications do; it’s so preposterous because there is no such thing as the most gorgeous of all. Whatever it is, people have just been so obsessed with this brand, and reality shows really helped create all of this. But then again we have a reality show star running for President of the US now. I think that’s one of the reason that he’s got as far as he’s gotten, a lot of people look at him like he’s a huge star, and they saw him on TV calling all those powerful shots, and all the sudden they think he should be running the country! It’s a very funny thing, the media, and a dangerous tool. People have abused it for quite awhile, and it’s getting really scary. No one’s policing any of it, and you have to go into anything eyes wide open. I don’t understand how, young girls especially, can go to school and not take courses in social media. People always used to point the fingers at the fashion world and say that we are the ones putting out images that are demeaning for young girls, but the truth is why isn’t there courses in school that teach kids how to properly consume all of this stuff? Media is such an important part of our culture but we don’t really teach kids how it works or what it means. If we all went into social media or media a little smarter, we would see that it’s all about gloss and being shot in the right light. I don’t think that young kids realize that sometimes which is really sad.
- You’ve dealt with a fair bit of characters and fellow journalists in your career. What would your best advice be to young journalists to build relationships with each other, even if they have different views on a situation?
There isn’t anything wrong with butting heads, that’s what makes the world go round. People have to try and respect someone else’s opinion. Even watching CNN now, there’s always so many debates about who’s good or who’s bad, and as a journalist it is important to remember that the drama is entertaining. If you don’t have conflict you have nothing. Everybody agreeing with everyone else is boring; working together under an umbrella should be nurtured too. It’s exciting when you have opposing point of view, and more interesting.
- If you could change one thing about the industry what would it be?”
The importance of it. It’s a huge business that employs millions of people around the world, fashion is wonderful because it can transform us and victimize us. Style now doesn’t mean spending a lot of money on something; still I think that there is a status thing connected with certain brands and labels. The fashion system is really going through some mighty changes, and it’s really interesting to see where it goes. Certain things like Alexander McQueen, or what John Galliano did for Dior, I just don’t think that we are going to see that anymore.
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