One of the best spreads from the recent RUSSH was written by Katrina Israel, a piece on the street-style photography phenomenon, with delectable sound bites from not-your-average-style-stalkers; think Candice Lake, Jason Lloyd Evans and HB Nam. Entitled "Shoot Me: The Post Sartorialist World", Israel charted in her characteristic crafty wordsmith style (one great line reads "to add insult to serious Amex injury") the rise and rise of street style photography, from Bill Cunningham to Anna Dello Russo, and yet hinted at where this movement was heading. Israel touched on the paradox inherent in the street style phenomenon - the biggest compliment you can pay to a fashionista is to say her look is effortless, and yet to be shot by a street style photographer the one thing required in spades and spades and spades is effort (as well as beauty and infinite long limbs). This is the problem I have always had with the phenomenon. Often street style blogs are littered with beautiful girls with overdrawn outfits, bigger and better and bolder to catch the eye of the roving man on the street. At fashion weeks these characters linger, often cigarette in hand, seemingly waiting to be photographed, as if it was the most important thing in the world. This is not to say that they aren't well-dressed, often they are, ridiculously well so. But street style photographer, rather than celebrating individual taste and style, has been about one-upmanship, endless competition and a senseless jostling for attention. It's like being back in high school again, except with more cameras. A certain group of people are granted air time, and the same photos, the same girls - the same outfits - are reproduced ad infinitum across the blogosphere in a celebration of what is paraded as individuality but actually, at the end, becomes homogeneity.
That is why Israel's focus on some lesser known names is refreshing. I feel like this crop of photographers - like Vanessa Jackman, and Candice - are bringing back that sense of excitement that street style photography first held, that quite tangible almost anarchic energy that ran through the photos, of sticking the finger up at authority and taking the message to the streets. The article was accompanied by photos by Maya Villiger of the blog Turned Out. It is one of my favourite street style blogs and her photos are often the accompaniment to my posts here. Why? Because Maya has the most incredible eye for shooting real style - gorgeous girls, yes, of course, but with style that is refreshingly normal. Converse sneakers, ripped jeans, grey sweatshirts at all. Something that Maya said towards the end of the article really summed up how I feel about street style and where I want it to return. "I usually want to photograph girls that need to be convinced. Like, 'Me? But I'm wearing an old grey sweatshirt!' I'm like, exactly! I am attracted to women who seem comfortable in themselves. Their future seems really bright to me." I know everyone has their own definition of "style" and "real" and "street". That's why we need a variety of blogs, to cater to all tastes and desires. I guess at the end of the day, when I want street style, true street style, I'm going to Vanessa and Candice and Maya's sites. Because the girls there don't look turned out - despite all nominal references to the contrary - not 100% of the time. They look real. They actually look like they are, or have been, stopped on the street.
X
PS. I've been nominated for a Dreamer award by Colour du Jour, I'd love it if you could vote for me by liking my picture on the facebook page here. Never been nominated for an award before - this is exciting!
You have read this article me /
photos /
pictures /
russh /
street style /
street-style /
writing
with the title on the street. You can bookmark this page URL http://startthefire-cafagesta.blogspot.com/2011/06/on-street.html. Thanks!
