FASHION Magazine

Fashion Television (RIP) was ahead of its time in several ways, and here is one of them: In 1985, when executive producer Jay Levine launched the program, he imagined it might become a channel for short narrative videos about clothing. Fashion films, now so inescapable a phenomenon, were then just a thought without a name: if music videos could revolutionize the way we consume pop, couldn’t a little cinematography do the same for clothing? The ’70s had seen then-living legends Guy Bourdin and Richard Avedon experiment with the moving image, and as film-recording cameras became less expensive, it seemed likely they’d land in the hands of younger, emerging lensmen. As MTV was to music videos, so might Fashion Television be to this new mode of image-making.

Say it isn’t so! As we reported yesterday, the fashion world was hit with a major disappointment with the announcement that after 27 fabulous years on air, Fashion Television has stopped production. This end of an era certainly had us thinking “what happened?!” While FT had always been known for bringing insider access to the masses, it seems that the industry invasion of bloggers and runway live streaming has resulted in poor ratings as of late.

While Fashion Television certainly blazed the trail for leading fashion news and introduced many of us to the industry while giving us rare insights into the surreal worlds of Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Karl Lagerfeld and the like, the show has suffered a viewership plunge in its last years. Scarce one-on-one interviews are a things of the past with greater access to designers (most fashion houses produce their own branded media content).

What does this all mean? The Globe and Mail writes “spending tens of thousands of dollars on travel is no longer considered a smart investment when access to designers and tastemakers […]”

The world may have changed since FT first aired in 1985, and the show’s end may seem inevitable, but we’re certainly going to miss seeing Beker’s trademark quirky charm and can’t wait to see what she what future endeavor she has up her stylish sleeve. And according to Bell Media, we do not have too long to wait: “Bell Media remains committed to the fashion genre & will continue to grow FTC to deliver a broader appeal for viewers & advertisers. Jeanne Beker remains with Bell Media & we look forward to new projects with her.

After 27 years of bringing some of the best/most vibrant/most in-your-face/most decadent fashion show, news and creative coverage to television sets across the country, Jeanne Beker announced this morning via Twitter that Fashion Television has ceased production. We’re having a McQueen moment. Can this be? After tweeting about its demise, Beker followed up with: “But […]

The post The end of an era: Jeanne Beker announces Fashion Television’s final days appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

By Randi Bergman and Meagan Wilson

Bonnie Brooks’ reinvigoration of the Hudson’s Bay Company, and the flagship’s St. Regis Room in particular (now simply called The Room), has brought hot design names like Proenza Schouler, Thakoon and Erdem well south of Bloor Street. Factor in buzzy in-store appearances—with the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker, virtually every British designer worth mentioning, and Anna Dello Russo (who will descend with street-style phenom Tommy Ton on April 20)—and Toronto officially has a new nexus of chic.