"The Difficult Second Blog Post..." a.k.a. A New Fashion Democracy

It's hard to know exactly what to write in your first 'real' blog post, after your exposition that is. One thing I've been thinking a lot about is what I see as the 'new fashion democracy'.
Primarily under the influence the internet, fashion has gone from being exclusive and elitist to an entity which feeds, and is fed by passionate individuals around the world.
It's hard to think of a time before street style photoblogs, style forums and online fashion communities, but today these things have become part of our lexicon, visited and referenced in the same way people read the daily newspaper. However, the most important thing is that this is open to anyone.
Blogs have opened the door for passionate and ambitious amateurs to voice their opinions, express their style and provide commentary on current trends. Bloggers like Garance Doré, Sasha Wilkins (Liberty London Girl) and Susie Lau (Style Bubble) have gone from fashion lovers to front-row regulars, and now hold as much (or perhaps more) sway than journalists and fashion buyers in determining what we wear. These writers have become big business for companies who want their endorsement, are keen for product placement or even just a mere mention of their brand.
On a less grand scale, we have sites like Polyvore and Lookbook, which give everyone the opportunity to be a stylist for the day and share their ideas with the world.... Where once we might have collaged pictures of our favourite bands, models and idols on our bedroom walls and sketchbooks, now we can build mood-boards and play around with (and even start) trends. This is a valuable resource for the clothing industry, with brands having their products featured and recommended at no cost.

Polyvore 'Alexa Chung' Look Collage

 eBay and etsy have given the chance for people to set up their own boutiques, selling niche vintage treasures or handmade pieces, and a site I found recently, Garmz,takes the idea of fashion democracy literally, where contributors can submit their original designs and others vote for which design gets made and available for purchase.

Garmz: From the sketchpad...

...to the model

These are just a few of the more prominent examples of the exciting ways people online are shaping fashion, but it seems highly unlikely that things could go back to the way they were before. The input from individuals around the world has provided such a boost to brands and creatives that there could be no imaginable benefit of things going back to an exclusive way.
The laptop-wielding style revolutionaries have reclaimed fashion - there's no giving it back now...

h x