3 Questions for . . . Géraldine Dormoy, "L'Express" Styles web content director and founder of the Café Mode fashion blog
One of the best known bloggers in France, this pioneer started her Café Mode blog in July 2005. After graduating from the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce in Reims, she worked as a marketing studies manager and then attended the IFM (Institut Français de la Mode) management studies program. Since 2011 she has been “L’Express” Styles web content director. In her blog she discusses not just fashion, but also well-being, travel, and her life as a mother.
What do you think blogs have given to us, fashion, and the fashion press?
Fashion has been, and remains, a very conservative sector in how it functions. Blogs have brought a spontaneity that didn’t exist before and they’ve given consumers a voice. Before, brands spoke from a lofty position, and it was communication, not dialogue. Blogs have changed how fashion is represented, before that was through a concentration of models and stars. Blogs are created by everyday people. Their founders are consumers, of course, and for the most part slim and pretty, but despite that they are more real than all-the-same models. So, readers were able to identify with those bloggers, who are still acquiring more and more power. But at the same time, communication methods in the fashion industry continue to maintain a distance, as do events like Fashion Week. It’s a completely different planet!
Some bloggers or instagrammers are, however, excessive. As soon as they start to enjoy success and a certain renown, they’re invited everywhere and receive gifts from brands. They too can become disconnected. If you spend too much time in the milieu, if you don’t have enough perspective, you lose your connection with normal life.
As far as blogs’ influence on the press, the two are relatively close. Fashion articles in magazines also maintain a distance. Even though blogs now publish more in-depth fashion coverage, they are still more accessible than those presented by magazines. I think we’ll always need quality magazines, because they inspire us to dream. On the other hand, articles that are all the same or those that are too connected with brands offer nothing. And consumers know it. Magazines need to stand out by bringing added value and making people want to buy them. It’s different with Internet; people get a fashion fix for free.
With the number of fashion blogs multiplying, what makes one stand out from the others and gives it an important role and an “influencer” status?
It’s important to remember that you don’t choose to be an influencer. It’s not an objective in itself, even though with time you may become one. For that to happen, you need a specific point of view, something original. Overall, quality has risen significantly since blogs began ten years ago. But there’s still room for newcomers. We’re always looking for something different. Yet there aren’t a lot of new blogs that are unanimously appreciated. On Instagram as well, we’re always looking for people to follow. What makes the difference is a creative and very photogenic universe, since preferences are based on images. For blogs it’s different. You have to pay a minimum of attention to the aesthetics, but it’s content that’s essential, since very few people write well about fashion.
What do you think about how French fashion brands are evolving today?
It’s the beginning of a new era. Lots of interesting things are happening, especially in mid-range ready-to-wear. For 20 years it’s been difficult for brands to find their place between fast fashion and the big luxury groups. Those groups have increased their margins to such an extent, and fast fashion has intensely focused on low prices by comprising quality, that an alternative was necessary. I get the feeling that people are ready to pay a little more for quality. For example, Maison Standards offers very good products and excellent service at a fair price. And if they don’t have sales, I understand because it’s coherent with their philosophy. As time goes on, we want different things and we better understand how the system works. I think things are also changing from a creative point of view. There’s a pool of new brands that are building wonderful identities. Roseanna, for example, uses premium fabrics and is very creative.
As a consumer, I don’t pay strict attention to the country listed as manufacturer, because I know that labels can be deceiving and only the making up may have taken place in that country. I pay more attention to fabric quality. If the prices are abnormally low, I’m suspicious. A brand’s authenticity is established with lots of details. When I see advertisements with a model carrying a bag in each hand, I tell myself that brands just don’t get it! With that kind of message, brands are focusing too openly on their profits. Personally, I just want to get dressed, and I want nice clothes, but I don’t want a new bag each time!