'The Vogue Factor' - Kristie Clements

My latest read was 'The Vogue Factor' by ex-editor of Vogue Australia Kristie Clements. I actually devoured the book in a few days only because I was going out a lot and had to savor every free moment! I'm actually infatuated by the lavish high fashion world (puh-lease, who isn't) and astounded by the sheer luck some people are blessed with to be able to penetrate the sphere of this totally different world! More so, Kristie herself who started at Vogue as a receptionist swapping calls. 

I have no idea how she can play down these 'pinch-me' moments when she's dinning with the Estée Lauder, rubbing shoulders with Beyoncé and chatting with Cate Blanchett!

So I really enjoyed reading about the travels to amazing Armani parties with 'unbelievable food', waiting in backstage Louis Vuitton while pups swarmed at your feet, Karl Lagerfield's small and intimate hosted lunches at his home Rue de l'Universite and the ornaments and architecture in the palace where Princess Mary of Denmark now resides!

Besides capturing the lux and glamour you really get to see the headaches and mini tantrums of running a magazine. The real world stuff after descending from the dream of front row fashion week and ready to wear (RTW) shows in the fashion capitals. 

How they manage to deliver each month is a wonder to me. The whole book is as upbeat as the job itself - never a dull moment! You almost get a taste of the frustration as plans fall apart and photographers and Hollywood agents play hard to get! Here the media and newspapers are the baddie and the insight into girls aspiring to make Vogue can also be shocking!

It's a truly crazy world but boy is it an addictive one! 

Kristie inspires you to take and never doubt your chances, to ignore the pretentious players social climbers of the industry (Cause they don't last), to travel and live abroad and to be determined in your goals in the same way she envisioned to rebuild her Vogue! Also - knowing French may come in handy so you get placed next to Mr Armani as the only journo/editor to speak his language! Plus now she has two very good looking twin sons  (single perhaps?) and very privileged, envious experiences to look back on!

For the rest of us, we can just follow the new league of fashion bloggers on Instagram like Natasha Goldenberg (@ngoldenberg), Anna Dello Russo (@anna_dello_russo) etc etc to get a taste of what she writes about (apparently the Vuitton events trump all).

The book is a definite must read! This would be one of my first biography kinds of books about the fashion industry and it certainly won't be my last! If you want to start out in fashion, or are content with dreaming about fashion (like me) or just curious then this is the one to get into! Needless to say I'll be looking out for other books exposing the fashion industry - the good, bad and downright ugly.

3/5

MVPD