“At the Dior show, trying to fight my way backstage to get a quote from John Galliano, I nearly fell over a tiny, grey-haired woman who, from the back, I took to be a septuagenarian Japanese fashion fanatic, as she was dressed head-to-toe in Comme des Gar√ßons. When she was ushered into the inner sanctum before me, and turned around, I saw, with a sick lurch, that it was actually Tavi Gevinson…Had I not been so busy trying to attract Galliano’s attention, I would have asked Mr Gevinson why he thought it was right to take his daughter out of school to go to haute couture shows, where she would be treated like a celebrity by paparazzi? Or why he thought it OK for her to model for Pop and Love magazines last year?” — Sarah Mower weighs in on Tavi in The Telegraph.
Tags: Sarah Mower, Tavi Gevinson
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Does she say that about the 14 year old models as well, or just the girl pursuing writing and fashion journalism? That’s some nice selective paternalism.
I have never gotten into Style Rookie or Tavi the child phenom. I have never truly understood the fashion worlds obsession with her either. But the Dad should respond “My daughter has been able to brand herself at an early age and I am going to commit to helping her accomplishing her goals both academically and professionally.”
Tavi has a right to live her life the way she wants, no matter her age. It is her prerogative to decide what is right for her life!
This girl looks like she hasn’t hit her period yet, therefore all her opinions are nulled.
Also- modeling vs. fashion writing are two very different things. Tavi has her whole life ahead of her to learn and hone her craft, while a 15-year-old runway model has a short career span. I also doubt any of those teenage models are being turned into pop-culture phenoms like Tavi. It’s too much already…
If I wasn’t so busy trying to remain relevant, I would have taken umbrage to a 14-yr-old too.
I’ll summarize a comment made by someone else because it accurately summed up the vitriol against Tavi. Many of the elite in this industry are pretty upset about the increasing democratization of fashion. For a young girl from the Midwest to have an impact is a pretty big blow to the egos of the Sarah Mowers and Anne Sloweys of the world.
I think that’s partially true, guest 7, but there is also a lot more to it. I am from a small town trying to make it in the fashion world, and I am ALL FOR the democratization of fashion; I think some of what Tavi does is really interesting, and it is really inspiring to look at her outfits and at a sort of pristinely imaginative, untainted sense of style.
AT THE SAME TIME…what was so great about Tavi was the fact that she wasn’t exposed to all the bullshit of the industry. Now that she has been, her posts sound like she’s trying way too hard to assert her place against all the haters. The problem is that when you are that young and there is backlash or even praise, you are too ungrounded really to properly know how to deal with it. And I’m still young…but I still think that a few years ago, I was too unstable and unaware of a lot of things in the world to really take a fully educated stance on fashion. Sometimes, it’s nice to have someone in an elite position who has a degree and a vast amount of knowledge (not necessarily a Tim Gunn but perhaps a Grace Coddington, a Cathy Horyn, someone at the Met…) about fashion to educate me about it.
“Tavi has a right to live her life the way she wants, no matter her age. It is her prerogative to decide what is right for her life!”
I don’t think so, exactly. Tavi’s only 13, and her parents get to have a fair amount of say into her lifestyle.
I don’t really think there’s anything inherently wrong with Tavi missing school – my guess is that she’s a bright girl who’s a little bit bored by the every day things going on in middle school (which is an awful time anyhow) and maybe she’s even a bit of a misfit. Her parents know what’s best for her, and her missing school is no different from a child actor or model.
That said, I worry that the industry is going to finish with her when she’s no longer 13 and a novelty (just like models, hm?).
Tavi is a 13 year old girl,her pop icon branding is not completely owed to her all by herself. Which is the problem (this is really the doing of a bunch of socially irresponsible adults I believe).
I can understand why fashion elite are horrified (which is different from threatened)…Standards are being lowered. Which is very scary.
I’m sick of reading about a child in an adult world and I hope this doesn’t backfire on her either as childhood stardom often does.
to say that standards are being lowered is kind of odd – because it implies that what there is, and who is in place at them moment are elite. especially since it is almost homogeneous of middle aged white women. people freak out when they dont fit the norm. Tavi hasn’t paid her dues in the same way, but she’s got her foot in the door – I’m sure these people would have jumped at the same opportunity at that age. Who cares if she misses a few days of school for haute couture. wouldn’t you? how many bloggers miss work or college classes to go to fashion week. it is the same freaking thing!
I have no real opinion about her blog but its so odd that so many people are getting worked up over what she’s getting to do. really, if her parents did not let her go to these things on purpose, to make a statement, wouldnt their relationships be strained in the end? wouldnt you hate your parents for life if they didnt let you go? this is their business, not ours, not the editors.
Perhaps two of the best people after whom Tavi could loosely model herself is Mary Kate and Ashley?
They’ve proven one can be a child star with a lasting career, widely respected (idolized) in the fashion industry, and come across as a relatively balanced individual with enough talent and business acumen to avoid a flash-in-the-pan career based solely on hype.
*are Mary Kate and Ashley?
grammar gestapo
tavi is getting on my nerves. she writes a couple of posts on her website and then gets invited to couture shows? There is obviously something going on behind the scenes, and this is it: tavi is the new thing in the blog world, and would john galliano really invite her so that she can view clothes she wants to buy? No, its just a marketing plot. Tavi is not chosen because she is avant garde, or because she is just the most brilliant child in the universe, she is invited because designers want to bring press, word of mouth and publicity, so Tavi better not get her hopes up, because once the next new thing comes along, she will be sent back to high school and that will be hard for her when shes rubbing shoulders with john galliano one day, and incubuses of cystic acne.
Peter, can you get me into The Row on the 16th?
It’s annoying how the Tavi haters claim to have her best interests at heart. Yes, she is young. But do you really think she would be better served languishing in the public school system learning how to conform, rather than nourishing her creativity by traveling the world and meeting interesting influential adults that value her brain and her contributions? This girl is extremely lucky and should ride this wave while she can. There’s no guarantee that anyone will give a shit what she things 10 or 20 years from now.
#16, she’s mad annoying.
to all tavi lovers: her posts aren’t that great, she dresses like an old lady, at least the 14 yr old models have the opportunity to look beautiful. tavi needs to change her glasses and not wear busted comme de garcons.
also, she has a ghost writer. its painfully obviously. i’d rather read posts by daphne guiness.
I smell a gay pageant uncle lurking in the limelight.
One who particularly hates on woman hence the gray blue hair dying and atrocious outfits….
just putting it out there.
yeah yeah, so she wears commes de garcons blah blah blah. and the fat (i mean, heavily proportioned) rodarte girls love her blah blah blah. give the tiny midget a break…
17- It’s “painfully obviously”. Great grasp of the English language you have there. Obviously, you used your fantastic command of language to ascertain that Tavi has a ghostwriter.
Sorry, Rashomon… I’m only getting in because I’m Britt’s +1.
“Had I not been so busy trying to attract Galliano’s attention, I would have asked Mr Gevinson why he thought it was right to take his daughter out of school to go to haute couture shows” should read; “If I had any courage and wasn't a hateful, jealous hypocrite, I would have asked…” Give me a fucking break. What rot. TEAM TAVI!
basically I will call it being jealous that someone that young can do something that is bigger in fashion world that what Sarah does?