A Summit on the State of Fashion Journalism with Kristen Bateman

"My show reviews sometimes get censored, even if I’m writing them in a way that is very researched and analytical."

Photography by Sam Kang

For anyone with a passing familiarity with fashion journalism, Kristen Bateman needs no introduction. The blonde wunderkind with the maximalist style reminds me a younger version of Lynn Yaeger (aka my fashion hero); someone who blends a distinctive look with eminently readable prose. She’s written about the unexpected return of french manicures and Dark Academia’s takeover of TikTok for the New York Times. Not to mention she’s highly prolific, writing regularly for ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue and more. (This Vogue story on her wedding is a must-read.) She also runs Dollchunk, a kitschy accessories brand, which I interviewed her about for my 2022 Financial Times story on why journalists are increasingly leaving media to start their own brands. On April 16th, Bateman released her latest book, Fashion’s Big Night Out: A Met Gala Lookbook, in which she breaks down the history of the event. It’s a delightful, visual read. I caught up with her in early May to discuss Tiktok’s takeover of fashion criticism, how working in media has changed, and how she convinced Jeremy Scott to write the intro to her book.

IS: At the moment, when we talk about fashion journalism that could mean a story in a magazine, a Tiktok or even just a tweet. How do you feel about criticism moving away from written reviews? 

KB: Nowadays everyone is calling themselves a critic. I personally think it requires research and having a nuanced opinion rooted in research, facts and history rather than just the ability to say, ‘This didn’t look good.’ It’s different from opinion. On Tiktok, what performs is really opinionated content. There aren’t that many journalists on TikTok saying “I did this original reporting.” I’m one of the only fashion writers on there who writes for mainstream publications and will talk about actual articles I’ve written where I interviewed a designer or attended a show. But writing for a mainstream publication you can’t really have an opinion unless you're a personality who has been around longer than I’ve been alive.

Is there anyone out there whose work you really love?