In defense of the stylista/hipster

It is no secret that Williamsburg has a reputation for harboring the ubiquitous hipster. Here, there, everywhere. And yes, many look alike and interchangeable, ironic this and that. But scratch a little deeper will you? It's often where fashion is formed, created, motivated and inspired, and yes, copied. Truly. When I first moved to the neighborhood 5 years ago (recognizably not cutting edge but still a little rough around the edges), my first visual assault by a hipster was a dude in a white, all white, track suit and head band riding a tricycle. Ridiculous. The tricycle certainly. But he was ahead of the headband trend. The girls with the headbands last summer, you're welcome. Well maybe not exactly but you get the idea.
This is soooo not a new topic, I'm aware. But I was driven to write after reading about the controversy surrounding Tavi Gevinson, the 13 year-old Chicago area wunderkind blogger, Style Rookie. (Also painfully aware that she doesn't need my support, what with her 4 million readers!) I only recently discovered her blog (I know, I know) and absolutey love her insights and photos (though how a 13 year-old is aware of both Kim Deal and Kim Gordon is a bit mind blowing....)

Much of the backlash focuses on whether she is indeed the author or, JT Leroy style, is a mere figment, at least as the auteur. Most recently Elle's editor Anne Slowey noted, "I don't think she's a fashion sage. I think she's a novelty."  Maybe. Maybe she's not the sole author, though most arguments seem to point to yes.  What struck me more were the sidebar discussions and comments relating to whether the super little stylista indeed had taste. The watered down, acceptable anywhere, not unique, comforting sort of sameness style we all usually sport.

No one judges because it's not "artsy", "crazy", or the like, rather it's easy, accepted, readily available. But what about those that dare to diverge? Those that are as compelled to create as you are to match; yes this goes with that, but what happens when I put this with that? And a new idea is born or often in the case of fashion, reborn, with a twist.

I get that in a lot of pictures Tavi looks a bit like a kid playing dress up in her mom's closet . But closer, it's innovation; the daring to do it differently. The urge to dismiss that which is different or bizarre as "tacky" or ridiculous, is to my mind, the equivalent of saying Picasso couldn't really paint. His women never look like actual women. One eye for god's sake?! His earlier work leaves no doubt that he could easily master mimicry of how things really look. But we'd never know his name if he had settled there. Instead, he redefined art and form. And then countless others since have attempted his style in watered down versions of the original. And so it goes with fashion.

It's like that scene in The Devil Wears Prada when Miranda, the magazine editor, rebuffs her assistant's naiveté--that she in fact does not have the power of choice in what she buys. Rather Miranda notes her selections were  a trickle down from fashion designers and editors. The choice of what to purchase was made for her. For you. For me. Though she skips the street, the evolution is clearly circular: street inspiration, designer, runway, editorial, couture, mainstream, mall, streets everywhere. Point, laugh, comment. That strange girl, self-described "rather cynical and cute as a drained rat. In a sewer. Farting. And spitting out guts" is now the muse, the inspiration (see Rodarte Spring 2010) for what you very well may be wearing in two years. Remember saying, "Leggings are back? No way I'm wearing those again!!"