The World as seen through Suzy Menkes

I DON’T USE HASHTAGS.

I LIKE TO LOOK FORWARD, I LIKE TO TRY OUT NEW THINGS.

I THINK YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE IN YOUR VIEW AND STAND FOR IT.

IT’S OK TO TELL THE TRUTH. IT’S VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO CONCEAL SOMETHING.

TO ME, WORDS ARE ALL THE SAME THING, WHETHER THEY’RE IN PRINT OR DIGITAL.

GOING TO THE SHOW IS NOT NEARLY AS IMPORTANT AS SOME PEOPLE MIGHT THINK.

I’M ANNOYED LOOKING AT PEOPLE WHO ARE STILL FINDING OUT WHAT THEY’RE TRYING TO SAY.

IT JUST LOOKS STUFFY TO PUT ‘I’ AND PERSONAL THOUGHTS INTO A PIECE. IT JUST DOESN’T WORK.

I WASN’T TRAINED IN SPEEDY WRITING. BUT THINKING ABOUT FIVE OR SIX EDITIONS AT THE SAME TIME, YOU JUST HAVE TO KEEP GOING AND PRODUCE STUFF.

MY VOICE IS VERY FASHIONABLE, AS I WAS TAUGHT TO SPEAK. AND ANYBODY WHO DID VOICE RECOGNITION WOULD TELL MY AGE, WHERE I COME FROM, SO ON.

AS TIME GOES BY, YOU REALIZE THAT PEOPLE/YOU BECOME A PART OF FASHION HISTORY. I STARTED TAKING PHOTOS ABOUT 25 YEARS AGO, SO I’VE COVERED A QUARTER OF A CENTURY’S HISTORY, AND MANY OF THOSE PHOTOS BECOME MORE INTERESTING WITH TIME.

I’VE BEEN VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BLOGOSPHERE. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS THE MOST INTERESTING AND FRESH THING IN THE WORLD OF DISCUSSING FASHION. BUT THE BLOGGERS PAY ATTENTION TO BIG BRANDS. IT SUDDENLY CHANGED THE WRITING OF A LOT OF PEOPLE. IF YOU’RE A SERIOUS JOURNALIST YOU CAN’T ACCEPT GIFTS.

WHEN I CAME TO UNIVERSITY, THE FIRST THING I DID ON THE FIRST DAY WAS TO SIGN UP FOR THE UNIVERSITY NEWSPAPER. LATER, I BECAME THE FIRST FEMALE EDITOR OF THE PAPER. YOU GUYS HAVE TO UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS IN THAT ERA TO BE THE FIRST WOMAN IN THAT POSITION: IT WAS BREAKING THE GLASS CEILING, IN EVERY POSSIBLE ASPECT. IT MEANT SOMETHING AT THAT TIME.

I ALWAYS SUPPORT IMAGINATIVENESS.

WHEN COLLECTION IS BORING, YOU SAY ‘IT WAS BEYOND’. I DON’T EVER USE IT MYSELF.

I’M TOTALLY UNCONTROLLED. I DON’T HAVE AN EDITOR TO TELL ME THE SUBJECT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

I REMEMBER THE ERA WHEN PEOPLE AND MODELS WERE DANCING AND SMILING. IT’S DEFINITELY TIME FOR CHANGE.

YES, I KNOW I’M WRITING TOO MUCH. BUT I SEE THINGS AND I WANT TO WRITE ABOUT THEM. I THINK IT’S JUST IN MY NATURE.

WHEN YOU’RE WRITING IT’S HARD TO CHANGE YOUR VOICE. BUT I’M MORE INTERESTED IN GATHERING OPINIONS OF OTHER PEOPLE.

FASHION JOURNALIST SHOULD STAY CLEAN AND CLEAR, MORE THAN OTHERS. PEOPLE WHO WRITE ABOUT FASHION NOW ARE NOT REALLY SPECIALISTS.

– SUZY MENKES