The forums have been buzzing over the last few days in response to the news that Kirstie Clements seems to have been unceremoniously kicked to the curb and ousted from her position as Editor-in-Chief after thirteen years at Vogue Australia. With the news of Clements’ firing came reports of Edwina McCann’s hiring. Up until now, McCann has been the editor at rival publication, Australian Harper’s Bazaar. Rumor has it that McCann may also be bringing her Harper’s Bazaar colleague, stylist, and street style favorite Christine Centenera, with her to Vogue. The news came as a surprise to many forum members, who have been rallying and expressing their support for Clements and the work that she did at Australian Vogue.
Samoanceleb, one of her biggest supporters in the forums, wrote, “Kirstie was my favorite editor in Australia. What she did for Vogue was bring much needed consistency and maturity after a tumultuous slew of editors at the beginning of her tenure. But most of all she celebrated Australian fashion and sensibility. Instead of imitating what was happening overseas only, she was able to give language and validity to unpretentious Australian fashion and consumers. In other words, she was real – from watching TV (her Voice tweets) to body and image issues in her Sunday columns. Her support of local models is second to none out of any magazine anywhere in the world. No other edition of Vogue probably has as many homegrown nationals on their covers like Vogue Australia did under Clements’ tenure… And when she featured them, they were not all superstars already. Her covers this year in particular have had fashionistas the world over excitedly blogging and posting on forums, effusive in their praise of her and the magazine. She was always classy but never pretentious. I will miss her at Vogue… In my opinion no other Australian women’s fashion magazine came close. I hope she will go to better things and I hope Vogue doesn’t turn into a tabloid or predictable publication under the also very talented McCann.”
HeatherAnne also lauded Clements’ consistent support of Australian identity in Vogue. “I too love the way she embraced her own country's aesthetic, culture, artists, models, and by doing so gave the magazine such a clear and harmonious identity,” she commented. “I think she is extremely under-appreciated for this fact. It's a tricky thing to conquer in a way that is not cliched or predictable, but Clements commandeered and ultimately achieved it with great success. In doing so she gave Vogue Australia a coherent vision that many of the sister Vogues sorely lack. I'll miss her vision.”
We’ll miss you Kirstie Clements! Let’s hope Edwina McCann is up for the challenge.
Image: vogue.com.au
Via: Kirstie Clements is Out at Vogue Australia (Forum Buzz)