I'm pausing my regular fashion commentary to wrap up on my previous blog. The post written about LeeZu Baxter Designs sparked interesting commentary in the comments section and also precipitated at least two additional blogs from other writers about the issues raised.
Not surprisingly, I was contacted by the owners of LBD today via notecard. They presented an offer which I chose to decline. I feel as though the conversation itself is pertinent to my page, though, so I will include the text of those two notecards here.
From LBD:
Dear Kristianne-
LeeZu and I read your recent blog post this morning. We are very concerned by the devastating personal and professional impact of your attack against LBD and LeeZu in particular. Our concern is the unbalanced and unfair nature of the comments you made. We fully support your right to speak your mind and opinion but even the worst tabloid at least makes an effort to give the other side’s position.
Every reviewer in our experience in RL and SL has the courtesy to ask the questions of the subject that will be raised in the review in order to keep the reivew balanced. We would have been glad to respond to the accusations and the issues you raised. We respectfully disagree with some of your assumptions and charges.
It would be pointless to rehash what is already written...that is water over the dam. But I have a proposal for you.
In the interest of being balanced, fair and a good journalist we would like to offer you a no holds barred interview with LeeZu. Ask any question you want....pricing, design elements, workmanship, staffing, business, display, customer reactions, how we determine prices...anything at all. Then publish the interview on your blog.
We would only ask two things: That it be done asap so as to be current with your comments and that it be done in writing.
Because LeeZu is not a native English speaker the translations take time and we want our answers to be clear and accurate for you. I know you worried about publishing this attack as we worry about the impact on our personal and professional reputations.
What do you say? It is only fair.
LeeZu Baxter
Suzi Phlox
My Response:
LeeZu and Suzi,
Thank you for the notecard. Let me start from the top.
Life by Proxy, my blog, started as a place where I could narrate my adventures in and around Second Life. I developed it in to a fashion blog that was meant to display my personal style and the experiences that surround the creation of certain looks - be they interactions with designers, other residents of Second Life or events within my Real Life.
My posts were always meant to be my commentary on what I observe when something sparks my interest and makes me feel as though I have something to say. The structure of my blog has always been one that contains only my opinion on whatever items I choose to feature, an "op-ed" if you will. It's written in first person in an editorial style with personal anecdotes abound. It is in no way a publication or a tabloid and all of my posts are opinion pieces. To date, I have not agreed to do a review at someone's request, nor have I written about "review copies" I've received. I've also never approached a designer before writing a piece or requested "review copies". For me, that would take away from the individuality and personal element within the page. There are numerous bloggers and SL-based publications out there who use that method to review items and I figure I'll leave that to them unless a special circumstance presents itself. The comments and opinions expressed in my blog about pieces are developed on the merits of the pieces themselves and from the very beginning I chose to keep the "politics" of Fashion in Second Life off of my page.
I don't feel as though there was anything in my blog about LBD that constituted an attack, personal or otherwise. I don't feel as though the review WAS unbalanced or unfair - I gave my opinion, prefaced as being my opinion, on two items that I purchased. There isn't much to "defend" as far as that goes. If you noticed, there was a positive, downright glowing, review of the Pulli sweaters in the blog two before the one you're referencing. And I've since seen numerous positive reviews of other LeeZu designs by other bloggers.
I do understand that a business - real or virtual - is built by customer and public opinion and that a blogger's comments can dramatically sway that opinion one way or the other and I do take that responsibility seriously. Judging by the comments on my post about LBD, I simply gave voice to other opinions that hadn't yet been shared and I do feel that LBD has a unique opportunity to listen to the opinions expressed by me and other commenters on my page and weigh them appropriately to determine if there are any changes that should be made within the business structure. If you feel as though the level of workmanship contained in the items warrants the pricing structure developed, then it is absolutely well within your rights to continue to market your products in that way.
In conclusion, while I appreciate your attention to my page and your desire to participate in an interview, at this time I don't feel as though I want to alter the structure of my blog to include interviews. A "blogger" is not a "journalist" and I never presented myself to be "fair and balanced" - I am, however, always respectful and I tried to compose the post about LBD in a respectful, yet honest manner. I will, however, write a post today to inform my readers of your offer as well as my reasons for declining it. There may be another blogger who feels as though an interview with you fits within their structure and will give you a forum to share your information. But at this time, I don't feel that Life by Proxy is the correct place to do it.
Respectfully,
Kristianne Matfield
As per usual, I was a bit wordy... but I feel as though my response accurately communicates my feeling on my page and is probably something that needs to be said.
Anyway, we'll be back to our regular fashion ramblings this evening, I hope.
--Kris
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16 comments:
Your post on the shop was more than fair!!! A review is just that - a REVIEW of whether you liked or DID NOT LIKE an item. If every review is just supposed to be a tongue bath, then why write them?? Why would we bother to read them??
You did not attack anyone personally. You merely commented on the quality of the garment in relation to its price. She can price her items however she wants - but she should keep in mind that we expect to get something extraordinary for extraordinary prices. I will gladly pay over $1000 for an item I want. But if I do, I do not expect that garment to be poorly made. A designer needs to honestly assess the time and skill that making a garment takes and then price it in a way that reflects that effort. If you are talented, then you deserve to be paid handsomely for your work. No one wants to cheat designers out of their hard earned dollars. But *we* don't want to feel cheated either.
What questions were you supposed to ask her about mismatched metals??? That is laughable.
Keep doing what you are doing, Kristianne!! SL needs more honesty!!
I agree. Pictures really speak for themselves. It was very obvious in the pics, for example, that the metals did not match. That alone was an issue that would make me not spend 100L much less over a thousand for the outfit or item.
Pointing that out was simple honesty, not criticism and certainly not an attack.
The world (whether SL or RL) needs more honest people in it and frankly I was very impressed with your post for that very reason.
As they say, a Picture speaks a thousand words, and in the end all you did was take a picture and show what was there.
Keep on doing what you're doing hon.
Well. That notecard has sealed my decision to ~NEVER~ shop at LeeZu Baxter's store. That kind of attempt to bully you into a retraction of sorts via interview and not a moment's consideration to the legitimate issues raised shows me plenty. It shows me that they don't care to take constructive criticism and improve their product, they only want to do damage control to continue to rake in the lindens on their overpriced flawed work. There are too many talented designers to spend my money with and I don't plan to waste them on someone like LeeZu Baxter.
I went back and read your previous post on LeeZu's items. I believe that as a blogger, this is simply your opinion and you are allowed that. However, there isn't an epidemic of any sort of high priced clothing - Callie Cline has been on the high end for a long time, as has Paper Couture. LeeZu is simply the exception to the rule with a pair of $1k jeans. On the opposite hand, there are a fair amount of Japanese designers out there with $75L or less items of great quality. Take your pick, but don't start a war over it - and LeeZu shouldn't be so offended. I ran into this yesterday with another well known designer. It's just very personal to them.
Ladies, thank you for your comments. To begin, I didn't post the notecards in an attempt to paint LBD or its owners in a poor light. I did, however, feel that my thoughts on my blog and why I blog were important to share for future reference.
Yes, Tymmerie, you hit on my point exactly... I write what I write based on my personal taste and there's no way to defend yourself against that, basically. I don't like mixed metals and leathers, plain and simple... there could be an exception to that rule someday, but these items weren't it.
Tenshi, I don't think I ever said that there was an epidemic of high priced clothing... My comment was that there is an epidemic of "Emperor's New Clothes"... aka, "I'm going to make it complicated and I'm going to make it expensive and thus, it's 'high fashion' or haute couture..." I disagree with that model and believe that there's far more that goes in to "haute" status than busy prim work (speaking directly about SL). It's a melding of textures and accents and cuts and fits that all work together to look effortless - that's "high fashion" in my book... it just looks magical when it's on.
The design I referenced, specifically the jeans outfit, missed its mark by aiming for that based on those criteria... and those are the criteria I use to "yay" or "nay" something. It's personal taste, yes, but it's also an understanding of fashion in its entirety.
To reiterate - I don't believe that LeeZu is a poor designer by any means... I think there are some pieces she's put together that are pretty fantastic. I've also never said I won't shop there again (assuming I haven't yet been banned! LOL)... My suggestion to her, if she were to solicit my opinion and what I have to say is this...
"You are obviously talented and have a broad, modern style and sensibility. Your use of prim work is usually spot-on... but if your target audience is one searching for pret a porter (as most are in SL)... err on the side of simplicity. And, accept that if you break commonly established fashion rules, it's gotta be so phenomenally well done that the wearer won't even question mismatched metals or leathers and will instead be lost in the magic of your design."
And now, I think I've talked my poor fingers to the bone on this issue.
but... I don't think LeeZu ever called it haute couture either... did she?
its about time we have real opinions rather than the usual i love my friends clothing blogs.
Imagine she goes now and fixes those items.....a way of turning some bad publicity into good..and a sign that she cares. That note you got doesnt give me much hope..sounded like a solicitors bully letter.
It's part of a special "Revolutions" line... which is usually a designers "high fashion" or "haute" line.
And, in my experience, a peacock tail that doesn't come with a beak and wings is meant to be a "haute" addition.
how leezu and/or her business partner suzi would read your post as having a "devastating personal and professional impact" may be true and i can empathize with them. as to it being an "attack", well that's how honesty and integrity of opinion from the fashion blogosphere comes across to these girls.
i'm not quite sure how they live their lives inworld. perhaps, if their "friends" would honour them with their own truths more often we'd all be able to communicate better. this world is based on communication. if there are any misunderstandings it's a simple matter of an IM or notecard. i certainly think your response to suzi was appropriate.
when designers place themselves above those who they earn their livelihood from it's time to reassess the nature of the one on one game we should all be playing.
a "corporate" mentality (read: greed) should not supercede our true desire of making and sharing gorgeous clothing envied by all who see them.
Ok so let me get this story straight here. You saw a pair of jeans you liked. You asked about them, and the designer told you they were part of an outfit in her store, and that she would be putting them up separately in a couple of days, at a much reduced price. You went to said store and decided that the outfit was too expensive to warrant purchasing the whole thing just for the jeans.
You then went back in some kind of impulsive fit and bought them anyway. Then you decided to post your opinion on their quality, workmanship and a quibble about mixing metals on your PUBLIC blog, for all to read.
When the designer asked for right of reply (trying to repair some of the damage you have caused her and her business), you denied it.
Seems to me that someone should just keep her lindens in her pocket if she's not sure about purchasing something, or speak to the designer in private if she's not happy with the things she bought.
I went to LeeZu's store, and I found the jeans, in a matter of 20 seconds, on a wall by themselves at 160L. Had you waited just a few days, you would have had the jeans, at a price that was reasonable, with a silver buckle, and you would have had nothing to complain about.
Instead, you ignored the designer, and rushed off without thinking and bought something that you are not happy with. You can't blame the designer for that, no matter how much you try to hide behind some pricing or quality outrage.
/shrug... just my opinion.
Dear *anonymous*
Having a blog gives means it belongs to you. Do you ask for someone else to tell you how to handle something that belongs to you? For that matter, Linden dollars belong to a person. Do you ask for someone's opinion on how to use them?
Just for your information since it seems you aren't aware, Kristianne posted that those jeans weren't available by themselves at the time and I looked all over the store within the same time frame and did not see them either.
Obviously Leezu put the jeans up by themselves later - perhaps in response to Kristianne's original comments. We can't know what's in a designer's mind but you shouldn't ASSUME you know whether or not a blogger did her homework. In fact, that's what this is about. She DID do her homework and that made the Designer unhappy apparently. My feeling is, if someone points out a mistake to me that I can fix, I'm gonna fix it, not try to explain it away.
Wow... lots of comments. One of the previous commenters started her own blog that created a whole slew of feedback on this issue, so pardon me if I choose not to rehash some of what was said.
The glorious thing, "Anonymous," is that you're allowed your opinion. Your story has some holes in it in terms of its assumption of my motivations... but I think I've made those pretty clear numerous times before and won't bore you all with it again.
I will say, generally speaking though, that I'm a bit flabbergasted by this whole "if you don't like it, just keep your mouth shut" theme I'm seeing here.
Is public demand and commentary not one of the things that drives designers forward? Is it not consumer response that dictates marketing strategies in the future?
Do I not have a voice on my PUBLIC (as so many people have chosen to point out) blog to voice my opinion about things that I've purchased?
If I were the only person in SL who was bothered by the metals and the leathers and the price, this wouldn't be an issue, would it? The fact that other people have agreed with me is what makes it an issue. And in that case, the designer should take note of the comments and decide if she wants to alter any elements of her business based on the feedback. If she doesn't, cool... if she does, cool... but I strongly, STRONGLY disagree with the thought that I should just zip it if I don't agree. I won't get all First Amendment-y on ya, but it is my right to say "I didn't like this" if I didn't like it.
And for the record, I didn't silence anyone. I chose not to alter the structure of my own page to allow a designer to say "it was a design choice" - she's welcome to find another outlet for that commentary and I encourage all of you - supporters and detractors alike - to comment when she does.
My final word... as I just said to someone in IM in-world...
Shame on you, fellow fashion bloggers for attempting to silence my voice... because in doing so, you're also silencing your own.
Well, I certainly don't see anything remotely resembling an attack in your original post, and would like to thank you for it. I had been considering purchasing that particular outfit, despite feeling it was overpriced. Your post allowed me to make an informed decision about whether or not I should buy it. That's called a review, not an attack.
I for one absolutely adore LeeZu's designs. I pay top dollar and I get quality and design that I am very happy with. And as a previous poster said, LeeZu DID tell you herself that she would be releasing the jeans you wanted at a much reduced price in the near future. Seems to me if you had waited you would not have had anything to complain about and could have gone on your merry way. Shame on you for targetting someone's designs just for fodder for your blog. I remain loyal to the designs of LBD and many others who work very hard to give us quality merchandise.
Your blog, your business what you want to blog. Everyone else needs to back off. It is your right to state an opinion on anything you wish in your own damn blog.
Anon 10:32 - She said that a less expensive version of the jeans would be released in a few days not the same jeans. There was no guarantee they would be the jeans that Kristianne fell in love with.
What people fail to pay attention to in the blog was she had no problem paying the high price, in fact she stated that price didn't matter if the quality was there and she loved the piece.
As with real life, if you buy something expecting a certain amount of quality to the item and discover that is it much less than you expected, you have every right to tell people about it in your own way.
As to the whole bit about not doing the interview with them. This is HER blog and she doesn't do interviews. Why should she have to change her format for 1 designer? She shouldn't. They need to get a thicker skin if comments about mismatched metals and pricing are going to bother them this much.
Thank you, Kristianne, for not being a sheep like the rest of us do by placating the designers with sweet words and not be as critical as we should be.
Thank you, for being stronger than us, for giving a voice to those of us who have lost it or lost the will to argue with designers who go insane over a constructive review.
-A fellow blogger
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