To Gatekeep Or Not To Gatekeep…
Plus - the unexpected high street brand duping The Row, and ten more fashionable women to follow on Instagram.
“Controversial opinion, but I feel like we need to go back to gatekeeping. Everyone is sharing way too much information. We’ve all worked hard to find places and a distinct style, and I don’t think it should be given out on the internet all the time.”
I’ve been thinking about the statement above, by LA-based actress Laura Harrier, for a good few weeks now, trying to figure out where I stand on the sentiment expressed. Part of an interview she gave to The Cut about her approach to style, it provoked some, ahem, passionate responses - by which I mean commenters on The Cut’s Instagram post about the article did not approve. Her comments also cropped up in one of my group chats, although I hadn’t realised quite how much mileage that article had gotten until an editor reached out to ask if I’d seen the responses and wanted to write about gatekeeping (alas, I had too much on my plate at the time).
Around the same time I also happened to read a Vogue interview with creative director Juliana Salazar, where, having been asked how she feels about ‘gatekeeping’ she responded:
“I am pro gatekeeping but I also try to always channel an abundance mindset and not pay attention to what happens after I've shared whatever thing in question. I find myself wanting to gatekeep things that I don't want to be overexposed or "ruined" but unfortunately something going from unknown to zeitgeist or trend is a sign of success on some level so this is very conflicting for me.”
And then I noticed chef and food writer Alison Roman had also given a thoughtful take on her conflicted feelings with respect to gatekeeping and ‘recommendation culture’ in a recent issue of her newsletter.
What’s that saying? Once is an anomaly, twice is a coincidence, and three’s a pattern? If I were a trend forecaster, I’d say conversations about gatekeeping are about to get extremely zeitgeisty, and so I’ve been trying to figure out where I stand on gatekeeping ever since (as relates to taste, recommendations, consumer products etc - obviously if you're in a position of institutional power you should categorically not be gatekeeping!!).
What even drives the urge to gatekeep? I think like many people, I fear the things I love becoming overexposed, and in some way worse as a result. And unlike recommending cultural output like music or books – where having a bigger audience increases the likelihood of the creators of those things being able to make more of that thing i.e. a win-win outcome for everyone - a ‘bigger audience’ for your say, favourite restaurant or travel destination, can end up having a negative impact. Sometimes too big an audience, or too much success can be the death of a good thing – how many travel destinations over the years have gone from “off the beaten path gem” to being overrun (and often spoiled) by tourists, because of one too many press mentions? Or consider the small restaurant that gets a rave review and unprepared, begins getting negative Google reviews from pissed off customers who turn up to a restaurant used to dealing with 50 covers a night rather than 100. Or (if we’re staying on topic), the indie fashion brand that finds mainstream success and immediately begins watering down what made it unique in the first place, pandering to the masses rather than its early supporters (which is sadly how I feel about Jacquemus, which was a truly exciting and slightly off-beat brand in its early years and is now just incredibly meh - but also I’m sure absolutely printing money).
And yet there can be so much pleasure in seeing something (a restaurant, a brand, a person) that you think is good and nice, get more attention and grow as a result of your recommendation; and also in bonding with others over that your appreciation of that thing. I also feel on some deep instinctual level that gatekeeping feels quite… immature? Like - I went to a girls’ school for 7 years of my life and if there’s one thing that teenage girls like doing, it’s gatekeeping where they got that bag/shoes/jeans from!! (The answer was always Urban Outfitters).
I think the reason Laura Harrier’s comments riled people up so much is because - and this may be projection - they had a vague whiff of superiority to them, though I also think that could be the framing of the article and the headline: “Laura Harrier Wants ‘It’ Girls to Go Back to Gatekeeping” was never going to go down well. Still I definitely agree with her that there’s a desire these days to skip the steps that go into cultivating taste (or opinions – a topic for another day), with people seemingly failing to realise that organic discovery, the process of actually acquiring those tastes, is actually part of what makes experiencing them satisfying.
Anyway, I’m curious to hear how you guys feel about gatekeeping. Do you gatekeep the things you love (and if so, why)? How do you feel when others (influencers, creatives or whoever) do it?
Thanks to brand partners Tory Burch and Ryenn’s Eyes for sponsoring this month’s newsletter.
Tailored trousers, pierced slingback shoes and Kira Diamond quilted shoulder bag all by Tory Burch; my necklace is a very old Alighieri number, and this long-sleeved tee is from AYR.
Usually, I’d save a bag as dressy as Tory Burch’s new Kira Diamond style for an evening look - it has a chunky chain strap and gold hardware that (to me) make it the perfect ‘dinner and drinks’ handbag. But when it arrived at my flat a few weeks ago, I realised it was actually roomy enough to work as a practical(ish) daytime bag too - in the photo above I had a book, notebook, two mobile phones, as well as all my other usual gubbins in it, with room to spare. The fact it is a little bit dressy actually made my otherwise pretty relaxed outfit that day feel much more pulled together. Made with buttery soft leather, and available in a number of different sizes and colourways, I’ve found myself wearing it constantly the past few weeks.
I’ve noticed that since I started writing this newsletter (and replenishing my wardrobe after my start of year cull), I’ve finally come to appreciate the importance of jewellery in making an outfit feel complete - it’s only taken 30-odd years of my mum trying to persuade me that wearing jewellery should be a daily practice (sorry mum). For the first time in my life I’m really paying attention to jewellery as a category - I’m eyeing bracelets! I’m buying brooches! And most of all I’m trying to build up a collection of go-to ‘everyday’ pieces that can add a little razzmatazz to my daytime looks, which tend to be pretty pared-back and minimal.
I was initially drawn to Ryenn’s Eyes because they’d collabed with illustrator (and general fashion cool-girl) Quentin Jones on their packaging, but the actual jewellery itself is just as cool. I can see these double hooped sculpted earrings becoming an everyday pair for me, while this gold choker is giving the sort of minimalist 90s vibe that’ll perfectly complement all your Carolyn Bessette Kennedy cosplay evening looks - can’t you just see it with a plain black satin slip dress?
And now on to the paywalled (or dare I say… gatekept?) section of this month’s newsletter which includes:
10 more fashionable women to follow on Instagram
The overlooked womenswear brand that seems to me to have codified The Row’s design language, at a fraction of the price.
And a few items I’ve currently got my eye on.
Let’s get to it.