The Ethics of Fashion Writing

Sylvia Rubin worked as feature writer and Fashion Editor at the San Francisco Chronicle and now teaches fashion-related writing courses at City College of San Francisco. Here are some of her thoughts from a recent email:

Students often assume I get free clothing from designers; does the offer itself compromise the interview process? How does the reporter address the offer of a gift like that in the interview?

Some fashion critics have been banned from runway shows if the designer didn't  like their review. How does the reporter cover/interview that designer in the future? Do they disclose that info in the story? Or in a tweet? Or do they simply not review the show, tit for tat? Does it affect the reporters' objectivity about that designer in subsequent interviews? (The banning has never happened to me, but it has happened to others).