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1. For New York’s “Spring Fashion” issue, Carl Swanson profiled Mary J. Blige, the “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul,” who received Academy Award nominations for both her performance in and songwriting for Mudbound (“Mary J. Blige Sees Herself Anew,” February 5–18). Maiysha Kai at the Root wrote of the story, “Just when we think we know the unmitigated glory that is Mary J. Blige, she shape-shifts, leveling up her glamour to unimaginable new heights. This is the only way to describe her latest appearance on the cover of New York Magazine, where she somehow seems to channel both Marlene Dietrich and Marilyn Monroe, but mostly an iconic diva who is inimitably, undeniably Mary.” And BuzzFeed’s Dionne Grant tweeted, “Her life story has produced some of the most beautiful, relatable and honest music,” while @Miss_MEW_ declared, “Mary J. Blige deserves every good thing this world has to offer.” Commenter MC0325 wrote, “There is something so inspirational about letting go of a relationship that wasn’t serving her and [getting] blessed with another chapter of her illustrious career. It’s a lesson to us all but that’s what Mary has been for me since My Life.” The accompanying photo shoot, for which Blige was styled in Old Hollywood glamour, was widely praised. @sdpowell1 tweeted, “Using these lovely images to remind you that you should watch Mudbound if you haven’t already,” and @biancasprinkles tweeted, “What a real diva looks like. Love this.” We also heard from more than a dozen readers who were concerned about the Quentin Veron gown — which uses both rooster feathers and fox fur — that Blige wears on the cover. Kathleen Lavelle wrote, “I was really saddened to see this picture in your magazine recently. There is nothing beautiful or glamorous about wearing the skins, fur or other fabrics which come from animals. Any animal used in these industries is subjected to horrific abuse, and it is no longer acceptable to support such unnecessary cruelty!”
2. “Is this really going to last?” That’s the pressing concern for the influencers Amy Larocca spoke with, those “who have suddenly usurped what felt like the eternal fashion Establishment, or at least its media branches” (“The Affluencers,” February 5–18). @fashademic tweeted, “I don’t think we need another jazzy designation for style bloggers, but the rest of this article on fashion’s new establishment is really interesting,” and @indiablock tweeted, “This is a really good, generous but serious examination of influencer culture.” Jacques Bastien of Shade, an influencer management agency for black and brown creators, responded, “This covered all of the components of the influencer marketing industry — the brands, the services, the fans, and the influencers. It’s important to note that similar to most of the influencers mentioned, the most influential content creators on social media are the ones that became an influencer ‘by accident.’ ” @victoriamstudio added, “Funny that just a few years ago, similar pieces were all about the legitimacy of ‘the blogger.’ ”
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3. Allison P. Davis attempted to unravel the mystery of YouTube sensation Poppy (“Like Warhol But for 2018,” February 5–18). @gavinpurcell tweeted, “I’m so old I only learned about this from a magazine website. But it’s incredibly fascinating. I really find it quite different and, to be honest, kind of thrilling. It’s like only the YouTube format and history could bring something like this into being,” and @Eunice_Bee simply tweeted, “This is the creepiest shit I’ve read during my lunch break.” Lindsey Weber of Who? Weekly tweeted, “I love this but what’s missing is just the surprising fact that Poppy’s music is catchy, well-written and just, like, GOOD???” Of Poppy’s Warholian parallels, @davelucas pushed back, “More like a Nico or a Debbie Harry, I would say! @poppy is a creation of @titanicsinclair. Warhol was the creation of no one.”
4. New York grappled with the question “Can Fashion Ever Be an Ethical Business?” (February 5–18) through interviews with industry insiders, reflections from two male models who came forward with allegations against photographer Bruce Weber, and an essay by Stella Bugbee on whether fashion photography needs to be rethought altogether. Model-musician Karen Elson, who was interviewed for the feature, tweeted, “An important article on the Fashion Business and how women young and old are treated. I’ve had a 2-decade long career and I’ve seen a LOT. Fashion has some amazing artists and creators but it also has a dark side. I’m happy it’s finally being talked about.” @ellen313 added, “I thought this headline might be referring to animal abuses in the name of fashion. So many levels of ‘unethical’ in the business.”