17 things the SMH taught us about Pip Edwards’ activewear
Sometimes it’s too easy to look down upon the people who have “journalist” in their job title, but write about the lighter side of life.
Spare a thought then, for Sydney Morning Herald fashion editor Jenna Clarke, tasked with producing a profile of designer Pip Edwards.
Dr Mumbo’s favourite paragraph, in a genius piece of subversive writing, is this one:
“There’s a certain amount of mystery surrounding the Sydney fashion identity: because she’s always in activewear, you never know whether she’s going to the gym or just been there. Yet she perpetually smells like she’s just rolled in a field of iris, thanks to her $480 Christian Dior Bois d’Argent perfume. And there’s no sweat or hint of flush on her face, which is kept flawless thanks to monthly $150 blueberry face peels at Bondi Junction’s famed The Clinic.”
However, to truly demonstrate the value of such tongue-in-cheek journalism, it may be worth reflecting on all the information we learned in the epoch-defining article “How Pip Edwards sold Bondi to the world”:
- Pip Edwards is wearing activewear
- Pip Edwards always wears activewear
- Pip Edwards is promoting her activewear range
- Pip Edwards lives in Bondi
- Pip Edwards’ activewear range is from Bondi
- People in Bondi wear activewear
- Pip Edwards’ activewear range is available in reds, yellows, blues and black
- Pip Edwards remains grounded thanks to her use of a spiritual healer, a psychic and a kinesiologist
- Pip Edwards believes that working through a minor gym injury is akin to the pain of being in labour
- Pip Edwards is one of Australia’s leading activewear entrepreneurs
- Pip Edwards’ activewear leggings cost $179
- Pip Edwards wears her own range every day
- Pip Edwards is on Instagram
- When Pip Edwards goes out at night she wears her own range
- Pip Edwards is authentic and has a cycle of realness
- Pip Edwards does yoga
- Pip Edwards wears her own range at breakfast
In another important development revealed in the article: Cali Press juice bar sells organic coconut water with banana, baby spinach, chia, plant protein, almond butter, XCT oil and agave for $9.50.
So convincingly is the article written, Dr Mumbo almost missed the fact that it was all a hilarious prank…
What a waste of a cover and four pages on this [edited under Mumbrella’s comment moderation policy]….. I’m sure she loved the article
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Other things I learned:
1. Have extra chocolate – it means you’re not having sugar.
2. Justice Maximus is not a French bulldog, he’s a human child.
3. The Bondi Smashed Avo Financial Index is currently at about $16.
4. When you’re famous, your personal trainer gives you cake.
5. Apparantly “Penetration Specialist” is an actual job title.
Truly news you can use!
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The end is nigh
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I’m a usually a big fan of Mumbrella but this article seems unnecessarily snide. Read the SMH article and there’s a lot more in there than this take out implies. It’s written for the market, who for an ease of description lets call, fashion and trend oriented. Calling out this journo publicly in this way for doing her job is skating closely to the rim of bullying behaviour. By all means enjoy poking fun at the Bondi activewear etc etc obsessed microcosm with your mates over a beer. But an industry publication is not the place to poke fun at a segment you don’t identify with (openly mock) or the journalist writing about it (fashion journalist). I suspect we could find similar examples on the other side of the fence with car reviews or celebrity sports profIles with different but equally commercial transgressions. Whilst I found myself flinching at reading the dollar sign references, mainly for their clumsy status point clutching approach – the overall article is an interesting read about a female entrepreneur who has tapped into a commercial market trend. In all the debates about diversity that you support. This article is ill judged and unnecessary. Just saying…
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The end is nigh
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Hi “Mum tells Fan”,
Thanks for the feedback. We’ve included the link to the original article, so anyone interested will be able to form a view themselves.
For what it’s worth, it feels to me like an article that went through some form of copy approval with the subject.
Based on reading it, I actually think the subject of the article is highly mockable, and there’s a real possibility that the journalist has subtly sharing that with her readers.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
I thought about commenting on how easy it is to make snide comments about the things women find interesting – such as fashion – and then I thought I’d post an article written on just such a subject by a wiser mind than mine…
https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2016/apr/30/hadley-freeman-the-problem-with-fashion-journalism
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I thought about commenting on how easy it is to make snide comments about the things women find interesting – such as fashion – and then I thought I’d post an article written on just such a subject by a wiser mind than mine…
https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2016/apr/30/hadley-freeman-the-problem-with-fashion-journalism
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Totally with you Dr Mumbo,
Please please tell us this is a massive prank.
It is truly everything I hate about the blogger / influencer / entrepreneur world, which is one of the worlds I am in.
I promise we do not all suffer from the level grander and self importance that only Gwyneth Paltrow could admire.
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Hi Tim
Quite possibly you are right on all points – given the way the world works these days – but the outtake of the Dr Mumbo comment and take down still came across aimed at the journo personally which seemed a little unfair.
By the way – the nom de plume should have read “Mumbrella Fan” not “Mum tells Fan” but such are the vagaries of autotext correct when commenting on mobile devices on the run.
Cheers
Mumbrella Fan
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The most dreadful piece of journalism I can recall reading in the Good Weekend. Pip Edwards seems like as [edited under Mumbrella’s comment moderation policy] as Pete Evans. The below paragraph has had me laughing all day. Sadly at Pip.
“She then begins to explain how a spiritual healer, a psychic and a kinesiologist help keep her grounded. Between sprints, she recites her kinesiology mantra: “I am fucking woman. I am sensational. I empower my femininity.””
I’m sure there is more substance to the woman than comes out in the article. Hard to believe this is the cover story of my favourite lift out of the week. Shame on you SMH.
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Don’t forget Roxy. She featured in the article as well.
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Yep she loved it! Ha. And her sycophant groupies are all congratulating her on facebook. They didn’t get it at all. Maybe all that salt water has clogged up their brains…. Or they were never that smart in the first place. Either way I think it’s hilarious. Jokes on you PE
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The fact that the piece warranted an article on mumbrella proves that their strategy worked. It’s this subjects own ‘activated almonds’ or fashion selfies at the courthouse… ever seen that episode of the simpsons where the possessed brand monsters die if you stop paying attention?
‘Just don’t look’….
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Nicely said
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