Robin Givhan on Franca Sozzani

 From the top: Franca Sozzani of Vogue Italia,  Fashion Critic and Style Writer Robin Givhan and Vogue Italia's collectors' Black Issue

(images via The Washington Post, robingivhan.com and vogue.it)

Robin Givhan of The Washington Post has long been a source of journalistic inspiration for me. She writes so concisely and with so much character. Her critical analysis of American society and how it translates in the fashion industry is distinctly impressive, so much so that she was the first fashion critic to win a Pulitzer Prize.  She presents the fashion news in a smart, informative way. Her article on Franca Sozzani and how she has become a crusader for diversity in an industry dominated by white faces is particularly compelling. Sozzani, the editor in chief of Vogue Italia, has gained more recognition since publishing the Vogue Black issue in 2008. The issue later became a collector’s item.

Givhan introduces the news story’s topic in the first sentence. Immediately, the reader knows who and what this piece is about. The first quote in the article comes in the first line of ninth paragraph. It is from a trusted colleague of Sozzani. Ambiguous language is used to introduce or close the quotes, such as says or recalls. If it is clear who the speaker is the author seldom mentions their name again and will instead proceed with the story.

Givhan is a master at providing context. As a result, her introductions to quotes are minimal. Also, she provides information about the speaker after their remark. It is a natural progression and allows the reader to focus on what the source is saying. Givhan uses quite a bit of paraphrasing and sticks to a well-balanced amount of quotes—about four or five a page. The paragraph lengths range in length but never exceed six sentences. Most stick to a healthy two or three. The article ends with one nice, short sentence. It is just enough—summary-like and smart.

Check out the story here.