Celebrity Style and How it Influences Fashion Trends
Celebrities have been influencing the masses for decades, for better or worse. Their impact on today's culture, in all aspects, is nothing short of immeasurable. From music to art, to politics to social reform the role celebrities play in our society is immense. Fashion is no exception to this narrative. Individuals with fame have been at the forefront of creating fashion trends and setting the standards for various styles. With the rise of social media over the past 15 years we’ve witnessed a shift in modern-day fashion. However, with the success of TikTok in recent years one question arises. Do celebrities still play a crucial part in setting fashion trends as they once did?
The late ’90s and early 2000s were the initial rise of celebrity culture and Hollywood gossip. Both men and women had a desire to see their favorite celebrities' latest fashion moments. The way we consumed content during this time period is vastly different from today. We relied on extremely curated mediums for fashion advice. Award shows, music videos, movies, T.V shows and magazines were sources of inspiration for fashion trends. During this time clothing was seen as a status symbol, which lead to the progression of designer and high-end brands.
In the past 10 years with the surge of social media, the traditional celebrity has fallen from grace. The disinterest in these celebrities could be the accumulation of many factors. In 2020 when the world was in lockdown we witnessed celebrities posting in their multi-million dollar mansions. While the rest of the population lost family members, filed for unemployment, and struggled with mental health issues. This was ultimately the downfall of wealthy celebrities. They were then viewed as out of touch and completely unrelatable. While the traditional star continues to try to remain relevant, the growth of social media influencers has refined this generation's fashion inspiration.
Unlike traditional celebrities, social media influencers are able to connect directly with their audience. Influencers are often vulnerable by showing their authentic self online and many praise them for doing so. There is a level of trust and almost friendship build between influencers and their followers. Therefore influencers are able to successfully promote and sell various products on their platforms. At the end of 2020, Youtuber, Emma Chamerlian posted a photo on Instagram sporting a Gap logo hoodie. Within a few weeks gaps sales skyrocketed and many deemed the Gap as “cool and trendy” again. The power internet personalities have surrounding fashion, style, brands and trends is nothing to be overlooked or undermined.
Tiktok and influencers who use the app have had a huge impact on fashion trends and the industry at large. However, new fashion trends are emerging nearly every day on the app, allowing us to create our own trends. The popularization of different aesthetics such as “clean girl”, “ballet core” and many more have set the standard for fashion trends today. The power of celebrities setting fashion trends is certainly less, but it's still there. We are currently at a time when everything is in and nothing is in all at once
Within the past few months the current trend of “deinfluencing” may be the start of minimalism within the fashion industry. “Deinfluencing” has consisted of users telling others what products are actually worth the hype. This has led to more awareness about the overconsumption of mass-produced products in both the fashion and beauty industries. Fast fashion brands such as Shien, Fashion Nova, Boohoo, and many more are now under fire for their unethical and unsustainable practices.
As micro-influencers continue to grow on various social platforms we are curious to see how fashion trends are affected.
