Thanks to social media, no longer is anything in the high fashion world too high to be unreachable, leading to an exponential increase in accessibility to designer pieces.
Haute couture has traditionally been a luxury exclusive to upper class consumers. Expensive as they are, designer lines from leading fashion houses are made with intense care, detailed research and only the top materials. For this reason, brands like Gucci, Valentino, Versace and more have generally been set apart as completely unattainable for the mainstream shopper.
Social media, however, has provided a high point for this “mainstream shopper” to gaze out upon any brand, product or designer they wish and has given these top shops a new audience. When a TikTok user’s literal For YOU Page, displays a stunningly quilted Chanel bag or a Lirika Matoshi dress made of tulle fit for royalty, it only makes sense that users start to believe that they too can acquire these looks.
Glorified for their ineffable relatability factor, social media influencers have reaped the benefits of coming across as human while maintaining a massive platform. By comparison to untouchable stars of the 60s through the 2000s, this type of fame is convincingly possible to viewers.
Early YouTube of the 2010s gave birth to the perfectly aesthetic, cheerful and put-together lifestyle girls. Each channel’s beaming ingenue would give addicting, relatable makeup tutorials or style outfits for young girls in the comforting manner of an older sibling.
As their fame accumulated, these stars began to receive brand deals and trips with high-end designers, and audiences blindly followed along, believing they should also be sporting designer bags and expensive loungewear.
One such influential piece that took the internet by storm was the iconic Louis Vuitton Neverfull Tote. The legendary bag was seen on the arms of thousands of young women before they even reached 25. It costs $2,030.00.
Most 25-year-olds girls do not have the funds to support an investment piece of this substantiality, yet because their favorite content creators had designer bags, audiences believed they should also be making similar purchases. Alisha Marie, one of the most recognizable of the lifestyle YouTubers, made a video in 2020 detailing her top regretted purchases of her 20s, and her very own Louis Vuitton tote from 2016 was on the list.
One would hope that a bag of that price would not result in deep regret. It just goes to show how much of an impact social media influencers really can have.
Fast forward to the 2020s, YouTubers have taken a backseat in influence to popular TikTok sensations. Minute long videos capture consumers’ decaying attention spans much better than 10 minute ones used to, and the shorter lengths also cater to producers who wish to showcase their products faster.
Subsequently, as a new generation redefines what it means to be a celebrity, award show enterprises have also updated their guest lists to include popular TikTokers, but their dress codes have remained the same. Therefore, it was no surprise to see many #fyp stars donning the carpet at the 2022 Grammys – despite viewer disappointment.
Shobini Iyer is a dedicated musician and keeps up avidly with the music industry. The bright junior shared, “The intersection of social media influencers and esteemed award shows takes away the prestige of these events because [influencers] already have a platform where they are able to influence the hearts and minds of millions of people.” Many people consider these online celebs to be one part of why award shows’ reputations are decaying so rapidly.
However, the hot conflict does not cancel out the haute carpet couture.
Viral TikToker Addison Rae accompanied her boyfriend Omar Fedi at the Grammys red carpet. The next day, her sleek white silk cami gown by Nili Lotan was plastered over For You Pages across the internet. Because Rae is more of a “relatable” media influencer than an untouchable celeb, users who had never heard of Nili Lotan were enchanted by the stunning pillowcase look and committed to recreate it themselves.
Later during the ceremony, modern superstars Megan Thee Stallion and Dua Lipa presented the award for Best New Artist. Both give credit to TikTok as part of their rapid rises to fame, and they are recognized all over the media for their incredible, bright pop style.
When they walked up to the podium in matching dramatic black Versace dresses, they staged a whole bit with Donatella Versace herself coming up from the audience to fix their “accidental” twin fits. The skit went viral for being an homage to Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey’s similar act at the 1998 MTV VMA Awards.
Not only did this moment pull Houston and Carey fans from the 90s to the new pop stars, but it introduced a brand new generation to the marvelous Donatella Versace.
Donatella Versace has been the lead artistic director for the titular brand since 1997, but moments like these – and partnerships with brand ambassadors like Dua Lipa – send a new young audience her way. As they watch their favorite artists don her masterpiece creations, new generations of fans fall in love with Versace.
Shortly after, the duo announced the 2022 Best New Artist as Olivia Rodrigo: the pop princess of quintessential teenage angst. Rodrigo wore a stunning ‘90s-inspired trompe l’oeil Vivienne Westwood gown. As prom season approaches, teen girls across the United States will be pining over her darling silhouette and striving to achieve a similar look on their big nights.
Over the past two decades, designers have overtaken the media with their inimitable craft and jaw-dropping styles. Brands like Versace are no longer reserved for the upper class but are becoming household names. Even though genuine pieces may not be as easily attainable, access to inspiration costs nothing. If social media says so, these pieces now can be FOR YOU.
