High Fashion Reaches New Heights with TikTok
There's no doubt 2020 was the year of TikTok. In the U.S. alone, the social network platform boasts 100 million users, which only comprises 10 percent of its global users. The world's most valuable start-up is now worth $75 billion and offers 40 languages. Along with many editing features and tools, hashtag challenges, and brand takeovers, with a keen eye for trends, this social networking platform makes it impossible for companies to turn a blind eye.
Compared to other social networks, TikTok attracts a larger number of users because of its timeliness. Content shared on TikTok, which is always full of new and creative ideas, is constantly being updated and shared. In addition, the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent national lockdowns across the globe also created a favorable environment for the development of TikTok. Many people stuck at home found a place to express themselves, join a larger community, participate in challenges, or share the personal style.
Similar to Instagram, the rise of this social network also gave birth to a new generation of influencers at lightning speed. However, according to Kudzi Chikumbu, Director of Creative Communities at TikTok, the appeal of the platform lies in its more authentic content compared to many other social networks.
How high fashion comes into play
TikTok is the universal key to bringing the fashion industry closer to a new group of customers, namely Gen Z and young millennials. According to a recent survey conducted by YPulse, 54 percent of Gen Z consumers use TikTok, up 19 percent from February 2020. While a growing number of high fashion brands are targeting the young audience, they understand the fastest way to reach their potential consumers is through TikTok.
At Milan Fashion Week in early 2020, brands took note of TikTok's influence on the couture industry. A prime example of this is Charli D'Amelio, one of TikTok's young stars who currently has more than 106 million followers. Since rising to the top as TikTok's most followed user, the 16-year old has collaborated with brands like Morphe 2 and Dunkin Donuts, and recently appeared in the front row at Prada's Fall/Winter 2020 show. To promote the event, Charli shared footage from the show more her 28 million followers at the time, including behind-the-scenes photos.
In November 2019, Celine joined TikTok and collaborated with influencer Noen Eubanks. This decision stunned the fans because luxury brands often choose famous models or artists as campaign faces. However, the campaign's success proved the importance of the so-called "influencer value" in the eyes of the young generation. An overalll milestone year for TikTok, other brands like Michael Kors, Guess, Calvin Klein, and Louis Vuitton also joined the platform as well.
Burberry was the first luxury brand to pay to run a TikTok promotion for the launch of the Thomas Burberry Monogram collection. The brand launched the #TBChallenge campaign, which challenged users to recreate monogram motifs with their own hands. The challenge accumulated over 111 million views. Soon after, Ralph Lauren released the #WinningRL challenge by posting videos of actress Diana Silvers during a tennis match and challenged users to create similar videos, garnering over 825 million views.
The future of high fashion on TikTok
The limit to TikTok's potential influence on high fashion has yet to be seen. Runway shows are now a familiar part of TikTok, as brands like Prada, Louis Vuitton, and Saint Laurent have begun livestreaming their shows on the app. The #TikTokFashionMonth continues to create digital awareness for luxury and small brands alike.
Gone are the days of streetcasting or cumbersome model selection sessions. One of the top model management companies in the world, IMG Models, chose to search for promising faces on TikTok, which lead to signing two emerging talents: Wisdom Kaye and Kennedy Jardine. Unlike other social networking platforms, which are associated with carefully planned editing, the seemingly impromptu videos on TikTok quickly and honestly show users' personality and style. For this reason, management companies have gravitated towards the app as a new scouting tool.
Thanks to TikTok, the invisible line between high fashion and the public sphere is narrowing. Many designers like Simon Porte Jacquemus (although Jacquemus is known as Instagram's star), JW Anderson, and Balmain's Olivier Rousteing began interacting with TikTok users by documenting their design processes for new collections.
An effective communication tool, the new platform brings millennial and Gen Z fans closer to couture than ever before. While no one can say for certain how far the app can take the fashion industry, it's clear that, for now, fashion and TikTok make a great team.
