Writing by: Shannon Daehnke
Photography by: Allison Barr
Art Direction by: Grace Cardinale
Modeled by: Katie Torres, Nikos Jordan, Maddie Peterson, Gustavo Ramirez, Sutter Munizich
Fashion is an expression of our individuality, often inspired by some outside factor which we attempt to emulate. Whether it be our roommate’s funky new pair of overalls, David Bowie’s iconic flooded pants from the 70s, or simply a statement piece we discover while scrolling through Instagram- personal style is derived from a combination of sources from which we gain creative inspiration.
Social media has revolutionized the fashion industry. This is due to the underlying desire for both personal expression and creative validation which exists across both platforms. Fashion is a look-book into our lives. Our style choices provide an insight into our personality and how we present ourselves to the world. The same can be said of our social media pages - it is a creative and personal experience that we want to share with others.
The growth of the internet has allowed for more active participation in fashion. Before the emergence of social media, artists and fashion moguls in the public eye were often the only ones widely recognized for making bold fashion decisions. You would simply read about Ashley Tisdale’s 2006 skirt-over-jeans moment in Tiger Beat magazine, and your seven-year-old self would attempt to imitate the look for the audience of your second-grade class alone.
Nowadays, anyone with an Instagram account can be something of a “fashion icon” and potentially reach a huge number of people. Social media allows us to engage in trends by creating our own stylistic adaptation of them. Being able to “follow” your favorite influencers makes you feel more connected to them and therefore makes their style seem somewhat more attainable.
This huge growth in the spread of online fashion has caused people to take more risks in their everyday fashion choices. I for one find myself adopting a more eclectic and ever-changing fashion sense due to inspiration from people I follow on social media. I used to be morally opposed to the color green in fashion until I saw one of my favorite influencers, Enya, post a photo in an amazing lime green corduroy jacket- and thus my love for the color green was born.
Internet fashion trends can become so viral to the point that they can create an entire sub-genre of people who seemingly adhere to certain fashion specifications. Recent sub-genres have coined terms such as “E-boy”, “E-girl” and “VSCO girl.” Whether these coined terms are inhibiting or fitting, the creation of these internet sub-genres broadens the fashion conversation.
Taking risks makes fashion exciting. The expansion of the “trending” platform has allowed us to be more surrounded by fashion than ever before. Being exposed to more style inspiration allows people to get out of their comfort zone in establishing their personal style. Experimenting with fashion boosts self-confidence, and with so many interesting fads to try- it’s an exciting time to be trendy.
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