TikTok has cemented its place in the fashion world fast. During the COVID-19 pandemic, brands increasingly reached out to TikTok fashion influencers to market their products. Designer JW Anderson once posted a tutorial of a patchwork crochet design on a cardigan singer Harry styles wore.
The video went viral as people enjoyed a peek into exclusive fashion. Fashion brands and such designers increasingly leverage TikTok’s uncanny ability to reach millions non-selectively.
TikTok’s Hand In High-End and Fast Fashion
Fast fashion has trend cycles that last for months since social media saturates the internet with the latest must-have fashion items. TikTok is the ideal platform for fast fashion because its short-video content enables potential clients to consume it rapidly.
Influencers also play a critical role in promoting the fast fashion industry. TikTok fashion influencers create cloth hauls for fast fashion brands like Shein, Princess Polly, and Aliexpress vendors that drive sales. Interestingly, when brands distribute PR packages in bulk, the items start microtrends that appear everywhere and disappear at once.
According to Vogue, high-fashion brands use information and humour on TikTok to showcase their personalities. Such content is a sharp contrast to the exclusivity fashion houses of high calibre portray. For instance, Gucci used the #AccidentalInfluencer to market their Gucci Tennis sneakers with videos of models doing TikTok dance styles.
How Fashion Brands Use TikTok
Fashion brands scout new talent on TikTok
Wisdom Kaye, a fashion TikToker, joined IMG Models after the global agency noticed his fashion-forward videos. The TikTok star’s creative fashion takes on anime characters and superheroes garnered millions of TikTok likes.
According to the IMG Models CEO, Jeni Rose, TikTok is a great platform to scout for talent since the content is raw and unfiltered. TikTokers give modelling agencies a glance at their character, interests, and strengths in seconds. It’s also easier for aspiring models to sell their brand on TikTok instead of designing portfolios or travelling to physical agency locations.
TikTok Fashion Week
Tiktok is ideal for fashion consumers who keep up with designers, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Noen Eubanks was the first TikTok star to land a job as the face of a high-end fashion brand. Charli D’ Amelio and other TikTokers are also on a growing list of influencers who get front-row invites to exclusive runway shows like Prada’s fashion weeks.
Moschino, Balenciaga, and Versace are some high-end fashion brands that live-stream runway shows on #TikTokFashionMonth. TikTok’s fashion live streams on TikTok gather millions of fan views worldwide.
Designers share their behind-the-scenes
Fashion designers share their creative techniques on TikTok.Designers like Olivier Rousteing post interesting and inspiring TikToks of Balmain’s fashion processes. He documents how he sketches and makes clothes with his team. This approach feels more authentic than what fashion diehards get from mainstream media outlets.
Brands like Gucci hop on TikTok trends too. #GucciModelChallenge garnered more than 200 million views. The brand encouraged TikTokers to create user-generated content and reshared it to its account. On the other hand, Vogue Italia prefers TikTok account takeovers. Kris Jenner once gave insider information on Tom Ford’s Los Angeles fashion show for the Italian-based magazine.
Fashion brands start on TikTok
Some fashion brands start on TikTok. Micro-fashion brands use TikTok as a start-point for their businesses. Sustainable fashion is popular on the platform since Gen Z is keen on thrifting and upcycling used clothes to conserve the environment. The creatives behind the Vintage Stock Reserve cloth brand on TikTok started with repurposed items and gained more than 1.5 million followers who appreciate their eco-friendly initiative.
TikTokers start fashion trends
TikTok influencers set global fashion standards. For instance, the 2000s fashion comeback in 2021 caused a ripple effect on the app. Creators made approximately 60 million videos for TikTok’s #Y2KFashion. Defunct popular fashion brands from these early years like Von Dutch even relaunched to meet demand.
Styling videos on TikTok are also widespread. Fashion creators add a creative twist to trends that appeal to different audiences through clothing hauls and sewing tutorials. For instance, some Muslim content creators use runway looks to curate modest fashion outfits.
Read Also: 13 Ways To Properly Promote Your Blog Posts On Twitter
Conclusion
Although marketing on TikTok is still a new practice, more fashion brands embrace the platform because of its unique global reach. TikTok influences high-end and fast fashion consumption. Fashion partnerships improve sales, build brands, and create careers for TikTok stars who implement marketing strategies.
