TIKTOK AND THE FASHION REVOLUTION
The world of fashion used to revolve around Instagram, today, the new generation focuses entirely on TikTok, a place where everything is allowed, where everyone is free to express their ideas, their taste and their creativity. In many cases TikTok becomes the perfect platform to create viral videos and get noticed by luxury brands. It has happened to Lachlan Watson, an American girl who created the “how to look like a Gucci model” trend. She demonstrated how to ironically create a total Gucci outfit, combining completely random pieces from her wardrobe. The result, however, was so convincing that even Gucci noticed the trend and decided to publish the challenge on its TikTok profile. Once again, the maison has shown that it can communicate effectively and promptly, conquering GenZs.
TikTok is the social network where the winner is whoever runs faster, who knows how to grasp the right trend or even creates it. This social network is the launching board for the new generations, who compete to end up in the #foryou page, a section where the content shown is pulled from accounts you don't follow, but may appeal to your interests. That's the reason why many are chasing fame and riding the wave of celebrity found on TikTok, which has also become the perfect platform to showcase designer clothes and accessories. Due to Covid, brands have sought alternative ways to showcase new collections, with live streams, online shows and much more. Influencers have done the same, finding in TikTok the solution for their problems.
During fashion week shows, influencers used to sit in the front row, document and publicise the new collections in their stories. Without in person runways, Tiktok has come to the rescue and the much-loved front row has been reimagined by the influencers in an imitation of themselves in different shows, shot directly and comfortably from home. For example, the most fashionable and beloved couple of Tiktok, @thefashioncouple, shows us how to dress for the most important front rows, always with an ironic touch, creating a format that has been done by other world-famous influencers such as @leoniehanne, one of the best known Instagram influencers, always in step with the latest trends.
The quarantine period has led many influencers and famous people to land on TikTok, engaging in funny dances, or showing outfits often in collaboration with other brands as in the case of Chiara Ferragni or Caro Daur, the famous German influencer who uses TikTok to show her trendiest outfits.
Many brands have decided to heavily invest on the platform. The most successful brand in doing so, has to be Balenciaga, which, not surprisingly, has always been one of the most future-oriented. Balenciaga was the first luxury brand in the industry to experiment with TikTok's TopView feature. This is a format capable of grabbing attention immediately and which allows brands to appear at the top of everything, as soon as you open the app. Balenciaga used this format, not only to increase engagement, but, above all, to create more visits to the site and, therefore, generate more sales.
Tiktok has managed to bring fashion and luxury to the everyday world, making this industry accessible to all. A world where the user actively contributes to the narrative of the brand and where trends never stop.