Today, when we talk about influencers and fashion icons, we turn our attention to our favorite athletes, politicians, movie actors and pop culture figures. In other words, we are looking for people who exemplify the qualities we admire and are therefore willing to emulate their contemporary clothing. This, in turn, makes them influential people in the fashion industry.
So it may come as a bit of a surprise that this has not always been the case. While we have always turned to fashion icons and classic style for inspiration, much of the current fashion trends until recently were created through editorials and fashion magazines.
STYLE ICONS FROM PAST EPOCHS: WHO ARE THEY?
Women’s fashion as a social phenomenon accessible to every woman began to develop after the First World War. For example, women have discovered how comfortable pants can be for work. Coco Chanel used this trend to make fashionable women’s straight cut trousers and thus became a style icon. She also pioneered the little black dress, which is still considered a timeless wardrobe classic.
Thanks to the evening gown in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”, Audrey Hepburn became a style icon. The movie, the dress, and even the actress are still considered a true classics today.
The androgynous style of clothing that we take for granted today has not always been in trend either. Jacqueline Kennedy became the first lady “from the crowd” thanks to her simple style of clothing, which often included not only ball gowns, but also trouser suits. Thus, the emergence of a fashion icon is as much a sign of the era as the personal style of these women.
MODERN STYLE ICONS
Today, our fashion preferences have become much more diverse. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok have empowered ordinary people to express themselves through fashion and turned some of them into influencers (Kylie and Kendall Jenner, Gigi and Bella Hadid). In other words, today’s style icons can influence lifestyle as well, which means we’re ready to emulate more than just their choice of dresses, suits, trousers, and accessories.
In addition, today’s fashion trends are so diverse and change so quickly that it is difficult for the celebrities to keep up with them in order to stay on the fashion wave all the time. That is why social networks are full of accounts dedicated to current clothing and street style: such collections help millions of ordinary women track seasonal trends without focusing on only one reference person.
What is the future of influencers in fashion? We expect to see more personal fashion blogs, more focused on independent labels and local fashion. And, of course, we wait for more tips on how to dress stylishly and relevantly.