IS IT ANYWAY?

THEY’RE SMART. THEY’RE CLUELESS. THEY CONNECT WITH THE AUDIENCE. THEY’RE FAKES. CLEARLY, THE FASHION INDUSTRY IS DIVIDED OVER

SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS

Fashion has always been subject to perception and interpretation, much like beauty. Culturally, it has influenced society in how one must look to be accepted. Designers innovate to stay relevant and a step ahead; models define a certain sense of aspiration. Both do this to lure clients into following an aesthetic they believe in. This portrayal of fantasy that seems unattainable for the “masses” translates into fashion being perceived as for the elite.

Then came social media, where you and I could fashion ourselves in a certain way and create an individual niche.

ARE YOU BEING FOLLOWED?

But there are such things as fake followers – bots. “People are doing ridiculous things to increase followers,” says designer Rohit Bal. “People within our fraternity are notorious for buying followers. It honestly serves no purpose and it’s quite despicable.”

There is also such a thing as inorganic content, says Gavin. “Social media has become a tech fairyland,” he adds. “Most of the content is not organic and natural. It all looks staged.”

Brands are aware of this and analyse each influencer account to see who has genuine followers and who doesn’t, says model Sonalika Sahay. But is the audience aware?

CONTENT IS THE HERO

The primary goal of a fashion influencer is to create content that keeps the audience

improvising for hours,” he says.

The aim: “To gain from Indian and Western classical techniques and improvise.”

What works: A unique approach at operatic practice sessions.