UNDER THE INFLUENCE
Social media influencers are turning their booming Instagram accounts into physical brands. For years, celebrities have sold products, turning fans into customers. Now influencers are racing to turn their Insta likes into dollars. Ca-ching!
JOEY ZAUZIG JEWLERY
Joey Zauzig (@joeyzauzig, 130K), has built a reputation as being the in-the-know man-abouttown on all things New York City, from the latest nightclub opening to the hottest workout (Zauzig’s Instagram feed is filled with shirtless pics).
Now Zauzig adds designer to his bio. His easy to wear unisex jewelry line follows his first venture into product development—he launched a small capsule of his extremely popular “Zaddy Merch” (“Zaddy” means a handsome, fashionable male in digi-speak). In college he would sketch designs on napkins. “Having a jewelry collection has always been a dream,” Zauzig enthuses. “Seeing it come to life is unreal.” The inspiration to finally start Joey Zauzig Jewelry grew from his loyal social media audience. He wanted to create pieces he knew his followers would love.
When brainstorming the pieces for his first collection, Zauzig turned to his fans for input. He looped his followers along throughout the design process, getting their opinion on certain aspects via posts, Instagram Stories, and hundreds of DM’S. Each of the minimalistic pieces are named after Zauzig’s signature hashtags such as “Hamptons” and “Trixie.” “The collections always embody confidence and being your best, sexiest self,” he says. How Zaddy.
WWW.SEVEN50.COM/COLLECTIONS/JOEY-ZAUZIG
DNA CLOTHING
Harry Hamlin and Lisa Rinna’s model daughters, Delilah Belle Hamlin (@delilahbelle, 1.1M) and Ameila Gray Hamlin (@ ameliagray, 547K) have debuted DNA, an 18-piece capsule line with LA Collective, ranging from daytime athleisure looks to evening wear. The sisters specifically designed the collection with both of their active Cali lifestyles in mind: racing to the gym, hitting castings, jet-setting around the globe and being seen at hot spots from the Marais to Williamsburg to Malibu. “When designing, we wanted to bring to life the pieces we love and rely on for our day to day life,” Hamlin says. “These pieces from our debut collection are the basics we constantly count on for their function, yet elevated aesthetic.”
The girls have been immersed in the fashion industry since early childhood: walking for brands like Dolce & Gabbana and Tommy Hilfiger and partnering with numerous brands on social media.
WWW.LACOLLECTIVE.COM/COLLECTIONS/DNA
ZACH WEISS FOR ALTON LANE
Brand ambassador, avid content creator and writer Zach Weiss (@zacharyweiss, 17.8K) created his first clothing collection with bespoke menswear brand Alton Lane. Known for specialized suiting and shirting, Alton Lane partnered with Weiss to curate a collection that exudes a jet-set lifestyle, replete with tuxedos, suits, shirts and footwear. Like Weiss, who chronicles his exhaustive party and travel schedule hourly on Instagram, the Alton Lane collection is built for the global man-about-town. Think wrinkle resistant suits and quick dry and non-iron shirting. Weiss has never met a custom anything he didn’t like and Alton Lane reimagines the traditional shopping experience by offering a private consultation and hands on precision Saville Row style fittings. With Weiss’ capsule collection, clients can select the exact pieces or customize anything to their personal taste with only a six-week turnaround time.
Having collaborated on multiple brand partnerships, Weiss understands the power of social media and decided to boost his collection direct to consumers, utilizing his loyal, style-obsessed following. To blow up awareness around the collection, Weiss stars in a social-first campaign that highlights his adventures across New York City focusing on Air (The iconic, photogenic TWA Terminal), Land (vintage Land Rovers) and Sea (boat trip anyone?). “This collection is a combination of my travel uniform and just the insane things I’ve always to have but couldn’t find anywhere like a pair of perfect blue pebbled leather loafers,” Weiss explains. “We decided to highlight it all in a look book so we ran around the city from the TWA terminal to Brooklyn Coach Works (where Daniel Marcello is hiding out with a trove of perfect vintage Land Rovers) to the Manhattan harbor on a Hinckley picnic boat that I’m scheming on how to steal!” Welcome to the jet-set. WWW.ALTONLANE.COM
ANKARI FLORUSS
Moti Ankari, a.k.a. “The Metro Man” (@motiankari, 192K) and Marcel Floruss (@marcelfloruss, 444K) of the mens shoe brand Ankari Floruss are two blogger buddies and part of the original wave of social media menswear influencers. Both have a similar approach and aesthetic when it comes to their social platforms, which made going into business a seamless move.
The two friends see Ankari Floruss as “an extension of themselves.” “We have a genuine love for the product. Every shoe is something that we would wear, and do wear,” says Floruss. The duo’s personal aesthetic plays hand in hand with their consumer who all follow the pair’s every move on Instagram. And Ankari Floruss recently scored their first major national account with Nordstrom. Influencer marketing was a huge push in starting the business, especially starting off as selffunded small business. They use their influencer pals, like Joey Zauzig, to model the shoes, which naturally leads to more exposure and sales. “I absolutely love wearing something that I created and something I can call mine,” says Ankari. “But what I love even more is seeing people wearing my shoes and loving them. I feel like a proud dad!” WWW.ANKARIFLORUSS.COM