THE TIKTOK EFFECT
CATWALKS AND FRONT ROWS HAVE BEEN TRANSFORMED BY THE VIDEO APP, AS DESIGNERS VIE TO CREATE THE ULTIMATE VIRAL MOMENT
THOM BROWNE SWEARS HE DOESN’T PLAN ON GOING VIRAL when putting together his fashion shows; he doesn’t even think about how they might play on the internet. Instead, he crafts his runway moments – which, really, are much more like pieces of theatre – to tell a story to those attending in real life. ‘For me, it’s more interesting that you get this more intimate experience in regard to what the collection is saying, or what I want to say through the collection,’ Browne says.
Still, if you cast the Golden Globe-winning actress Michaela Jaé Rodriguez as a modern-day Cinderella and send her down the catwalk in a pink-tulle replica Cadillac to close the show, as Browne did for his spring 2023 collection, you’ll attract more than a few eyeballs online. And on TikTok there are a lot of eyeballs to be had: the hashtag #fashionmonth alone had a staggering 228 million views in September 2022.
Fashion has always found its way onto social media, whether through archive-obsessed Tumblr accounts or the in-depth analyses on high-fashion Twitter – and, of course, Instagram, with its reputation for glossy images, has been the reigning platform of choice for many years. But, armed with a video-forward ethos, TikTok is poised to take over.
‘Instagram almost feels like it’s very controlled, like a traditional media outlet,’ says Alyssa Mosley, a stylist and content creator who has found an audience on TikTok (@alyssamosley_). ‘[TikTok] is like the people’s platform.’
Intentionally or otherwise, the SS23 season was packed with eye-catching moments perfect for the kind of bite-size videos that find success on TikTok. Courrèges created a giant sandpit for its catwalk, while Gucci’s twin parade, with a cast of 68 pairs of identical twins revealed in a surprise finale twist, was a huge hit on the app. ‘I definitely think the larger brands with the budgets have been trying to achieve those viral moments,’ Mosley says. ‘A lot of brands are really having fun with their production and set design to draw attention.’
But perhaps no show illustrates the power of going viral quite like Coperni’s. In August 2022, the #coperni hashtag was doing admirably, clocking some 1.9 million views. Then, in September, the brand closed its SS23 show with a bang. Bella Hadid stepped onto a platform and was promptly sprayed down with a white material. With a few minor tweaks – a tug at the shoulders, a side slit to reveal some leg – she took her finale walk in a dress literally created on her body minutes before.
On social media, the proof is in the numbers: on TikTok, #coperni jumped to 7.3 million views in September, and then an astonishing 123 million views in October. (Hadid’s name gained power, too, with #bellahadid going from 272 million views in August to 524 million views in October.)
Another quick route to viral success? Tapping into celebrity, of course. Famous people have been a mainstay in fashion for decades, but brands looking for headlines know that an A-list name goes a long way. Dolce & Gabbana partnered with Kim Kardashian for its SS23 collection, while Balmain and Versace put Cher and Paris Hilton respectively on their runways. For his production, Browne tapped actress Gwendoline Christie to play ‘Charming’ alongside Rodriguez’s ‘Cindy’.
And, because TikTok has minted so many celebrities, designers are now inviting popular creators to sit front row at their shows, whether it’s Addison Rae at Givenchy or Wisdom Kaye at Ralph Lauren. ‘TikTok stars who wouldn’t traditionally be in the fashion space are being invited to a lot of different shows because they do draw attention,’ Mosley says.
True fashion fanatics need not fret, though: the focus is still on the clothes. Loewe’s trompe l’oeil pixelated pieces cut through, as did Maximilian Davis’ red-tinged Ferragamo debut.
Going viral on TikTok enables designers to reach an entirely new audience. ‘I love putting provocative ideas in front of people, opening them up to thinking differently about clothing or what’s going on culturally,’ Browne says. ‘I like a reaction.’