Social media shows are fashion’s new advertising opportunity

This article on is part of our Vogue Business Membership package. To enjoy unlimited access to Member-only reporting and insights, our NFT Tracker, Beauty Trend Tracker and TikTok Trend Tracker, weekly Technology, Beauty and Sustainability Edits and exclusive event invitations, sign up for Membership here. “Strap in for a makeover fit for the circus,” declares creator Clara Perlmutter, aka @TinyJewishGirl, on the debut episode of her new makeover show, Clarafied, in which she tackles the wardrobe of a professional clown. Perlmutter’s show is one of several popping up across Instagram, YouTube and TikTok as creators seek new ways to engage their audiences while navigating ever-changing algorithms. Model and influencer Anaa Saber launched docuseries Behind the Scene — featuring New York creatives — in July 2023, while Leah Thomas, founder of non-profit Intersectional Environmentalist, debuted a show titled Earthy Stuff to mark Earth Month this April, which has remained ongoing. In It Girl (The Series), creator Bailey Taylor interviews ‘It-girls’ on the streets concerning their outfit choices, what they do for a living, and the women who inspire them. These fashion-focused programmes join an existing list of influencer-hosted shows that have developed loyal followings, from Davis Burleson’s TikTok interview series What’s Poppin? to comedy shows like Rachel Coster’s Boy Room, and Kareem Rahma’s Keep the Meter Running and Subway Takes. For brands, there’s a clear opportunity to tap into the fashion cohort — as long as they adapt to what this audience wants (hint: it’s not polished sponcon). “Fashion creators have always led the pack of creativity on Instagram, and are typically the first to experiment with new features or even invent new formats,” says Eva Chen, VP of fashion at Meta. “Creating their own shows continues to put the power directly into their own hands — with their mobile devices.” According to Chen, these creatives are now thinking beyond GRWM videos and are showing deeper and more authentic glimpses into their lives, or exploring topics personal to them such as culture, identity, environmentalism and politics. Perlmutter says she had held discussions about launching a makeover show with television production companies, but decided to do it on her own via her social channels. “I wanted to turn the genre on its head a little by incorporating this Gen Z ethos about self-expression,” she explains. She found inspiration in TV shows she grew up with, including British reality series What Not to Wear. But while she has nostalgia for them, they don’t always hold up against modern standards, especially since there was “quite a bit of cattiness and negativity”, she says. Doing her own show was a way to stand out from the crowd. “The market is more heavily saturated than it was when I started in the pandemic, and there is a lot of competition in the creator economy,” Perlmutter says. “I know I’m not the most commercial creator aesthetically, but I have an engaged audience and good name recognition. Doing a show felt like a way to carve out a more unique space for myself and give myself an exemption from the competition of traditional campaigns.” Fellow creator Thomas echoes this sentiment: “People are desperately trying to see what works with the various algorithms and it’s hard… There’s a value in using our platforms as our own little ‘channels’ and it feels empowering to create the content that we want.” Opening up the fashion industry These shows help to further democratise fashion, says Maria Coleiro, senior youth strategist at trend forecasting and consumer insights agency Fashion Snoops. “What was once an industry reserved for a small group of elite influencers is now expanding into the realm of nano or micro content creators and, in many ways, they are much more in tune with the subcultures of fashion, humour, street style and bubbling micro-aesthetics,” Coleiro says. “There’s a lot more dialogue now. Consumers and creators feel more connected than ever.” Perlmutter agrees, adding that her non-judgemental approach to fashion resonates with the TikTok audience. “In my own content, I post about how fashion is a form of self-expression for me, and this became a huge part of the mindset around fashion on TikTok… Fashion can be so bitchy and intimidating, but people feel like I am a safe person. This seemed like an opportunity to actually help people and connect with others [and] a way for me to bring the excitement back into creating content,” she says. Similarly, Taylor believes there’s a sense of candidness to It Girls that viewers respond well to. “I think the audience enjoys the short-form format and the opportunity to see different outfits and different women in their casual street style looks,” she explains. Some of the shows are opening up the inner sanctums of fashion to the consumer. For example, designer and founder of Knorts Eleanore Guthrie hosts a YouTube series documenting the intricacies of running her independent knit-denim brand. “I share things like showroom meetings, stylist pulls, design development, knitting on my knitting machines, the process of designing and developing a knit-denim collection for Urban Outfitters, phone calls, photoshoots etc,” she says. “I want [people] to see and better appreciate the process behind how Knorts end up in their wardrobe.” What brands need to consider The sponsorship opportunity is clear, but creators say they prefer to integrate their partners into the shows in some way, to make it feel more organic. The first episode of Clarafied, for example, was sponsored by Urbn-owned rental subscription service Nuuly, and the participant was given a complimentary subscription as well as styling by Perlmutter in the first month’s selection of clothes; the second was backed by dating app Hinge, whereby the participant’s Hinge profile was given a makeover. Taylor has partnered with the likes of Rotate Your Closet and Ramy Brook. “We work with brands to create content that aligns with our show such as sponsored episodes,” Taylor says. “We can interview New Yorkers on the street to talk about a brand, a launch, their favourite trends and tie it back to a fashion brand or feature their founders in a paid ad that appears in an ‘It-girl’ interview.” The series has also filmed episodes at activation pop-ups, showcasing attendees and asking them questions selected by the brand. Saber, meanwhile, held off on getting sponsors for the first season of Behind the Scene. “We wanted to establish a tried-and-true format and didn’t want to compromise so early on the integrity of the show,” she says. “For the next seasons, we’re opening up bespoke creative integrations with partner brands for both the overall season as well as episodic integrations.” She’s planning to go behind the scenes at New York Fashion Week with some of her favourite brands in September, including creating some paid-for content. Coleiro advises that brands adapt to new audience standards. “They should allow creators to have full control over how the product is displayed to maximise authenticity and engagement,” she explains. “Consumers don’t want to be sold to; they want to be entertained.” With this, she says, brands shouldn’t fear unlikely partnerships with niche creators — consumers crave conversation and novelty, and this could be a great way for a brand to stay culturally relevant. Meta’s Chen agrees, noting that traditional sponsored content can feel more surface level, but thinking beyond the standard OOTD video or try-on haul will empower creators to partner with brands in a more organic way. “Brands that want to participate in this trend should lean into the authenticity,” she says. Comments, questions or feedback? Email us at feedback@voguebusiness.com. More on this topic: The Instagram era of influencer brands is over. What now? Brands vs. influencers: Who holds more power? How the Notes app became Gen Z’s Clueless outfit generator

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