Fashion lovers have never had a more extensive variety of mediums to nurture and inspire their favorite form of art. From magazines covers and images from fashion shows, to watching actresses or singers at award shows and following your favorite celebrities on Instagram, fashion is everywhere.
- But what makes something fashionable? Does the artist — the designer — make the fashion, or does a celebrity make the fashion?
- Yves Saint Laurent was renowned for his creativity designing beautiful, feminine clothing, including “power suits” for women. Christian Dior became known for his distinctive “New Look” silhouette. From t-shirts to ball gowns, Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren changed American fashion. And Coco Chanel was the only fashion designer to be named on Time 100’s Most Important People of the Century list.
- The fashion industry introduces new styles every season, but the industry would not be as omnipresent as it is today without the help of influential fashion icons. Think about all the classic style icons of the last 75 years.
- Grace Kelly was known for her classic, sophisticated, feminine, impeccably-tailored style. But she really solidified her position in fashion when Hermès renamed one of their purse designs, the Kelly Bag, after the actress was spotted toting the bag on several occasions. When you think of the little black dress, you can’t help but think of Audrey Hepburn. Her classic look from Breakfast at Tiffany as Holly Golightly is one of the most iconic Old Hollywood images in pop culture.
- Actress Katharine Hepburn ushered in a menswear trend. And nobody popularized and helped sell more Halston pillbox hats or boxy Chanel suits than Jackie Kennedy. She captured the public’s attention with her simple yet chic fashion sense, and left a legacy by reshaping fashion’s view of conservative clothes.
- But celebrities aren’t the only ones paid to wear designer labels. Consider the Kardashians and other popular social media celebrities. Social media stars are creating very profitable careers in the fashion world. The most famous fashion bloggers and social media influencers can make $20,000 or more just to feature a brand one time on their Instagram feed. And some are making over a million by picking up influencer modeling contracts.
- And here’s an example to ponder: Wrap dress icon and design legend Diane von Furstenberg has 1.7 million Instagram followers while teen YouTube sensation Bethany Mota has more than 10 million followers. Mota isn’t necessarily shaping modern aesthetics. She’s not creating thousands of fashion-related jobs. But Mota, and many others like her, is a face of success in the fashion industry.