Here at PurseBop we’re often enthralled with the newest trends. We’ve followed the mini bag, micro bag, multi bag or any slur of weird and wacky crazes that have captivated the luxury fashion world in recent years. However, luxury fashion’s latest obsession may surprise you. No it’s not a microscopic Jacquemus bag even smaller than the last or an adaptation on the now staple sweatpants and pajama socks combo (thanks to quarantine). Rather, it’s the video-sharing social network TikTok.
That’s right: the hot platform used by teenagers to show off hip swiveling and body popping dance moves has been discovered by fashionistas across the globe. Why? Well, they’re using TikTok to showcase luxury collections. The platform also boasts videos chronicling the backstories of top brands and witty quizzes explaining what your favorite designer choice says about you. Will TikTok overtake more traditional forms of exhibiting designer purse collections and hot fashion inspo such as YouTube and Instagram? Or will the platform’s foray into the world of luxury fashion be as fleeting as one of its dance trends?
@emiri_aizawa
Fashion and lifestyle influencer Leonnie Hanne is one of the leaders of this quirky method of sharing luxury. Whether a Dior unboxing, impersonating Carrie Bradshaw storing designer shoes in her oven or singing along to a catchy song in homage of her love for bags (we can certainly understand), Hanne flexes her luxury obsession on her TikTok account. In one 15-second video alone our eyes are treated to the coveted Bogetta Veneta pouch, Fendi Baguette, Louis Vuitton Capucines, Dior Saddle bag, Lady Dior, Louis Vuitton’s Twist bag and Chanel’s Tweed Pearl Handle Flap bag to name just a few!
@leoniehanne For my bag lovers! Show me your fav bags by using my audio (and tag me in your vid!)???? #fashion #tiktokfashion #bag
♬ I like BAGS - leoniehanne
Photo courtesy of @leonniehanne
Photo courtesy of @leonniehanne
Photo courtesy of @leonniehanne
Photo courtesy of @leonniehanne
Hanne participated in TikTok’s hilarious ‘First Time in Heels’ challenge. We saw her pretending to stumble in a pair of high heels before strutting down the sidewalk of her London home wearing a chic oversized fuchsia blazer and toting the Jacquemus Le Chiquito.
@leoniehanne First time wearing heels... ???? Had to try this trend ???? #tiktokfashion #style #fashion
♬ nursery - bbno$
Hanne boasts over 200K TikTok followers which seems meager compared to her 2.2 million followers on Instagram. However, considering her first post was only in March it is pretty impressive.
Camila Coelho is another prominent fashion influencer branching out into TikTok. Her videos revel in all things glamorous, showcasing the top 5 fun bags in her closet. These range from the J’adior Flap bag to the Louis Vuitton Petite Malle. Viewers are treated to details of her fashion week escapades as well as a peek into the allure of her life as a luxury lover.
@camilacoelho Top 5 FUN BAGS in my closet! #foryou #fyp #foryoupage #asmrchallenge #bags #fashion #top5
♬ original sound - camilacoelho
Furthermore, bag challenges have swept the platform. The classic #bagchallenge tasks users with showcasing their cheapest bag, most expensive, favorite, the bag they never use, the most extra etc. Some tasks are even broken down by brand. For example, in the #louisvuittonchallenge, #diorchallenge (a favorite of @leonniehanne) and #chanelchallenge TikTokers select their newest, oldest, favorite, smallest and largest purse from each designer. The #GivenchyActingChallenge, expertly undertaken by Hanne and stylist and blogger Chriselle Lim, among others, instructs users to act out the emotions of astonishment, fear and ecstasy. Lim even amusingly relates these emotions to the process of finding your dream purse (sooo relatable).
@chrisellelim The 3 emotions of finding your dream bag ???? Welcoming @givenchy to TikTok! #givenchyactingchallenge #givenchy #fashion #ootd #bags
♬ Givenchy Acting Challenge - givenchy
It’s no surprise that fashion influencers and YouTubers are leading TikTok’s venture into the luxury fashion sphere. However, instead of influencers regurgitating content from other platforms, TikTok has created an entirely different space for luxury fashion content. For example, luxury fashion YouTuber @ericasgirlyworld gives her hilarious take on the disparities between shopping in different luxury stores and what your luxury bag says about you. One comical video references those luxury lovers splurging on designer gems and having no money left for rent (unfortunately, we understand)! Carrie Bradshaw anyone? Her page includes videos of her sporting designer ensembles scored by popular TikTok songs such as the fierce anthem ‘I’m a Savage’.
@ericasgirlyworld I’m a savage ???????????????????? #fashion #luxury #ericasgirlyworld #dior #lookbook #flex
♬ Savage - Megan Thee Stallion
Similarly, in hilarious fashion she parodied TikTok’s ‘I want it, I got it’ trend. For those not familiar, these videos feature an onscreen image of an item before someone snaps their fingers and the actual item appears. @ericasgirlyworld demonstrates an array of designer gems materializing before showing a Hermès Birkin and her subsequent frustration when it fails to appear (known all too well for some of us). TikTok accounts showcasing luxury fashion provide us with an extension of classic TikTok humor and offer a jovial style of discussing the world of luxury fashion not seen before.
@ericasgirlyworld Hermes lovers will understand this ???????? #luxury #hermes #ericasgirlyworld #fashion #louisvuitton
♬ Parody sounds - gsmandlsixnevew
Arguably, this unapologetic honesty and brashness has been amusing fashion fanatics for a while now. The Instagram account @diet_prada has garnered 1.8 million followers thanks to its merciless calling out of copycat designs and bad behaviour from the industry. The account’s witty banter and snappy captions have attracted fans like Naomi Campbell and British Vogue editor Edward Enninnful. What @diet_prada has been teasing its followers with since the account’s conception in 2014, TikTok gives its users a space to practice themselves. Luxury lovers can proudly and boldly express devotion to style. Themes range from the emboldened confidence new looks give them to the financial worries of forking out thousands for the latest designer bag.
Photo courtesy of @dietprada / Instagram
The platform allows for a great deal of versatility when it comes to videos. Far from just quirky purse-related challenges and catchy TikTok trends, TikToks can provide followers with useful tips as well as analytical observations about the industry. One user demonstrates how to frame luxury shopping bags as a DIY trend to curb quarantine boredom. Another opines on the cutest color to monogram your LV bag. @lovefromjackie, an assistant fashion buyer by day, provides bite-sized analytical commentary on the state of the luxury market post coronavirus.
@lovefromjackie Talking about how the luxury market is being redefined, what do you think?#luxuryfashion #consumertrends
♬ original sound - lovefromjackie
TikTok allows us a behind the scenes glimpse of the fashion influencer life, stereotyped as glamorous and somewhat illusive. Viewing montages of Hanne’s and Coelho’s travels through romantic European cities and the backstage preparation of @ericasgirlyworld before filming a YouTube video shows these glitzy fashion personalities in a different, and perhaps more authentic, light.
@ericasgirlyworld showcasing her love for designer purses.
@camilacoelho Last Fashion Week look of the day! ???? #ForYou #Foryoupage #fyp #fashionweek #fashion
♬ My Heart Went Oops - Tiagz
TikTok’s embrace by premier fashion influencers and YouTubers, who must keep up with social media trends, is no doubt a good sign for the platform’s popularity. Thus far, it has managed to carve out a style for itself distinctive from its precursors. Furthermore, major fashion brands like Givenchy and Jacquemus also have jumped on the TikTok band wagon. All of this further legitimizes TikTok’s position as a relevant luxury fashion platform.
The question remains whether this is just TikTok’s proverbial fifteen minutes of fame. Is it just a shiny new object – a newfangled sharing tool? Conversely, does the platform have a long-term appeal distinctive from other sharing platforms. Put differently, will TikTok challenge YouTube and Instagram as the media of choice for fashion influencers?
While it is unlikely that the dominance of platforms such as YouTube and Instagram within the luxury fashion industry will be totally eclipsed by this newbie, it is undeniable that TikTok offers a distinctive way of showcasing and sharing luxury fashion unlike any mainstream platform seen before. The platform and its trends are instantaneous and always changing, much inline with our modern day lives and attention spans. It will certainly be interesting to see where TikTok’s place within the industry is heading but our bet is that this is no quick fad.
Love, PurseBop
XO
Updated: May 28th, 2020
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