Has TikTok become the leading platform for fashion and beauty trends?

Words By Sizwe Shablala

When TikTok launched in 2018, there weren’t many people who would’ve predicted how quickly the app would grow in popularity. It could be argued that the pandemic played a big part in the rise of TikTok. When everyone suddenly found themselves in lockdown, they turned to their phones for entertainment. Suddenly, apps such as Instagram, YouTube and TikTok saw a rise in traffic on their platforms as content creators were finding ways to keep everyone entertained. TikTok quickly became an easily accessible platform that served as a creative outlet for people who were no longer able to go outside to express themselves in traditional settings. It also became an entry point for people who, perhaps, never quite mastered Instagram but felt like TikTok might be more relatable and inclusive. Some of the biggest things that have become associated with TikTok in the last 2 years are beauty and fashion trends.

The rise of TikTok as a popular platform for fashion trends and inspiration has meant that brands have started taking the platform seriously and are even using the platform to find talent in terms of fashion models. Brands are also using the platform to stay up to date with the current trends as they are being created. Scouts and modeling agencies have also seen the value in TikTok because of how many new faces they get to see on the daily on the platform.

Powerhouse fashion brands such as Louis Vuitton and Saint Laurent joined the platform and even live streamed their runway shows from their accounts at some point. This was a very pivotal moment because, for so long, these fashion houses had become known for debuting their new collections via carefully curated photoshoots and traditional seasonal runway shows. Thanks to the impact of TikTok, these brands now recognise the importance of incorporating an essential human element to how they approach fashion, especially when operating in a space driven by Gen-Z and Millennials.

Many content creators who were just showcasing their makeup skills or fashion enthusiasts sharing their daily outfits have had their work find its way to brand and agency reps who have gone on to change their lives. For many people, especially content creators, when Instagram was the dominating app, Pinterest was where they would curate and come up with ideas and Instagram was the platform they used to implement those visual ideas. Nowadays, we are seeing more fashion influencers who are already established on Instagram, use TikTok as the place to flesh out their fashion ideas and then presenting them in a more focused and curated manner on Instagram.

What TikTok has also managed to do is provide an opportunity for regular folk to showcase their fashion styles, some using designer labels and others using thrifted items. This has become a breath of fresh air because now you get to see fashion being presented in a more unfiltered and more relatable kind of way. TikTok has a raw human element to it that has been missing on other social networks like Instagram.

A show like Insecure has been credited as one of the major players in how popular the 90’s thrift trend became and more recently, the hit show Euphoria has definitely impacted the Y2K trend. Gen-Z has been at the forefront of TikTok content and so, when a show such as Euphoria made its season 2 comeback, it was the Gen-Z who were spearheading the trends inspired by the show. Even Zendaya was aware of just how popular the show had become among teens and so, she took it upon herself to issue a disclaimer statement before the first episode of season 2 aired, reminding the public that the show actually deals with very serious topics, despite its glitz and glam aesthetics.

Beyond the fun, entertaining, mini videos from creators showcasing their fashion styles and creating new trends, the fashion side of TikTok has also become a place for brands to pull back the curtain and show their consumers how they make their clothes. This, in turn, has created a space for teaching, learning and engaging conversations about sustainability and clean fashion. For new designers and emerging brands, TikTok has become a place for them to promote their incredible designs on the app for free. There have been a number of boutique labels that have found ways to thrive and grow, thanks to a platform such as TikTok.

It should be noted, however, that Twitter still seems to be the platform for more nuanced fashion commentary. For the most part, TikTok is appealing because of its unfiltered approach and so, even when it comes to brand reviews and their clothes, you get to hear honest takes from content creators and just regular folk. For many Millennials and Gen-Z’s, TikTok has been a big influence when it comes to dictating their seasonal fashion looks as well as consumer behaviour. In 2021, the app even introduced “#TikTokFashionMonth” — an initiative which was aimed at showcasing the some of the best fashion and beauty content creators on the platform.

All of these positives are not without a few concerns from some people, especially regarding things like fast fashion and its lasting effect on the industry. You can’t win them all. What we do know, however, is that right now in this moment, the influencer marketing industry has grown exponentially in the last 2 years and brands recognise the important role influencers play in this modern way of doing business. With an increasing need for a more organic approach to how brands engage with their consumers, the need for a human element to their marketing has become extremely important and so, it makes sense that TikTok is one of the platforms on which this revolution is taking place.