About GWHS Eagle Eye

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BY MOLLY JONES

Imagine being a new designer and having your first show, and when you look out into the crowd all you see in the front row is influencers on their phones while your designs are on the runway, not paying attention to what you have worked so hard to produce. In today’s art industries influencers are seen by fashion brands as a marketing move, but what cost comes with using influencers for marketing? The cost I have so often seen is that influencers are sitting front row at these shows and not paying attention, promoting unethical consumption habits, and contributing to the loss of creative freedom in fashion.

Influencers are often paid by brands to wear their clothing, come to their shows, or make videos for them. That is not the problem, the problem is when influencers begin promoting fast fashion brands that often steal other fashion brands’ designs to make at a lower cost with unethical labor. Influencers promoting unethical companies and then showing up to a designer show at New York Fashion Week is almost contradicting and depletes the intricacy of a piece, creating a culture around virality over substance. The blatant disregard for overconsumption’s effects on our environment while also appearing front row at high quality fashion shows is not only extremely ignorant but it is also ill-mannered. The appearance at fashion shows used to be centered around photographers and journalists who appreciated the designs and crafts, almost admiring them. “The Influencer Revolution” an article featured in Harvard Politics, which looks into the effect that influencers have had on the fashion industry specifically how influencers have “normalized a mindset of overconsumption which has even found its way into “sustainable fashion,” as seen by the massive “sustainable thrift hauls” which still lead to waste.”

The ignorance regarding fast fashions design stealing and unethical practices while also having access to high quality fashion and having the choice to promote sustainable habits can be seen as just disrespectful to the designers who devote their lives to creating these pieces. Influencers have also led to the deterioration of personal style, while yes inspiration is always nice, influencers are causing people to lose their creativity and replace it with what their favorite influencer wears and promotes. Through this designers are losing their creative freedom to adhere to the styles that are trending and people want. Trends like model off duty, mob wife, and all things of the sort have popped up, and every time people flock to whatever is most popular.

The study of this has been a hot topic as of recent, especially with TikTok’s influence on what people are wearing. In an analysis article by Disa they describe how “TikTok’s digital ecosystem replaced traditional real-world influences, with TikTok becoming the arbiter of what was considered stylish and desirable”, TikTok influencers not only create trends but they also follow them. For example the era where everyone was flocking to the Kendall Jenner Model Off Duty look, everyone was buying the same white t-shirt and jeans as each other.

The consistent change in trends which are influenced heavily by creators on platforms like TikTok and instagram is slowly breaking down the art of one’s personal style. Creating a copy over and over of the same similar look depleting one’s own personal style. In addition it causes designers to lose their control over what they are making, they need to make money and to do that they have to do what is popular. This is contributing to the loss of the creative portion of fashion on the designers end and the consumer end.

New York Fashion Week, a popular event among celebrities and any regular civilian alike has routinely showcased the ignorance of some influencers. Influencers were seen sitting front row at these shows while not even paying attention to the designs. They were either taking videos or frankly just not paying attention and being on their phones

At Paris Fashion Week 2025, Karissa Mitchell described how “I found myself watching the entire collection through someone else’s iPhone screen. The woman seated directly in front of me was holding her phone high, live-streaming the runway”. This begs the question of influencers truly paying attention to what they are seeing. Influencers are hindering not just their ability to enjoy the show but also everyone else’s. Influencers do have positive effects on brands, when they make a video about something it brings the brand more revenue from the trend they have created, which is presented as a good impact on fashion brands ability to stay in business. In addition many influencers are not actually rude at all and are actually respectful.

However, if that is the case, why are we constantly seeing this issue pop up across different countries, fashion shows, and fashion weeks. If it’s not a problem people like Alix Earl should be seen off their phones enjoying the runway and promoting the true designers online. We don’t see that, influencers like Alix Earl and Addison Rae have been spotted at multiple high fashion shows not even paying attention, among other influencers doing the same.

The overconsumption habits, disrespectful actions at shows, and fast fashion use by influencers is harming the fashion industry and its art. Even if influencers are seen as a wonderful investment of company money from a marketing standpoint. What does that mean for the designer’s art?

In the future, fashion brands’ marketing team which decide guest lists should pivot towards filling their front rows with true creative fashion influencers, and people who will appreciate the art for what it is. Not through a phone lens or a livestream, just from one’s own eyes. You yourself can try to shop sustainably, avoid brands like Shein or Forever 21 which are notorious for stealing designs. Everyone has their own personal style and it’s important we all stay true to our creativity.