How Social Media is fueling new aesthetics

There's a lot to be said about social media, and one thing for certain is that it's current cultural gold in terms of identifying trends. All signs point to social media as a tool that progresses the democratization of fashion, a shift that has been in motion, but was catalyzed during the pandemic when nearly everything happened on our screens. This time period was pivotal, in that it gave increased access and visibility to events like fashion week shows, which at the time were held with limited or no audience. Suddenly anyone around the world had the same on-screen view as insiders, which garnered arguably more interest from "outsiders," as well as gave birth to quarantine trends like cozy loungewear, zoom tops and nap dresses. Ultimately, it's those outsiders who had something valuable to say, adding to the democratization of fashion through their voice on social media channels. It's imperative that we understand how the industry has changed and how we should leverage social media to tap into current cultural aesthetics.