The Shift From Celebrities to Influencers
Are influencers the new A-listers?
by JOLIE ZENNA ★ SEPTEMBER 24, 2021
Influencers have been taking over the social scene this past month. Whether it be at the VMA’s, New York Fashion Week, or even the Met Gala, influencers from TikTok and YouTube have been inescapable at exclusive events. This raises the question: Are truly deserving of attending these honorable events and what do they even bring to the table?
Before the rise of social media, audiences could only expect to see critically acclaimed actors and musicians walk the red carpets. This made award shows and fashion events have an extreme elitist vibe, making them seem almost like another world to the average viewer. This season though, influencers like Dixie D’Amelio and Addison Rae made appearances at the Met Gala, making the invite list seem a lot less exclusive, which not everyone approved of.
Addison Rae, Met Gala
Dixie D’Amelio, Met Gala
Many people on Twitter made fun of these so-called “celebrities” showing off their gowns at the Met Gala or sitting front row at NYFW. They claimed these events are not the places for them and that they aren’t deserving of the invitations that were once only reserved for A-list stars. Although this brings up the point that influencers definitely change the overall vibe of the events, it might not be such a bad thing. Having influencers attend definitely attracts a new, much younger audience, and having had the lowest ratings in history over this past year, many award shows see that as a good thing. Invited influencers are promoting these events across all of their social media platforms, so having them in attendance may bring up ratings, even if viewers are just tuning in to mock them.
Designer brands partnering with influencers rather than with actors or singers also makes a lot more sense because when we go shopping, we usually look to see what the influencers we follow wear. They are much more relatable and attainable to us than A-list celebrities. This year at NYFW, TikTokers like Remi Bader, Tinx, Victoria Paris, and Audrey Peters were invited along with many others. A lot of these influencers’ content is fashion-related--Victoria Paris being known for her relatable street-wear and Remi Bader for her body-positivity in fashion .ven. Though Paris’s look was *questionable* to say the least, their presence at the event did make sense.
Victoria Paris, NYFW
Remi Bader, NYFW
Of course, it is easy to make fun of these influencers at A-lister events because they definitely look out of place... I mean, Dixie kind of looked like a muppet, and Addison literally re-wore one of Kourtney Kardashian’s dresses. On the other hand though, some influencers, like Emma Chamberlain and Eugene Lee Yang, kind of killed it at the Met Gala, so you have to hand it to them.
Emma Chamberlain, Met Gala
Eugene Lee Yang, Met Gala
Whether you like it or not, influencers are kind of taking over, so expect to see them at a lot more red carpet events. What you can look forward to are the memes that will definitely come along with their appearances.
Cover Photo Credit: NBC News