NC TREND
Fashion
FASHION FORWARD LOCAL SOCIAL INFLUENCERS GAIN STATURE AS TRENDSETTERS.
BY MEGAN BIRD
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▲ Adkins juggles styling clients, social media and modeling.
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N O R T H
▲ Whitley Adkins helps drive fashion trends in Charlotte.
Carolina stylist and fashion influencers such as Raleigh’s Marche Robinson (@marcherobinson) and Charlotte’s Rachel Brown (@queencitychic) and Jan Correll (@silver_isthenewblonde) have turned to social media to build major followings. Charlotte-based professional fashion stylist Kristin Heinrich says social media is not only a free source for marketing but also inspiration. “One hundred percent of my business is run or fed through Instagram,” says Heinrich, who has never paid for advertisements outside a website domain. A Richmond, Va., native, Heinrich focuses on the personal side of fashion styling. Her services run the gamut from cleaning out clients’ closets to packing their suitcases to dressing them for important events. One of her more popular services is personal shopping. “I basically spend my day spending other people’s money, so it’s really fun.”
PHOTOS COURTESY OF WHITLEY ADKINS
etting trends in the $1.9 trillion global fashion industry has long been portrayed as an exclusive club only for the rich or famous. But with the birth of social media, the industry has become more accessible to the public. Rather than runway shows and the glossy pages of high-fashion magazines, the latest trends can be accessed simply by scrolling through any social media platform. As the fashion industry continues to evolve, so does the way apparel is marketed to potential consumers. More than 1 billion people use Instagram each month, with 130 million users tapping on shopping posts each month, according to a study by social media management platform Hootsuite. About 50% of people have visited a website to make a purchase after seeing a product or service on Instagram. Global retail sales of apparel and footwear are expected to grow to more than $3 trillion by 2030, according to a report by Statista. Influencer marketing has changed the landscape of advertising. While the phenomenon is nothing new — the rich and famous have influenced trends for centuries — the rise of social media caused a renaissance. Now, it’s not just celebrities but normal folks, or “niche influencers,” that brands seek out. North
C A R O L I N A
7/22/21 11:49 AM