"Merchants of Cool": Social media effect on the Fashion Industry

When watching the video, “Merchants of Cool,” one topic that really stuck with me was the fact that there are certain people that “decide” the fashion trends, influencing the rest of the population. I believe that nowadays, social media fuels the fashion industry, introducing new fashion trends and introducing new products to the public.

In my opinion, YouTube has been one of the most popular platforms by fashion companies to promote their products. In addition, it’s also a place where ordinary teenagers can catch up with the latest trends and changes to the recent fashion. On YouTube, fashion brands are constantly creating innovative ways to connect with their customers, including engaging videos to showcase their products or commercials strategically placed to connect with teenagers. These videos promote the product rather than pushing the product—the viewers are able to watch videos like these without feeling the pressure to buy these products. Companies that create videos like these are often much more successful in the fashion industry.

Another way the fashion industry today has used YouTube to promote the “cool” trends is by sponsoring beauty and fashion vloggers. These celebrities, such as Zoella, have been paid by YouTube to review and marked the companies’ products. These influencers are essentially “puppets” for the brand they are advertising for. With these videos, millions of subscribers are acquired and new clothing trends become integrated into the ever-changing fashion world.

Instagram is even more of an asset to the fashion industry. Since fashion is visually driven, Instagram is the perfect platform for advertising clothes and reaching the widest range of audience possible. With the “See more” or the “Swipe Up” option on Instagram, a video can be posted on someone’s “Story” and include a link to the website where the clothing item showcased in the video or image can be purchased. If Victoria’s Secret posts a video of a woman modeling in the company’s newest dress, with the “See more” feature, the viewer can quickly access the link to purchase the exact dress. This allows for an effortless and convenient way to purchase clothing one finds appealing in one of the most popular had most used media platforms today.

So who decides what is considered “cool” in the fashion world? In my opinion, it’s oftentimes the celebrities, bloggers, etc. that we idol that often control the purchases we make. They’ve created a huge impact on the way consumers shop, influencing what kinds of clothing are acceptable in society and what brands may not be considered “cool.” Besides Instagram and YouTube, a multitude of blogging sites and social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr have all fed into the fashion industry, and connecting with the consumer by creating an “online presence.” In “Merchants of Cool,” the idea of a certain group of people deciding what is “cool” has made its effect by a successful use of social media advertising. Whether it’s sharing Instagram photos, tweets, or viral videos, social media has opened up the trends in the fashion industry to many people for wardrobe advice and fashion inspiration.