The 2022 islanders who made their claim to fame on ITV’s ‘Love Island’ have wasted no time in jumping into business, straight after the show’s finale at the start of August. As reality stars are becoming the face of more and more fashion brands, their impact in the fashion world and what consumers buy cannot be underestimated.

In the biggest deal in the show’s history, winner Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu has signed a £1 million deal with Oh Polly. It is reported that she signed to this brand as they align with her own ‘values of sustainability’, with their Environmental Manifesto found on their website. She wore Oh Polly 27 times on Love Island this year, all sourced from eBay, who partnered with the show to provide contestants with second-hand clothes, creating a more sustainable wardrobe.

As a result of this, fourth place contestant Tasha Ghouri revealed that she is eBay’s first ever pre-loved ambassador. On her Instagram, she expressed her excitement at the deal, and that she’s ‘always bought secondhand’, making the deal ‘a dream come true’. Being praised for her style throughout the show, a step into the fashion world for Tasha was not unexpected.

Another star tipped for success in the industry is finalist Gemma Owen, daughter of Mark Owen. Last week, it was reported that she was in talks for a six-figure deal with Boohoo, therefore being set to be in the same ranks as Ekin-Su, the show’s winner. Having released a swimwear line before the show, she has supposedly been bombarded with offers from high street brands to stock it. As we enter a social media and reality TV driven age, it is evident that the way the fashion industry is run is aligning more and more with what is ‘trending’ in the public eye.

You can read more of Amrit’s work at amritvirdi.journoportfolio.com , and @thevinylwriter on Instagram