Thomas Woods recaps the news that social media platform TikTok is preparing for their first ever live fashion event.
Popular social media and streaming platform TikTok are looking to take over the fashion world with their latest venture into the British industry’s most high-profile event – The Fashion Awards. Historically, the event has been laden with the best of the best celebrities, ranging from Rihanna to Kendall Jenner. Having extended its relationship with the British Fashion Council, the mega-popular social media platform is said to be looking to incorporate several of its key characteristics to the event. This ranges from TikTok-first performances to the stars of the platform playing hosts and being guests.
As the event’s November 29th date rolls around, James Stafford, the head of partnerships and community at TikTok in the U.K., stated: “We’ll be bringing our creators, almost all of whom will be attending this kind of event for the first time. So we’re thinking of ways on how to make the red carpet much more like TikTok and add value to it rather than take anything away.” He went on to discuss how the event will look to include the sensory elements of TikTok too, such as its classic sounds and effects. Additionally, it will pair this with the more traditional elements of award shows, such as red carpet interviews.
Stafford went on to discuss the overall vision of the event and what this means for both fashion and TikTok as a platform: “As we get further and further into our fashion vision, we’re thinking about what is the essence of fashion on TikTok. We’re hoping who we bring really reflects that.” As the platform infiltrates higher establishment events, the public gets to see more of some of the most coveted events in the world. Stafford believes that audiences can now expect a “real show” with the new elements and inclusion that TikTok is looking to bring.
With fashion being the fastest-growing area of TikTok over the past year, the platform is capitalising on this trend in a big way. TikTok’s association with last year’s London Fashion Week only furthers this. The chief executive officer at the British Fashion Council, Caroline Rush, underlined a targeted mission that uses TikTok to turn the event into a “global entertainment platform, expand[ing] its reach and keep[ing] up with the changing nature of fashion, innovation and technology”.
Change is very much the word here.
