Fashion designers and influencers you need to follow on TikTok now

If we had to award a creator for her infectiously bright personality, Carla Rockmore would win by a landslide. The jewellery designer joined TikTok early last year sharing her eccentric and bold fashion choices – many of her early followers dubbed her as the real-life Carrie Bradshaw.

While her taste in colours and print may not be for everyone, Carla makes simple styling videos for any occasion. Be it painting the town red with your girlfriends, attending a gala, or going to a cinema, Carla shows us how versatile fashion can be while providing a taste of luxury from her extensive closet filled with current and vintage goods.

And just like that… we watched every video she’s ever posted in one sitting.

Thinking of getting in on the upcycling trend? Maybe regular fast fashion isn’t cutting it anymore. Well, Gunnar Deatherage’s TikTok is your friendly guide to sewing all sorts of clothes.

The Project Runway alum’s quirky aesthetic truly comes to life before our very eyes as he constructs a garment from start to finish using a plethora of materials and fabrics, patterns and his trusty dress form.

Don’t be fooled by how easy it looks — making a full-length gown or a biker jacket is a challenge. Hence, he uploads most of his original patterns on his website and longer YouTube videos with detailed instructions.

The pandemic has made many of us fall in love with sweats and flip-flops but as we slowly get back to socialising (at a safe distance, of course) we may need some help on how to dress for the occasion when we leave the house. Thankfully, TikTok is home to Gen Zs and millennials who are on the cusp of every trend. Vanessa Chen stands out with her edgy yet effortlessly stylish looks comprising of items that can be easily sourced online.

 

We’ve all been there: We open our closets, take a glance and decide that we have absolutely nothing to wear. Sometimes, we just need to jazz up our aesthetic. This is where fashion influencers Wisdom Kaye and Maxine Wylde come in.

Maxine’s no filter approach extends from her personality and into her wardrobe filled with fluorescent leather, faux fur, sequinned, feathered garments and more in the mix with her neutral pieces. She barely breaks a sweat when matching items together.

Fashion has existed for centuries and while we seldom think about the minute details that come with our shopping escapades, specific designs, fabrics, and even buttons on our shirts have a practical purpose that dates back to our ancestors.

As a fashion and history enthusiast, Shae discusses clothing worn during the Victorian era to modern events such as the MET gala. But some of her best content revolves around the hygiene (or the lack thereof) of undergarments used during the Tudor era.

Let’s just say, we should be thankful for living in a technologically savvy time of human existence.

Everyone always needs style inspiration right? Look no further than Indonesian-born TikToker Thessa who creates videos on how to style oversized shirts, put together a modest fit for work (since many of us are now returning to the office) and even what to wear to the supermarket. She also shows various ways to style a single piece of clothing, which is great if you’re looking to change things up and build a capsule wardrobe in the new year.

Follow her at @thsaurus

Based in London, the 19-year-old fashion TikToker shares her outfits and how to style clothing for different occasions, such as running errands or your next museum date. Not only that, but she also runs a business selling assorted vintage streetwear, holding various pop-up events in London every month. If you love watching unboxing videos, you should definitely check out her account.

Follow her at @strateraa

You might have heard of Wisdom Kaye on TikTok, but he’s better known as the most stylish guy on the platform, and we couldn’t agree more. Known for his ultra high-fashion outfits inspired by things like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he has amassed a whopping 7.5 million followers on TikTok (that’s more than the population of Singapore!). His videos also show him unboxing copious amounts of packages sent to him from brands like Dior and Balmain, as well as other styling videos.

Follow him at @wisdm8

Stockholm-born Vietnamese fashion influencer Julia Dang’s TikTok videos are such a visual treat with her bold transitions and even more audacious style. She also shares how she DIYs clothes she finds at thrift stores, and her stunning manicured nails. After all, no outfit is complete without a pretty set of nails, right? Julia also runs her own independent clothing label, DANG STHLM, and a Youtube channel called The Line Up where she uploads weekly vlogs, lookbooks and thrift shopping hauls.

Follow her at @dang.julia

The French designer is known for his designs with a certain je ne sais quoi inspired by his hometown of Marseille, and his videos exude that dreamy summer-getaway-at-the-French-Riviera vibe. Despite his infrequent posting on Tiktok, he has already amassed 184.6K followers – now that’s impressive.

Follow him at @jacquemus.

Ever since Rousteing was appointed as Balmain’s creative director in 2011, he has transformed the storied fashion house into one that appeals to a younger crowd, all thanks to his contemporary designs. And he’s now one of the few designers to join Tiktok, expanding his reach to a wider audience with cool, stylish and fun videos.

Follow him at @balmain.

Remember that Tiktok video featuring two stylish women walking down the street that went viral some months back? That was on Chinese fashion designer Loora Wang’s account. With almost 30K followers on Tiktok and 3.6 million followers on Douyin (a Chinese version of Tiktok), she often creates cool content that showcases her designs from her own fashion label, Loora PWD, with her sister.

Follow her at @loora8888.

The CEO and creative director of contemporary label Alice + Olivia shows us what it’s like being in quarantine with kids. Her videos also offer a peek behind-the-scenes at campaign shoots, often with pops of vibrant colours – and her close to 70K followers are obsessed with them.

Follow her at @aliceandolivia.

A version of this story was first published in Her World's July 2020 issue. It has been subsequently updated.