TikTok enters world of fashion with runway livestreaming for YSL, LV and others

TikTok has launched a month-long fashion event titled "#TikTokFashionMonth". From now until 8 October, the social media platform will celebrate fashion using a series of hashtags, livestreams, and new creative effects. 

TikTok will host two livestreams per week, featuring runway shows by luxury designers including Saint Laurent, JW Anderson, and Louis Vuitton. Besides "#TikTokFashionMonth", other hashtags that will be used throughout the month to engage users are "#GetTheLook" and "#Fashion101". 

On 8 October, the #TikTokFashionMonth will end with TikTok Runway Odyssey- a virtual fashion runway livestream in partnership with fashion brands PUMA and Alice & Olivia. The fashion runway livestream will see creators making runway debuts, and provide consumers with the first-hand sales of exclusive capsule collections.

For the live stream, PUMA has also partnered with Black TikTok creators and designers for its exclusive collection, and will be donating US$10,000 in proceeds from the sales to the "Equal Justice" Initiative. Meanwhile, Alice + Olivia co-designed its exclusive capsule collection with TikTok and will have top creators such as Melaine and Miranda Wilking, Janette Ok, and Bria Jones model the designs. A portion of the proceeds from the Alice + Olivia capsule will go to the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

The #TikTokFashionMonth comes as the company recognise how fashion brands and creators have to find new ways to connect and engage with consumers during this period. "For designers and fashion lovers everywhere, September is the month to usher in our fave fall trends. But this year it’s different. With the majority of people still quarantined at home, and limiting their social engagements, brands have had to quickly pivot to discover new ways to connect with their customers while also bringing creative streetwear and runway to fans. That’s where TikTok comes in," the company said in a press release. 

CeCe Vu, fashion content partnerships lead at TikTok, said with the #TikTokFashionMonth is another way for its brand partners to leverage the platform's authentic and community-driven approach to showcase their art, creativity and personalities. 

"We've seen the fashion industry reinvent what luxury fashion means to culture and society through TikTok by bringing fashion into the homes of our community during quarantine. We're so thrilled to be able to offer an inclusive and immersive virtual fashion month experience for our community and are excited to see how they engage with each piece of live programming, hashtag challenge and creative effect," Vu added.

Most recently, TikTok faced resistance from Donald Trump as the president of the United States said it would ban the social platform over privacy concerns. Trump later said the platform will not be banned if it sells its US operations. Since then, TikTok's CEO Kevin Mayer resigned from his post, despite taking on the role in May this year. According to multiple media reports, Mayer explained that the role he signed up for “will look very different” as a result of the government pressuring ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, to sell off its US business.

Photo courtesy: 123RF

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