Fashion insiders to follow on TikTok

After the initial scepticism, we all realised it: TikTok is much more than comedy sketches, ballets, lip-syncing, recipes or hacks on how to make the perfect cat eye. The creators entertain us, offer us an interesting perspective on current issues, make us feel less alone when they admit weaknesses and flaws, boost our self-esteem, encourage us to experiment with new dishes and travel, give us advice and increasingly show and explain things we've never thought about or worlds we haven't experienced first-hand. Especially when it comes to fashion. Especially during fashion weeks, the number of videos dedicated to reviews, interviews and behind-the-scenes moments is increasing, revealing the secrets and everything you don't normally see but revolves around the fashion industry. The style, format and segment they focus on depends on the creator, but from @tanner.leatherstein smashing luxury handbags to find out if we're spending our money well to the super cool @brendahashtag with her honest, humorous and straightforward take on influencers and brands, TikTok always offers a new perspective to ponder.

Here are 5 fashion insiders you should follow on TikTok.

@tanner.leatherstein

Volkan Yilmaz, better known as Tanner Leatherstein, is a skilled leather goods craftsman who has become famous on social media for a format in which, armed with scissors, knives, solvents and other tools of the trade, he dissects, dismantles and almost destroys luxury handbags. The purpose? "To give people objective data to understand leather, to give information about the quality of the products - I want to help them understand what they're paying for." In his videos, he analysed specific bags from Chanel, Gucci, Loewe, Louis Vuitton, Prada and Bottega Veneta using his technique, estimating each time how much it would cost to make a similar product. He found that in most cases the exorbitant prices of these accessories were not justified by the quality of the materials or the precision of the workmanship, but by the status and prestige of the brand.

@ginevrasalustri

Ginevra Genovese, born in 2000, long red hair, freckles and translucent skin: she has been a model since she was a little girl. During the lockdown, she thought, why not share my experience on TikTok? Since then, she has been posting videos showing her life and work. With irony and a certain elegance that is not compromised at all, she gives her followers a glimpse into her dating life, how she does her make-up according to the latest beauty trends or how she dresses for special occasions, but most interesting is the part about her career. Geneva shares tips & tricks about models and the fashion world, explains what happens at castings and photo shoots, and how to avoid scammers who offer paid courses for book and attitude.

@abyleigh

Abygale Leigh Cochran is the Designated Sales Associate for Schiaparelli at New York luxury department stores' Bergdorf Goodman. So she decided to use her experience and work to showcase the brand's creations under the direction of Daniel Roseberry. The American fashion designer offers her followers a kind of re-examination of the star collections of the latest fashion shows that have just arrived in the shop, going into the details that are often precious and eccentric in the case of Schiaparelli.

@pollysfittingroom

"Fashion? A fascinating, multi-layered universe" is how Anna Paola Vergani, founder of PFR (Polly's Fitting Room), describes the industry in which she has made a career, and also the world she wants to tell as an insider via TikTok. What is special about her videos? She explains and illustrates the differences and specific skills of the fashion professions, from fashion consultant to stylist, from project developer to digital marketing and communication expert. Between tips and behind-the-scenes looks, Anna Paola helps fashion lovers find their way in the industry.

@brendahashtag

Fashion curator, owner of vintage fashion platform Disruptive Berlin and fashion editor of 032c Brenda Weischer is one of the most interesting influencers today. She studied at Central Saint Martins, has expertise and a passion for archival fashion, and is one of the few who dares to criticise the brands that pay her rent and her colleagues. On her TikTok profile, there is that, an alternative and quite honest voice on the fashion business, but also behind-the-scenes moments of catwalk shows, reviews of vintage garments and always a peek into her wardrobe, which consists exclusively of black and white dresses, new and vintage, from brands such as Rick Owens, Ann Demeulemeester, Maison Martin Margiela, Helmut Lang, Comme des Garçons and Issey Miyake.