Are We In The Golden Age Of The ‘Influencer Brand’?
Much like how pop stars have to reinvent their careers to renew their relevance, so too do the original lifestyle influencers — those from the first wave of talent that disrupted the fashion and beauty industries in the early 2010s. A crop of these OG bloggers (made up in large part by millennial women who have spent the greater part of the last decade hawking products on social media) have started to pivot away from pure influencer marketing to start their own fashion, beauty and wellness brands. Arielle Charnas first linked up with Nordstrom to launch her Something Navy fashion line in 2018; this year, she’s going at it on her own, with investment from Silas Chou. Aimee Song and Camila Coelho partnered with what is arguably the kingmaker in the influencer universe, Revolve, to launch their own brands. Draya Michele also has a brand deal with Revolve, though hers exists in a smaller capacity. (Revolve doesn’t break out its sales data by brand in its financial filings, and the company declined to comment on the sales of its influencer brands.) Read more at Fashionista.