What Tube Girl's success at Fashion Week can teach us

Sabrina Bahsoon, a woman from London who recently went viral with her lip sync videos filmed inside the Underground, reached a staggering follower count 700k over summer, a quote that landed her the TikTok title of Tube Girl, and a front row seat during the last Fashion Month at the Valentino and Hugo Boss shows. Influencers are nothing new at Fashion Week, whether they are critics, beauty influencers, or TikTokers – they are always present. The amount of people they reach via their social media channels, plus their ability to upload show footage in real time, makes them very attractive candidates for a brand looking for a wide media coverage. With influencers becoming editors, celebrities becoming creative directors and TikTokers getting invited to high-profile fashion shows, one might wonder wether "making it" in the fashion industry now solely depends on your social media follower count. 

In the industry, the roles that are behind the scenes are very far away from the spectacle portrayed on social media, as behind the curtains of a catwalk your social media presence is of little to no relevance. On the flip side, wanting to be in the spotlight is a tricky situation. The nineties are long over, editors have been moved to the second row, replaced by celebrities and influencers jam-packing the first row. Whilst some old-school editors feel offended by this change, it makes sense, in a way. Most luxury brands are owned by large conglomerates like LVMH or Kering, whose main objective has always been profit. If an influencer, TikToker or content creator have a big advertising platform, their seating arrangement will be prioritised. At the end of the day, fashion is really just a business dictated by men in suits whose only scope is to sell. Some might argue that Sabrina "Tube Girl" Bahsoon has no special talent, and are therefore astonished at the fact that she is present at Paris Fashion Week. She does have a talent though – branding herself in a meticulous way. Within the shortest amount of time - her first Underground post seems to have been posted in the month of August - she found a niche for herself and started creating content. Her videos are addictive, a combination of viral sounds and energetic moves that perfectly align to social media's algorithm recipe. She has it figured out.

Earlier this year, Pharell was appointed as the creative director of Louis Vuitton Men's. Fashion students were appalled, they felt betrayed. Why should one spend thousands on an expensive education when the most desired job will be given to a celebrity anyway? Why should one learn skills when all that matters is a platform? These concerns are valid, but so were the reasons for Pharell's appointment. The system has changed, and the profits a label group wants to see are achievable if you know how to cater towards the mainstream. Looking at Tube Girl’s fame skyrocketing, will it last? First of all, that is hard to say, although most things that go from zero to a million struggle with longevity. As long as the algorithm plays in her favour, it makes sense to say in that niche. Right now, she is on top of her game, but with time passing, not only her but other people with large followings and platforms will actually have to demonstrate they are more than a mere one trick pony, just like the bloggers had to in 2007.