If you consider yourself a fashionista, find yourself watching style videos or saving posts featuring cute shorts to look at later, chances are you’ll find “niche-cool-girl” style videos.
Fashion videos that promise to expose viewers to “niche,” “underdog,” “cool girl” brands are flooding feeds and are gaining traction, especially on Instagram and TikTok. They are talking about the latest change away from those passing trends that need quick participation before dying at the end of the week. Now, people want a stylish style that speaks to them and gives them an individual look. That’s why these “cool girl” videos tend to do well and catch the attention of fashionistas.
Mia Jacobs, senior youth fashion strategist at trend forecasting firm WGSN, believes that “we’ve moved past the era of minimal trends and core aesthetics and into the era of individuality, where the focus is on developing personal style.” He continues: “Niche is the new trend of Gen Z; they prioritize authenticity and the culture of ‘IYKYK’ (if you know, you know) social commentary and personal values.”
This video format is how Yagmur Tok found his digital presence. The content creator-turned-writer-turned-writer started by focusing on “cool Turkish girl products” for platform designers from her home country. After seeing how his audience responded, he expanded into other independent brands that he previously considered niche or downgraded. “People are sick of shopping at the same five places and buying the same things,” she told Ujo Shop.
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Being the subject of these videos is quite an interesting experience, according to designers like Leeann Huang and Ella Mae, both owners of independent labels called “niche” or “cool girl” by Internet voices.
Mae tries to minimize the use of social media in her personal life, but she is familiar with it as a brand owner. He was introduced to this trend after being tagged in different videos of this type. “Stable,” “LA-based,” and “whimsical” are descriptors often associated with her brand within the “cool-girl” umbrella. “I am happy to be mentioned and included, and I hope they are really useful for people, who are trying to find a place to buy,” he said.
The videos she’s most excited to feature are “progressive” cool girls, as she makes sure people think carefully about their shopping habits — “because people are doing something cool, even if it’s just because of a trend,” she says.
Image: Come on Mae
Los Angeles-based designer Huang is used to seeing this type of content and believes it fits with the growth of fast, short-format content. “People are hungry to read these things, but it is difficult, to pay attention for a long time, today you have to read an article on the Internet,” he said. “It’s great when people read about my product, and it’s great to hear what they have to say. I think they’re pushing me to their audience, which is always helpful.”
When formatting this content, Tok aims to strike a balance between course selection and education. Her goal is for people to find where to go for things they like and to educate them on big fashion topics — like runway shows and trends — without telling them to “buy this dress” or “wear this top.”
Tok and the designers see these curated videos as one solution to the frustrations that the digital sphere can bring. For social feeds that can feel overly polluted, it can be helpful to have influencers do research to uncover hidden gems, regardless of the topic. They also believe that more consumers will buy from smaller companies if they know where to find them. Tok speaks bluntly, “No one knows what they are doing [including myself at times]and there is a lot of pressure on women and a lot of noise from random people.”
As Mae adds, “the content machine never stops,” so having boundaries to step outside of — while still having a sense of independence to explore — can provide the freedom many seek. “There’s an element of desire in a cool girl,” said Tok. Like, ‘if I buy this, I can be a better version of myself.’
Examining consumer behavior and desires continuously, Jacobs says the trend’s popularity points to three factors. First, “the online fashion community is moving from casual to active curation, where the focus is on creating a wardrobe that reflects authenticity and self-expression rather than strict style rules,” she explains. Second, “consumers also want to be a part of the designer’s journey or ‘beloved’ rather than just the end user, which leads to stronger private label brand relationships.” And finally, “in an AI-filled environment, we’re seeing a renewed appreciation for human artistry and the emergence of slow fashion — knowing exactly who made your clothes is becoming a status symbol.”
Jacobs notes that trend forecasters are seeing the rise of “non-algorithmic wear,” which blames regular trends for AI replication, and “minimizing” and “downsizing” approaches that seek to promote “high-quality, versatile and long-lasting pieces while also encouraging consumers to seek out unique items that complement their wardrobe.” This marks a departure from the “buy now” content on the other side of these apps.
Tok shares that, historically and in direct numbers, he has seen his audience prefer to buy classic brands and indie labels, as opposed to the usual fast fashion conglomerates.
When independent designers are featured in a “cool girl” style video, at least they get a boost in exposure. “I think keywords like ‘this kind of niche brand’ stay in people’s minds and are ignored,” Huang said. Although the higher price of their low-production clothes may lead to slow customer purchases, the exposure expands their audience and ultimately leads to more sales. Huang and Mae both confirm that some pieces continue to be sold because of this online debacle. They are now well-known brands of their products. (For example, Ella Mae’s Ivory and Twisting Vines skirt Monday outfit, and Fruit Sticker bags or Leeann Huang’s Twinkling Eye skirts).
Image: Hosted by Leeann Huang
When Huang first released the Blinking Eye skirt, she knew she had something special, yet the units priced at $330 each were not selling. Then came a viral video showing how cool and unique they were, and she sold 35 skirts, nearly tripling her previous month’s income.
Visualizing the relevance of content creators’ audiences, as well as their organic ones, also allows designers to understand which audiences their work resonates with. For two independent SoCal-based companies, social media is the central medium through which their designs reach places like New York, San Francisco, London, Japan and Australia. It has created opportunities that might not have been possible without the capital or infrastructure needed to tackle the traditional, often gated fashion industry. While this increase in the consumer base can be attributed to their marketing efforts and traditional media, the huge impact of social media cannot be denied.
Tok is able to track the tangible impact his content has on brands through the ShopMy platform. On that point, he can’t stress enough that he believes ShopMy can be independent designers today.
“It’s exciting to promote these designers,” he said. “I try to share with Turkish designers, Palestinian designers, many designers from the Middle East, Africa and Europe. I want [uplift] vision, quality and creativity.”
There are limitations to these types of videos, however, which makes Tok feel a bit clunky at times. One’s price point can be a barrier to one’s audience, who may have economic problems or, due to fast fashion, are now sadly unaware of the true value of ethical clothing production. Second, and the most controversial, is the limited scope of many products, but especially the classic niches.
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Huang highlights how difficult — and often frustrating — it can be for brand owners who don’t quite understand the concept of “always on” social media culture. Meanwhile, Mae shared that establishing legitimacy amidst the internet noise can be challenging. While social media provides a level playing field, it can blur the lines between established businesses and DIY creators, encouraging consumers to believe they can replicate designs rather than investing in the companies themselves. “Do you sell patterns for this? I want to make my own,” is the real question Mae gets about her designs.
In the same way, social virality can make independent designers susceptible to the fallacy of fast fashion; while dupes affect brands at all levels, they can especially hurt smaller designers who don’t have the prestige, support or investment of big luxury labels.
“It’s a delicate balance,” notes Jacobs. “Viral exposure can cause a sudden increase in orders that can overwhelm a small product’s infrastructure, production capabilities or stock levels, and can be even more challenging depending on the product’s geographic location.”
While supporting independent brands takes a multi-pronged approach, all parties agree that there is a growing desire for fashion with a personal touch, and “cool girl” marketing may be the smart marketing angle needed to drive this shift forward.
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