In today’s fast-paced world of fashion, designers and runways are not the only influences on trends. There is another powerful force shaping the industry– fandoms. There is a lot more to fandom culture than simply being admirers. Fandoms are groups of passionate people who admire movies, TV shows, literature and music. They can take the passion they share for one piece of art and translate that into fashion as well. 

Recently, one fashion trend has been making its way to every girl’s accessory drawer. Bows have taken the crown for most popular accessory for 2023 and have continued to take the world by storm in 2024. Bows are worn in hair, on pants, tied to purses and even on shoes. Gracie Abrams may not have created bows, but she made wearing a bow in her hair her entire brand. The more popular she became as an artist, the more her fandom grew. As Abrams continued to wear her iconic bows, her fandom became inspired and started to wear bows too. Social media plays a huge part in the creation of trends. As Abrams’ fans posted their outfits to different social media platforms, others began to become inspired by their outfits and made bows a part of their closets too. Now as you walk down the street or scroll on TikTok you will see the bow craze in full force.

In an Impact article by Faith Conant, it is noted that fans are likely to buy products that their favorite celebrity endorses and loves as well. It can be like a cycle. A celebrity shows love for an item, fans pick up the item and others become inspired by this and add it to their wardrobe. We are all inspiring one another in this way.

Social Media is one of the easiest ways for everyone to get their daily fashion fix. When we open TikTok, Instagram or Twitter we come across thousands of trends in just one scroll. Wearing the same piece of clothing as someone they admire can make fans feel connected to them. A good example of this is Harry Styles and his Adidas Sambas. Ever since he was spotted with his green Adidas Sambas the shoe sales have seemingly skyrocketed and now Sambas are a huge trend not only amongst fans but all of GenZ. 

K-pop stars have also had a major influence on trending fashion. An article by Abrigail Williams of Vogue delves deeper into the sheer impact K-pop fans have on shaping trends. The Boy group Seo Taiji and Boys not only mixed Korean and American pop music but also wore American-inspired designs and street style and they combined US and South Korean aesthetics. 

 Mixing both Korean and American styles and aesthetics has become a trend in multiple ways.  These trends are done a lot by many K-pop groups like NCT 127, Le Sserafim and Red Velvet. With those groups having a huge fashion influence on their fans they have helped push this aesthetic onto many social media platforms and all around help this trend grow.

K-pop has become so popular in the US that artists have become the ambassadors of multiple luxury brands like BLACKPINK‘s Jisoo Door with Dior, Big Bang leader G-Dragon with Chanel and BTS member J-Hope with Louis Vuitton. Each artist or idol displays a different style, so each of their fandoms follows their style and makes it their own. We have seen this happen with oversized cardigans, blazers, bucket hats and chunky shoes. 

In today’s fashion landscape, a fandom’s influence cannot be exaggerated. They pave the way for many fashion trends today. From small interests and large admirations, fandoms can connect their interests with the worldwide realm of fashion. Fans unite together to share their love for their favorite author, writer, singer or actress by wearing what they do. 

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Hi! I’m Annie Gleydura, A Magazine’s editor-in-chief. My staff and I are committed to bringing you the most important and entertaining news from the realms of fashion, beauty and culture. We are full-time students and hard-working journalists. While we get support from the student media fee and earned revenue such as advertising, both of those continue to decline. Your generous gift of any amount will help enhance our student experience as we grow into working professionals. Please go here to donate to A Magazine.