The Fashion Influencer Has Found A New Gig

In June it was announced that the much-revered J. Crew CEO Millard "Mickey" Drexler would be stepping down from his position at the fashion brand. While that news in and of itself was certainly noteworthy — J. Crew's sales had suffered over the past few years, and earlier this year, creative director Jenna Lyons left the company, indicating the brand needed to shake things up — it was Drexler's replacement that raised eyebrows in the industry. James Brett, the president of the furniture retailer West Elm and relative fashion outsider, would be taking over in a corporate about-face no one saw coming.

Perhaps this high-profile changing of the guard is just the most visible manifestation of a trend that's been incubating in certain circles — notably among social media influencers. There, focusing on fashion is increasingly less desirable than casting a large net and committing to the more nebulous, broader "lifestyle" market; be it home decor, food, travel, parenting, or wellness, lifestyle has replaced the hyper-specific categorical markets that web personalities tried to corner earlier in their careers. Today, you may have noticed that many of your favorite social media stars are posting recipes they love, or chronicling a home renovation project — and that's no accident.

It makes sense that after a certain point it was no longer enough to share the contents of your closet; in 2017, that's a crowded market, and whether you unbox one-of-a-kind couture or steals from TJ Maxx, we, as an internet culture, have ridden that wave to the point on no return. Now, everything from the food you eat, to the couch you're sitting on, to your summer vacation, to the diapers you swaddle your children in, can be turned into a grand promotion for Living the Good Life™. Savvy or scary? You decide.

"I feel like six, seven years ago, talent stayed in their lane," says Reesa Lake, a partner and SVP at the influencer agency Digital Brand Architects. But Lake notes that as these web entrepreneurs grew up, the brands they built around their own lives needed to reflect that. "There's definitely been a shift, a move toward lifestyle content," she says. "I think that layers in with how their lives have evolved."

Lake gives the example of Helena Glazer Hodne of Brooklyn Blonde, who touts 460K Instagram followers. "She used to be all fashion but then she started talking about beauty and skincare because that was something that was important to her," she says. "Then she bought a new home, so she started to do interiors and how she is redesigning her home and her space. And as she became a mom she started to layer in topics that were related to pregnancy and raising a family."