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."

Lush's Audrey Hepburn-Inspired Bath Bomb Is Getting A HUGE Makeover

If you're a diehard Audrey Hepburn fan, you're probably well aware that the 1957 film Funny Face is by far her most underrated — and Lush agrees. In fact, more than 10 years ago, the bath and body brand launched one of its original bath bombs, Pink, inspired by the famous “Think Pink” opening scene of the movie. (You probably recognize it as the orb that we speculated was Harry Styles' album cover.) But because it didn't scream Funny Face, the bath bomb is getting a major makeover, starting today — and we've got an exclusive sneak peek.

Haven't seen the scene? You've gotta get on that ASAP, but nonetheless, here's the gist: Maggie Prescott (Kay Thompson), the editor for Quality magazine is bummed out by the dark, dismal colors haunting the publication's latest issue, and suddenly gets a flash of inspiration by pink fabric. The impending song is decorated with colored tissues and textures dancing on the screen all dyed a healthy dose of pink. Several scenes later Jo Stockton, played by Hepburn, strikes Prescott and photographer Dick Avery (Fred Astaire) as the girl with the funny face — just the kind of face they need to revamp the magazine. Et voila — decades later you have a bath bomb that explodes hot pink fizz all over your tub. But it's about to get even better.

First of all, there's a lot of Audrey Hepburn on the beauty market — Besamé Cosmetics created a coral lipstick formulated to look exactly like the actress' signature color; Givenchy uses Hepburn as a muse for its fragrances — so Lush knew it had to up its game. So what can we expect? The brand told us that it's ready to jack up the Pink bath bomb with even more Hepburn references, we were so ready.

Starting today online and on July 28 in stores, the new Pink bath bomb will resemble the exact fabric in that Funny Face scene that all Hepburn fanatics know and love. Formulated with cornstarch and silver lustre, when the bath bomb hits the water, it'll diffuse into a “silken, fabric-like feel in the water” — just like the film's song. And forget the flowers adorning the top of the OG Pink — now, the fizzy will feel more ~mature~ and distinctly inspired by the '50s film. (You can see the side by side, above, for comparison.)

Fashion’s repeat performers include bow blouses, fanny packs and ruffles

When it comes to fashion, designers do delve into the past and attempt to re-create favorite styles for contemporary times. Many things from previous decades have made comebacks in recent seasons – from fringe, flares and short suede skirts to jelly sandals, hair scrunchies and cold-shoulder tops. Recent runs of designer fashion shows in New York – plus a look at what retailers are offering for Fall 2016 – revealed a few more.

Below, we highlight just five (and be sure you read the story on Page F3 on TV tray tables making a comeback, too).

Chokers

It may sound odd to say that something that dates back to the world's earliest civilizations has made yet another comeback, but we'll say it anyway. Chokers are back – again. In March, the National Jeweler publication noted this online: "Long before they encircled the necks of goth girls in the 1990s or were made popular by the Princess of Wales in the late 1800s, chokers were donned by women in ancient civilizations, worn to protect what even back then they understood to be a very important part of the body, the neck."

Now, they're all over the runways and are spotted hugging the necks of celebrities. Last February, after designers unveiled their Fall 2016 collections in New York, Wmagazine.com wrote this: "Whether you're more of a downtown Alexander Wang girl, or an uptown Oscar de la Renta lady – chances are, you'll be wearing a choker come Fall 2016."

And possibly next spring, too. Tory Burch, Zang Toi and Monique Lhuillier were just a few designers who showed them earlier this month. Shop the stores now and you'll find chokers bejeweled or plain in a variety of materials and finishes including silver- and gold-tones, velvet, faux suede and more.

Puffed sleeves

Actress Karla Souza wore a dress with puffed sleeves to the Carolina Herrera fashion show earlier this year. Singer Bebe Rexha attended the iHeartRadio Music Awards last spring wearing a long-sleeved cropped top with puffed sleeves. Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, appears to prefer a slight puff at the shoulder seam as well. Very slight, as seen on the bright-blue shirt dress from designer Joseph Altuzarra she recently wore and the cream-colored blouse by British brand Goat Fashion she donned in May.

More exaggerated puffed sleeves appeared on the runway showcasing the Marc Jacobs collection during the recent New York Fashion Week. They were seen on an army jacket worn over a camouflage-print dress but grew even puffier on baby-doll dresses with balloon sleeves. Ultra puffs! On Vogue.com, fashion critic Suzy Menkes wrote that Jacobs' "long, puffed sleeves suggested a costume party for 7-year-olds."

Tie neck blouse

Tired of wearing scarves? The tie neck blouse – once associated with the '70s and power dressing – has made strong showings in recent seasons. Last year, the Huffington Post suggested women not run in the other direction but rather give them a second look and consider a few tips: "First, when wearing a tie neck blouse, keep the rest of your outfit simple, so it doesn't look like you're wearing a costume (the blouse makes a statement on its own). If you want to play it safe, buy a tie that you can add to a blouse instead of getting a blouse with a tie built in. A cream blouse with a black necktie is a classic, but if you want to really take a risk, go for a paisley or floral pattern – they go perfectly with most denim bottoms."

During this month's New York Fashion Week, model Niki Taylor wore a polka-dotted dress with tie neck to attend the Marc Jacobs show, while Justin Bieber music video star Cailin Russo wore a gold blouse with a huge bow – paired with a green tweed miniskirt, long coat and platform shoes.

With fall shopping season now underway, note that Macy's includes some tie neck blouses in its fall collection, including one from Charter Club in an oversized floral print shown with a long cardigan and slim-fit ankle pants. J. Crew offers some, too – as well as blouses with ruffles, which leads us to the next comeback trend ...

Ruffles!

We've written about ruffles before. Plenty of times over the years. Ruffles cascading down the fronts of cardigans and blouses. Ruffles on toss pillows. Ruffles in tiers on skirts. Some years are more ruffled than others – and this may be one of them. Buffalo native Adam Lippes showed them in New York earlier this week, including a ruffle trim on the bib of a black jumpsuit. Many more ruffles were found at New York Fashion Week – at J. Crew, Christian Siriano, Michael Kors and others.

Fanny packs

Forget the jokes – and even the awkward fanny pack photos found online. Fanny packs, if they ever really did go away, have made fresh appearances on the runways and are readily available from retailers ranging from Forever 21 and Urban Outfitters to Eastern Mountain Sports and Macy's (which offers styles from MICHAEL Michael Kors and other popular brands). Variations go by names such as "belt bag" and "waist pack."