Lauren RabainoWhen social sciences sophomore Linda Qiu began her internship last year with online fashion blog Chictopia.com, she never imagined that she would appear in a national American Apparel clothing advertisement. The ad featuring Qiu is a testament to fashion going in a new direction: for the people, by the people.
Chictopia is the largest online fashion network to date, and since the site launched last April, they have seen rapid growth with a quarter of a million visitors and about 70,000 page views each day. The site’s core values, according to CEO of Chictopia Helen Zhu, is to focus on real people wearing the clothes instead of professional models.
“I think that other brands will have to recognize that people ultimately want to look at something they can relate to in real life,” she said. “Runway models don’t quite cut it in terms of relevance to our daily lives.”
After Chictopia collaborated with American Apparel, it was Qiu and two others that were chosen from the site due to their “influencer” status. To become an influencer you have to dress well and have a large following, Zhu said. Anyone can attain this title, and as fashion seems to be following in the footsteps of the music industry, more and more models are being discovered online.
American Apparel shares Chictopia’s idea and has been a leader in the fashion industry for recognizing the need for a more diverse platform to sell their clothing. Albeit controversial at times, the brand maintains this notion of reaching out to people and relating to their audience, Zhu said.
By using Chictopia’s “people like me” program, you can browse the blogs of those who share your measurements and coloring, providing a realistic view of what a garment might look like on you and not just on the runway.
“It is something that people can incorporate into their lives much more easily,” Zhu said. “For example, if I wanted to know what I should wear for a night out with girlfriends, I would much rather look at what Linda wears than a tall blond skinny model from a glossy, because I find that it is more relatable to me.”
Qiu writes for the CoedUgly blog on the site and dishes about her favorite styles and life in general. She said that she was excited to have been chosen for the ad, and that it was a complete surprise. It didn’t hurt that she loves American Apparel clothing to begin with.
“I was really shocked and really excited because this was going to be a national ad,” she said. “American Apparel has really great basics with a twist. Great for layering and pairing with other pieces, and they are pretty affordable.”
Qiu drove to Los Angeles for the photo shoot, where she was also treated to a tour of the factory. She said that her personal style has changed quite a bit since working for the fashion blog, and she attributes much of her creativity and inspiration to the site.
“You get so much input from other people all over the world, it’s really great,” Qiu said. “My favorite thing is the interaction and great feedback you get, and you can see how what they are wearing pertains to you.”
The site is based in San Francisco, and since Qiu came back to San Luis Obispo she uses the site to maintain her diverse look as well as her fashion community.
“It’s totally different because San Francisco is such a huge city; there is so much culture,” she said. “Cal Poly and the San Luis Obispo area has more of a hometown feeling. It’s smaller with mostly college students. I don’t feel as inspired to dress up as much.”
Qiu said that her current look is comfortable and a little more feminine while she is in school, and she tries to pair girly softness with more masculine pieces like blazers.
Like Qiu, Zhu expects that ad campaigns such as this will become the way of the future. Currently, the style icon program on the site names the six most influential people of the month, and retailers have offered the winners gift certificates and free products as a form of advertising.
“We’re getting validation from the fashion industry,” Zhu said.
“This is a much more relevant browsing experience than glossies or TV commercials with models who may not look like you, and brands that may not be in your price range.”
Chictopia has been ranked in the top four style sites by Nylon magazine, and they are eager to attend and report on fashion week coming up.
As for Qiu, who hopes to work in the fashion industry after she graduates, Zhu said that her experience with American Apparel was, “an opportunity most fashionistas would like to have.”