TikTok stages its own Digital Fashion Month

TikTok is staging its own digital fashion month and has partnered with leading names from Louis Vuitton and Saint Laurent to JW Anderson to bring live digital shows and other creative activations as part of #TikTokFashionMonth

The initiative runs through 8 October and is being seen as a play by TikTok to challenge Instagram's supremacy in fashion content. It also comes as many major international fashion weeks continue to face disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic and buyers being unable to travel. Most fashion weeks are staging a mix of digital and socially distanced physical shows for the SS21 season.

TikTok, which positions itself as the online destination of "creativity and joy", will be crucial in engaging younger consumers for the participating brands. "With the majority of people still quarantined at home, and limiting their social engagements, brands have had to quickly pivot to discover new ways to connect with their customers while also bringing creative streetwear and runway to fans. That’s where TikTok comes in," the platform said in  a statement.

Louis Vuitton is staging its men's catwalk on the platform, while Saint Laurent will also be staging its SS21 show with Northern Irish designer JW Anderson staging a "collection reveal" at the end of this month.

“It's always been important for JW Anderson to work with new technologies and platforms. I think TikTok is challenging norms and innovating the way JW Anderson does,” said Jonathan Anderson, Founder and Creative Director at JW Anderson. “I am very excited to be working directly with TikTok this season to show our Women's SS21 collection on the platform.”

The event will conclude with the TikTok Runway Odyssey, an exclusive, first-of-its-kind virtual fashion runway live stream in partnership with PUMA and Alice + Olivia in which many of the best known TikTok creators will make their catwalk debuts.

For the live stream, PUMA has partnered with Black TikTok creators and designers for their exclusive collection - including Jufu, Ajani, Dominic Toliver, Taylor Cassidy, and Makayla - with $10,000 in proceeds from the sales going directly to the Equal Justice Initiative. 

Alice + Olivia co-designed its exclusive capsule collection with TikTok and will have top creators - such as Melaine and Miranda Wilking, Janette Ok, and Bria Jones - model the designs. A portion of the proceeds from the Alice + Olivia capsule will go to CFDA.

London Fashion Week kicks off in the capital at the end of this week with a blend of socially distanced physical and digital events featuring both men's and women's designers. The schedule can be seen here.