The aspirational influencer narrative creates a captivating and timely allegory — if not cautionary tale — for a film or television protagonist on a quest of self-discovery and recognition. Of course, what these characters wear is essential to their (disseminated-through-the-internet) journeys, as they seek validation from society at large, their peers and perhaps their harshest critics: themselves. 

At the surface, Instagram-worthy outfits and clout-chasing designer labels worn by our favorite on-screen characters — like in "Emily in Paris," costume designed by Patricia Field and Marylin Fitoussi — create a riveting fashion fantasy. The eye candy keeps us clicking into the next episodes, and has been proven to inspire our wardrobes. But these outfits are also sending a message. 

As she finds professional success, Chicago-transplant Emily (Lily Collins) evolves from wearing ringarde Eiffel Tower prints in the pilot to confident, Old Hollywood-referential ensembles on a dream jaunt to Saint Tropez in season two. (Healthy romantic relationships? Still working on it.) Music industry scion Julien Calloway (Jordan Alexander) uses her social media dominance — and access to ripped-from-the-runway Christopher John Rogers — to assert her superiority over younger half-sister Zoya (Whitney Peak) in "Gossip Girl" 2.0, thanks to returning costume designer Eric Daman. In a soapier-than-real-life take on the Anna Delvey scandal, Julia Garner's titular character in "Inventing Anna" tips hundred-dollar bills and cycles through a montage of high-end designer clothing and handbags at the height of her grift. (Credit to costume designer Lyn Paolo for also using fashion to help illustrate greater society's predilection to glom onto — and readily cast off — the latest shiny new thing with lots of Instagram followers, too.)

"Have you ever wanted to be noticed so badly, you didn't even care what it was for?" asks wannabe writer Danni Sanders (Zoey Deutch) at the start of the Gen-Z social-media satire "Not Okay," which comes out Friday.

Adrift in life and sartorial self-expression, Danni toils as a photo editor at Depravity, while crushing on the Vice-like outlet's resident weed-fluencer, Colin (a bleached-blond Dylan O'Brien). Editor Susan (Negin Farsad) regularly rejects Danni's tone-deaf pitches, like "Why Am I So Sad?" (She feels left out of the generational trauma of 9/11 because she was on vacation with her affluent parents.) Using her Photoshop skills, Danni Instagram-fakes a trip to Paris with flat-lays of Bushwick-procured croissants, a very on-the-nose red beret and a blue floral Reformation dress (above).

"She basically has no style, other than 'messy,'" says "Not Okay" Costume Designer Sarah Laux (who influenced my own wardrobe with Zoë Kravitz's square-toe boots and vintage leather jackets in Hulu's tragically-canceled "High Fidelity"). 

Danni — whose closet is full of disposable fast fashion, like a Shein argyle sweater, flares from Urban Outfitters and Steve Madden platform slides — would probably consider Reformation the epitome of "French Girl Style." 

"Danni doesn't know fashion history. She doesn't necessarily even have good taste. She's just a consumer," says Laux. "She just takes and takes and takes and then sheds it."

"Not Okay" isn't the only new on-screen influencer depiction. After being relegated to obscurity for all of high school (in part because that might release the teen from purgatory), senior Erika Vu (Lana Condor) and best friend Gia (Zoe Colletti) decide to live life to the fullest in Netflix series "Boo, Bitch." As Erika's popularity at school and online grows, she begins to emulate the click-worthy style — and self-absorbed behavior — of homecoming queen and established influencer Riley (Aparna Brielle).

Costume Designer Lindy McMichael describes Erika's flashy feathers, flame pants from Fashion Nova and head-to-toe metallic blue ensemble by Club Exx (above) for a school-hallway TikTok dance as "an over-styled explosion." Like Laux, she took a deep dive into very-Y2K-referential Zoomer influencers and studied imagery from contemporary label Dolls Kill and early-2000s Delia's catalogs. 

"Erika goes to town on all of the imagery that she has always admired and seen on influencers on Instagram and TikTok. She mixes it all together and has a heyday with it," says McMichael. "It plays into her making these extremely stylized decisions because she's gonna do everything that she never did — zero apologies."

As their followings grow, Erika and Danni notably begin carrying a designer bag everywhere. McMichael found Erika's circa-2010s Louis Vuitton Demier duffle (above) on The RealReal. "Society loves the status symbol," says McMichael. "As Erika's power and feeling of invincibility grows, [she carries] these bossy signs of power, like a status symbol."

Behind the scenes, Danni's influencer-beloved Prada Re-Edition 2005 Re-Nylon bag (below) was actually procured through star Deutch's relationship with the luxury label. But Laux imagined that Danni's parents gave it to her for the holidays, and that she carries the "prized possession" everywhere as "that piece of courage." The $1,850 handbag, in a delicate and easy-to-stain soft gray, illustrates Danni's flawed decision-making instincts: "She's got a thing that could be an investment piece, and she's chosen the wrong color." 

Both Erika's and Danni's ascension to Internet fame is also represented through the preeminent influencer perk: swag. Erika treats her new followers to unboxing videos, while schooling her disappointed and confused parents on the definition of "gifting." (In a moment of Netflix synergy, Erika could have directed her parents to last year's "He's All That," in which Addison Rae's Padgett Sawyer sports a spon-con wardrobe, as written into the script; the real-life TikTok sensation actually helped stock the wardrobe with her own brand relationships.) As Colin's plus-one to an influencer party, Danni discovers the joy of gift bags, while exhibiting her penchant for cultural appropriation with a revealing take on a Chinese qipao by Kim Shui (below) and knee-high boots by Paris Texas. (For AAVE-pilfering Colin, Laux looked to the likes of Eminem, Pete Davidson and Machine Gun Kelly to inform his Balenciaga T-shirt, Saint Laurent sneakers and Basquiat pants.)

"That moment is maximum cringe, like it's cheugy to the nth degree," says Laux, who also experienced her own online "blowback" for the dress, which some took as culturally disrespectful. "I did it on purpose. It's just so wrong, all over the place — yet Danni's like, 'This is the thing.'"

Danni's entitlement and white privilege peak when she joins a trauma support group, with the intention of co-opting authentic experiences to write a personal essay about her fake Paris trip. She immediately latches onto school shooting survivor Rowan (Mia Isaac), who legitimately amassed a social media following through her activism. And as Danni's fraudulent Depravity story and accompanying hashtag — #IAmNotOkay — go viral, she steals Rowan's self-assured, retro-skater plaid shirts and baby tee aesthetic.

"Once she meets Rowan, she really starts to understand what she can capitalize on," says Laux. 

"The Good Wife" and "The Good Fight" co-creators Michelle and Robert King are no strangers to satirizing socio-political issues through their inventive storytelling. In their supernatural thriller series "Evil," beauty vlogger Malindaz (Taylor Louderman, below) becomes an ideal vessel to depict the, erm, evils of our tech-addicted society. Instead of buying followers, Malindaz literally makes a deal with the devil to boost her numbers: In season two, she imparts damaging body-image messages like, "What to do in a Thunder Thigh emergency." By the third, she's shilling crypto. 

"The influencers — in our world, at least — do what they do for self-interests and self-success, and to make money and to get what they want," says Dan Lawson, the Kings' go-to costume designer. "There's not a lot of substance behind the visual."

Lawson emphasizes that he didn't look to any social-media personalities for Malindaz's very specific, "over-the-top" and "ultra-put-together" look, which features a mix of bold colors, textures and shapes — especially at the neckline. He wanted to create a unique, eye-catching look that would compel an always-scrolling Instagram, TikTok or VidTap user to immediately stop and look. For Malindaz's power-summit with (possibly possessed?!) executive Sheryl (Christine Lahti) to discuss crypto spon, her splashy outfit sent another deliberate message. 

"Nothing was normal," says Lawson. "Everything was extra and flouncy and just annoying."

Like a Shakespearean Five-Act Structure, the archetypical influencer storyline often includes an appropriate falling action stage: being canceled. 

As her OTT fashion (and feathers) escalate, Erika's close relationships with Gia and her supportive parents plummet. Her self-serving efforts to give "a voice to my generation," as Erika says with zero irony, blow up in her face. 

"She's drinking her own Kool-Aid," says McMichael. "She's turning her back on the people who are the most important in her life. But for a moment in time, she's getting a taste of what she always dreamed of living. She's doing it, unapologetically, and then realizes that's not the best path. That's not her truest self."

After Danni’s deception is revealed, she faces vicious trolls, her editor, a hurt and betrayed Rowan and the motivations behind her inauthenticity. So, naturally, she attends an "online shaming support group" meeting. "It's like meta on meta on meta," says Laux of costume-designing for the attendees, which include the movie's writer-director Quinn Shephard. In character, she wears a black leather mini-skirt and a "The Future of Film is Female" T-shirt, which she actually donned for a real industry panel (below). 

"So we're supposed to feel bad for you?" the faux Quinn ask Danni, with zero self-awareness. "You say you've learned but at the end of the day you're a privileged white girl who thinks she's the main character."

Danni's immediately admonished by the support group's leader, played by — in another wink-wink moment — by Caroline Calloway, in her signature flower crown and sweatshirt dress. 

"I almost un-costumed it because I went for real. I went for what all of these people really look like," says Laux, who asked Calloway and Shephard to bring in their own clothes as options.

Like on Instagram and TikTok, fashion in movies and bingeable shows keep the intended messaging on-brand. 

"I'm also completely and totally taking the piss at all times," Laux adds. "Like, I'm actively making fun of this, and, yes, [Danni] does look good."

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These are the stories making headlines in fashion on Thursday.

Good American announces first flagship store
Early next year, customers will be able to shop at Good American's first-ever physical flagship store at Westfield Century City in Los Angeles, featuring its fully inclusive line of denim, ready-to-wear, swim and shoes. This marks the Khloe Kardashian and Emma Grede-founded brand's first foray into physical retail, expanding on its existing direct-to-consumer presence on GoodAmerican.com and wholesale partnerships with Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Revolve.com and more. {Fashionista inbox}

Levi's is relaunching SilverTab
The classic denim brand is reviving the styles and fits of the original '90s SilverTab collection, which was known for its baggy styles and roots in the '90s hip-hop and skateboard scene. (It awas briefly revived in 2018 and featured in Levi's SecondHand capsule in 2020.) The new collection features brand new oversized, '90s-inspired featured in a campaign with actors Hayley Law and Gavin Leatherwood. Levi's® SilverTab™ is available now ($29.50 to $108) on Levis.com. {Fashionista inbox}

Chanel will present its cruise 2022 collection in Miami
On Nov. 3, Chanel will present its French Riveria-inspired cruise collection for a second time after it debuted at the Monte-Carlo Beach Hotel in May. The upcoming show comes 14 years after Chanel's first show in Miami when Karl Lagerfeld chose the Raleigh Hotel to present the 2008-09 cruise collection. The brand also opened a new store in the Florida city's Design District last December. {WWD}

Trixie Mattel and Kim Chi release "BFF4EVR" makeup collaboration
After an intense (promotional) Twitter feud last weekend, former "RuPaul's Drag Race" stars Trixie Mattel and Kim Chi are releasing the BFF4EVR collection. The collection will include ​​a 20-pan eyeshadow palette, blush & highlight duos and semi-matte & liquid lipsticks, along with a dramatic folding fan for super fans. The products will be available through Kim Chi's own makeup line, where 2% of all sales go to The Trevor Project. BFF4EVR is available now at kimchichicbeauty.com. {Fashionista inbox}

Dave & Buster's releases fashion collaboration with Bobblehaus
The arcade giant is releasing its first-ever fashion collaboration with gender-inclusive and sustainably minded brand Bobblehaus. The Bobblehaus x Dave & Buster's capsule taps into Bobblehaus founders Abi Lierheimer and Ophelia Chen's childhood memories of visiting Dave & Buster arcades throughout the years. The capsule will be available starting on July 27, and the only way you can get it is by playing games and redeeming your tickets at 10 Dave & Buster's locations nationwide, including NYC, L.A. and Miami. {Fashionista inbox}

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Nothing makes it click that summer is nearly over than designers announcing their Spring 2023 shows. 

On Thursday, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and IMG released a preliminary schedule for New York Fashion Week, which will run from Sept. 9 through Sept. 14. Though simply billed as "September 2022," this is when most brands show their collections for the upcoming spring. This season will open with Proenza Schouler, which takes the 4:00 p.m. slot on Friday, and it will close with former CFDA Chairman Tom Ford's debut on Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. 

There are 109 designers confirmed on the New York Fashion Week lineup, including Altuzarra, Brandon Maxwell, Carolina Herrera, Christian Siriano, Coach, Gabriela Hearst, Jason Wu, Khaite, LaQuan Smith, Luar, Markarian, Michael Kors, Peter Do, Prabal Gurung, Sergio Hudson, Theophilio, Tory Burch, Victor Glemaud and Willy Chavarria. (Last year, IMG introduced a new program dubbed the IMG Fashion Alliance, which supports designers that commit to showing their collections in New York.) We also see Tommy Hilfiger and Area returning, and three international brands — Fendi, Marni and Cos — make an appearance. 

As far as New York Fashion Week newcomers, we have the finalists for the 2022 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, many of whom haven't shown on the calendar before: Fe Noel, Sukeina, No Sesso, Elena Velez, Judy Turner, Wiederhoeft and BlackBoyKnits will all be showcasing their latest collections in New York. Meanwhile, AnOnlyChild, Ashlyn, Heron Preston, Foo and Foo, Midnight Studios, One/Of by Patricia Voto and Tia Adeola join, with their debuts on the official schedule. 

"This year marks the 60th anniversary of the CFDA, and as the organizer of the official NYFW schedule, we are incredibly proud to release a lineup that reflects our founding principle: to promote American fashion on a global scale," Steven Kolb, the organization's CEO, said in a statement. "We celebrate the collective excellence, diversity and resilience of our industry and look forward to a strong American collections season alongside our esteemed international guests."

The CFDA noted that all in-person events on the schedule "will take place in accordance with New York State Health Guidelines," and that it will release an updated Covid-19 Health & Safety Memo ahead of New York Fashion Week.

See the preliminary schedule for New York Fashion Week here.

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Editors' Picks are the Fashionista team's true (#notspon) fashion and beauty obsessions, handpicked by professionals who see it all. 

From cozy sleeveless knits to buttoned-up waistcoats, the vest trend is still going strong, and remains an ideal piece for the summer-to-fall transition coming up. 

While temperatures remain high, they look great with nothing underneath; you can even pair them with short-shorts for a Kate-Moss-at-Glastonbury moment. And as things start to cool down, they're easy to style over T-shirts and button-downs, or with pants and a blazer for a three-piece-suit moment.

I bought into the trend a few months ago and have found this slightly cropped, slightly boxy waistcoat from Cos to be particularly versatile. It's black, for one, and looks great with black trousers for a suited-up look, as well as jeans for a more casual approach. I've noticed the same vest on a number of other editors and influencers, and it can also look great unbuttoned over a tank top or paired with a pair of also-trendy long, baggy shorts. The possibilities are endless.

Cos Cropped Single-Breasted Waistcoat, $120, available here (sizes 2-14).

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For me, there are few beauty struggles as frustrating as breaking a nail or chipping a freshly-painted manicure. That, paired with my lack of patience for spending hours sitting at a salon, has made me an easy convert to press-ons. I've become a die-hard fan of DIY pop-on manicures, but they're not without their own set of flaws — mainly that they don't last nearly as long as regular gel polish. That is, until the creative minds of beauty TikTok entered the chat and introduced a genius hack to give press-on nails an upgrade and far more staying power: combining UV gel with fake nails. The goal is to get weeks of wear and salon-level quality and shine, often for drugstore prices.

When pandemic precautions forced nail salons to close up shop in 2020, lots of people learned to do their own nails, tired of sitting at home staring down their unkempt cuticles. Plenty of my friends purchased UV lamps and began to do their own at-home gel manicures, while I stood by my basic trusty press-ons through it all. But with TikTok's beauty community finding a way to marry the best of both worlds — using gel kits to cure press-ons as if they were gel extensions — I became curious to try it out for myself.

TikTok user Yesy Ada has shared multiple viral videos showcasing her approach to curing press-ons, including one with more than 2 million views and counting. In her TikToks, Ada makes it look easy: With a pair of Amazon press-ons on standby, Ada applies a layer of Beetles Nail Glue and cures it underneath a UV lamp. She then adds gel to the back of her press-on nail, as one would a gel extension, before placing it on and flash-curing that, too.

After she finishes all five fingers, she pops them back underneath the lamp for another 60 seconds, drills off any excess gel and files down the nails. Ada finishes with a layer of soak-off gel top coat, cures again, and she's done.

The result? A surprisingly easy manicure that looks as if she's gone to a top salon. After watching her videos, I doom-scrolled through a few more users' attempts before debating my own UV lamp purchase.

But first, I wanted to talk to an expert and see if the viral approach was safe for my nails, which are by nature a little flimsy. I reached out to Eunice Park, the research and development manager at Aprés Nail, who shared some insights on the growing trend.

"There's no way for anyone to say that this is a totally safe and foolproof method because you're mixing two systems that weren't originally made for each other," Park cautions. "Gel works best with gel. And press-ons have their own systems, usually with glue. Most nail products work best when used with the system they were intended for."

It seems the difference between true gel extension tips and the majority of press-ons lies largely in quality and material. Aprés Nail's Gel-X’s extension tips, for example, are made of soft gel, whereas most inexpensive press-ons are made of flimsier plastic.

Another concern is user error associated with DIY jobs: Improper application or removal of gel-cured press-ons could cause damage to your nails and the skin around them, so Park advises anyone considering trying the trend to practice, practice, practice. "Everyone's hands are different, and even between two hands, the nails on either hand can be slightly different," she says.

Park also cautions first-time users of the Gel-X Kit or any other at-home gel kits against overdoing it on the amount of product they use. "A common mistake is for first-time users to use too much gel and have it spill out onto the skin around the nail," says Park. "Any gel product is really meant only for the nail plate. Regular exposure of gel products onto the skin can cause skin irritation to occur."

Of course, if you're bold enough to try the trend, Park recommends the Gel-X Kit, which comes with everything you need, plus the brand's own own gel extension tips to use instead of press-ons: "Press-ons are a great place to start experimenting in fun nails, but if you're then moving onto using gel, I highly recommend experiencing Gel-X. Our system offers durable, long lasting nails that are easy to apply and great to wear."

With all of Park's wisdom to guide me, I (cautiously) decided to try using the TikTok-viral method in conjunction with the Gel-X Kit and my favorite press-ons, the Kiss Bare But Better Nails. Once I decided on the right nail for each finger, I found it surprisingly simple to layer on the proper coats of polish and cure accordingly. 

My nails looked as good as my press-ons usually do, but felt infinitely sturdier. Granted, it was a little annoying to have to soak them off salon-style instead of flick the press-ons off one by one (my guilty pleasure), but for me, the longevity was well worth the extra effort to remove them.

I've always been a press-ons girl at heart, so I can confidently say I'll continue to apply them with this gel-cured method whenever I have the time. The UV lamp and kit might be a bit of a splurge in one go, but when I consider what I've spent at salons in years past, it's actually a smarter buy.

If you're keen to put your trust in TikTok and give the trend a try, find a few of my favorite press-ons below for some mani motivation to get started.

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