Snapchat Infiltrates High Fashion
While Snapchat is frequently used as a platform for companies and individuals to cater their brand to a much wider (and younger) audience, this summer, the app's role as an essential marketing and creative tool in the fashion industry took on a whole new meaning.
Social media stars Kendall Jenner and Willow Smith (who collectively boast well upwards of 70 million followers across their various Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter platforms) fronted Garage magazine to promote a collaboration between Snapchat and Be Cool Be Nice, an anti-cyberbullying campaign. Apart from their highly sought-after covergirls, as added incentive for buying the issue, scanning Garage's Snapchat code unlocks a "New Age" filter to play around with (on top of your typical dog, honey bee and flower crown inspired lenses) (Refinery29).
While playful in nature, the photoshoot's underlying message is a serious one, addressing everything from the very public shaming of celebrities over social media, to the everyday experiences of teens and young adults who consider themselves victims of cyberbullying. Time will tell if this do-good partnership between fashion and tech will raise real awareness and enact positive change on a broader, social level.
On a lighter note, it-brand Desigual approached NYFW with a three dimensional response to our current, phone screen-obsessed world. The fashion house partnered with MAC makeup artists to create a handful of Snapchat-inspired looks, imbuing the collection with a very contemporary take on 21st Century notions of beauty and accessorizing. After all, wouldn't it be fun to replicate in real time the glowing, halo effect of Snapchat's butterfly filter for a day?
