Fashion Finds Its Voice on Substack
Three of my favorite writers on the platform
Fashion and Beauty are the fastest-growing segments on Substack. Based on data in a Vogue article titled “To Escape the Algorithm, Fashion Girls are Shopping via Substack” there are 35M subscribers on Substack with 3M paid subscribers in the Fashion and Beauty category, which is up 80% year over year. The primary drivers for this growth - now spreading into categories from design to travel to tech and more - is that many people are not interested in doom scrolling or being fed ideas solely by the algorithmic powers that be. Substack to date, has been built on a push model that many of us will remember as the way we first engaged with social media - building our own feeds slowly and by choice. The long form format allows for a full thought to come to life versus an out of context, click-bait headline or overly curated image.
I’m not naive though in believing that this is some social media utopia. The feed is not just people that I opt-in to follow. Learning from the pains of trying to shoehorn in monetization, Substack built a revenue model from the get-go and promotes writers who have paid subscriptions, given they take a 10% cut of that revenue (on that note, paid subscriptions are now live here too to please the algorithm gods, but all content will still be free1). But, for the moment, it’s been an incredible place for me to dive into real, messy, complex ideas from interesting, smart people on the internet.
And so I wanted to share three of my favorite fashion and beauty Substackers2 -
, , and .Irene Kim
is an ex-lawyer turned stylist and co-founder of La Closette. In her Substack, , Irene does an incredible job of sharing systems and tools of how to think about what to wear to get to the feeling you want. Her recommendations often go beyond the typical styles and brands including a multi-part deep dive of Korean and Japanese shopping spots as one of my favorite series she’s done. Her approach is equal parts intellectual, unfussy, and personal - something that is hard to do. Top three posts:
Irene does a What I’m Wearing series every few weeks. This post featured the some of the perfect friction inspired by Vogue Korea.
A post devoted to minimal effort, but high return.
Jalil Johnson
’s Substack, , is full of history lessons, fashion inspiration, and so much joy. He loves fashion and the story of what we wear, which is so apparent from his wear tests to his moodboards and everything in between. His day job is a Fashion Office Assistant at Saks and his looks range from Jackie O glamour to Magnum PI summer camp. Each of his posts are so playful and layered that I find myself returning to them and learning something new every time. Top three posts:
Every single outfit in here is GOLD (and yes, if you’ve seen me IRL recently, the literal gold shoes I’ve been dancing away in are inspired by Jalil).
A favorite from Jalil’s Consider Yourself a Shopper series which is the best mix of inspired looks, links to recreate, and a splash of history.
This to me is an ultimate shop your closet post with so many ideas of how to just play with what you have to achieve different vibes and looks.
Talía Cu
And finally, a newer follow for me -
. The goal of is to highlight fashion in Latin America which is often misrepresented by treating the region as a whole - erasing the nuance and depth of each of the 33 countries and cultures. Talía is a fashion veteran with a background in journalism and textile design. Outside of the Substack, she is also a fashion illustrator. She currently lives in Guadalajara where some of my favorite posts have been peeks into the growing art and culture scene there.Top Three Posts:
A look at the creative scene in Guadalajara, Mexico
Two part series diving into the differences of Columbian vs. Mexican content creators promoting local fashion and design
This week’s post about Bogota Fashion Week
That’s all for this week. Will be back next week The Goods. Thanks for all the continued support of Lota!
I took a page from another favorite fashion follow,
, and added paid subscriptions as a way to gain awareness for Lota. The content will continue to be free, but think of upgrading as a tip jar.Initially this was a feature of BIPOC Fashion and Beauty Substackers I love. And that is still the case, but they aren’t on here just because they are BIPOC, they are here because they are incredible thinkers, curators, and writers. I’ve been thinking about what it means when we add that designation - does it amplify the work or does it distract or worse, caveat? Curious to hear what people think. Shoot me a note, DM, or comment below!
Anar, thank you so much for including me in this wonderful selection! I’m honoured. So glad you are enjoying my content. 🙌 It’s lovely to meet you through Substack.
And now I met you through Irene! This community has so much going for it. Thank you for your selections and take on this platform.