Knowledge drives success in the fashion industry. Fashion encompasses a plethora of skills, requirements, and topics that include garment construction and manufacturing, the evolution of garment trends, advertising, and more.
In the last few decades, the internet has amplified access to knowledge resources such as books, podcasts, blogs, and video. While magazines, podcasts, and books are excellent, video provides visual and auditory elements that better meet the multi-learning path preferences of fashion designers. Designers also have the opportunity to learn from industry leaders, corporate giants, and passionate independent creators through easy to access video resources – like those on YouTube. Read on to learn about the best channels on YouTube to give fashion designers inspiration and insight into the industry.
Luxury Fashion YouTube Channels
An awareness of high fashion will help you keep a pulse on the fashion world. Several of the major luxury fashion labels have created their own YouTube channels, including Gucci, Chanel, Dior, and Burberry. They present advertisements of collections, runway shows, and brief snippets of behind the scenes footage.
However, these professionally made productions usually fall under 3 minutes in length which makes their content more of an advertising tool than an educational one. Other options on this list will provide more robust, informative content.
Fashion Publication Owned YouTube Channels
Most major fashion publications like Business of Fashion, WWD, I-D, and Vogue have likewise extended their reach to video platforms. Their channels offer fashion designers access to knowledge that might otherwise be blocked by a traditional publication paywall. For example, Business of Fashion releases podcasts on their channel; I-D spotlights upcoming designers; and WWD features an array of educational fashion topics.
Independent Content Creators in the Apparel Space
Loic Prigent
Photo from Getty Images
Loic Prigent’s channel is the place to go to gain an in-depth view into the world of high fashion. He is the fashion world’s documentarian, having released more than 10 documentaries since 2005. Some like Wow! Chanel: Journal of a Collection! can be found on his channel. Viewers love his long and short form videos because of his professional production, witty comments, and behind the scenes looks at runway shows where he interviews models, designers, pattern makers, and fashion assistants.
One contingency of his channel is that many of his videos are in French, but you can always turn on the translated subtitles if you don't speak the language.
Haute Le Mode
Photo from Teen Vogue
Luke Meagher, a FIT graduate, runs the hit fashion channel Haute Le Mode. He often reacts to and roasts fashion at major events like online closet tours, award ceremonies, and runway shows with a sassy flair. You can also find him explaining the history of luxury brands like Gucci or reviewing new fashion books. Embedded in his sharp, hilarious critiques is a deep technological knowledge that he uses to make fashion more accessible and fun. With his distinct voice and approach to fashion, including posting fashion memes on Instagram, Meagher is a wise, hip, new voice in fashion.
Fashion Roadman
Photo from Fashion Archive
Odunayo Ojo, a founder of media platform the Fashion Archive, also hosts the YouTube channel Fashion Roadman. Utilizing his journalism background, Ojo has become a well known fashion essayist with more than 90k subscribers. He presents a wide breadth of topics that uncovers the complex world of fashion. For instance, he has upacked what the Yeezy collaboration means for Gap and the history of Vivienne Westwood and Allessandro’s contributions to Gucci.
What sets him apart is his reasoning for creating his fashion magazine and by extension his channel. He states, “The Fashion Archive Magazine was created out of frustration. A frustration rooted in the over-commercial nature of the fashion magazines of today.” He strives to resist mainstream magazine’s tendency to prioritize advertisement, star celebrities, and select brands over covering quality stories.
Bliss Foster
Photo from Fashionista
Bliss Foster first achieved channel growth through his analysis of runway shows, interpreting the looks, history, and appeal. His ten year love of fashion and degree in literature shines through in deep dives on topics such as defining “antifashion” and questioning the industry’s desire for originality. He breaks down the industry’s complexity and also makes it digestible to a broad audience. People also subscribe to his channel for his enthusiastic and humorous delivery.
The channel had a humble start – Bliss explaining to his parents in video form why he loves a pair of Not pants, showing off his favorite design features and quipping about the brand’s Google unfriendly name. Over the years, he has transformed his project into a potentially full time venture.
Zoe Hong
Photo from Zoehong.com
If you want to know how to become a fashion designer, Zoe Hong educates subscribers on a wide repertoire of essential skills. Her tutorials range from figure drawing, to sewing pockets, to building a portfolio. She also discusses steps to get into the fashion industry and imparts industry best practices in interviews with industry leaders. She has featured factory owners, fellow designers, and fabric suppliers who give advice to future designers. Her background as a teacher has led to her creating clear and concise instructions that can guide up and coming fashion designers to learn skills quickly.
Final Thoughts
YouTube is quickly expanding its community of intelligent and passionate creators. This list is a small fraction of the knowledge you can discover. Designers similar to you are already using this platform to show how they run their business; journalists and experts sitting close to the runways are using it to contextualize luxury collections' looks.
YouTube is a free and accessible resource that you must take advantage of. Start with the creators on this list, then we advise drilling down to discover content creators who focus on your specific product niche like handbags, shoes, or childrenswear.
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