Fashion week vs. TikTok trends: Who’s actually calling the shots?

In January 2025, Daisy Edgar-Jones was spotted in London wearing a ME+EM trench coat paired with trousers and a Gucci belt, and before we knew it, TikTok and Instagram were flooded with attempts to replicate the look. Fashion week may dictate trends from the top down, but social media has been instrumental in igniting a bottom-up revolution, causing the lines of influence become blurrier than ever. That brings us to the question, do designers continue to set and pre-empt trends with their seasonal runway showcases or are trends dictated by social media?

From the runway to the "For You" page

The traditional fashion calendar is rigid and predictable. Twice a year, major houses present their collections in New York, London, Milan, and Paris. Editors take notes, buyers place orders, and trend forecasters predict what will trickle down into mainstream retail. But in the TikTok era, waiting six months for a trend to trickle down is practically medieval. Now, a single viral moment can redirect the trajectory of an entire season. Consider the resurgence of indie sleaze. A few months before Saint Laurent and Diesel showcased leather jackets and smudged eyeliner for Fall 2023, TikTok had revived the aesthetic and how! It wasn’t designers who decided that messy glamour was back—it was a 19-year-old rediscovering a 2011 Tumblr post. This aesthetic is making a big comeback as one of the Spring/Summer 2025 trends, with Charli XCX leading the charge in her Brat era, pairing lace skirts with rock ’n’ roll T-shirts. What started as a nostalgic internet revival has now been cemented on the runways, with brands such as Louis Vuitton and ManéMané incorporating indie sleaze elements into their Spring/Summer 2025 collections.

"Fashion week sets the tone, but TikTok is where trends catch fire," says trend forecaster Mandy Lee. "A collection might have all the right elements, but if it doesn’t hit the right cultural nerve on social media, it won’t take off."

Who controls the reins of the fashion? 

Marc Jacobs famously said, “The customer is the final filter. What survives the whole process is what people wear.” And Jacobs' sentiment has never resonated with us more. Consumers are the driving force of fashion. If a look doesn’t gain traction online, it doesn’t matter how much editorial praise it receives. Case in point: when Miu Miu debuted its micro-mini skirt in 2022, it was TikTok that turned it into a global phenomenon. Worn by celebrities, influencers, and TikTok creators, it became a symbol of the Y2K revival. Similarly, Blokecore, an aesthetic centered around vintage soccer jerseys, started as a grassroots movement online before Gucci incorporated it into their collections. Fashion houses aren’t blind to this power shift. In fact, they’re increasingly designing with TikTok in mind. Brands like Miu Miu, Diesel, and Balenciaga have mastered the art of creating meme-worthy moments that translate seamlessly into viral content.

The future of fashion lies in evolution, not abandonment. Tradition and innovation now walk hand in hand, with influence flowing in both directions. Designers who embrace this shift will shape the industry’s next chapter, while those who resist may struggle to keep pace.

The accidental trendsetters

Not all tastemakers are A-listers or influencers. Sometimes, the most unexpected figures spark a trend. In 2023, Clara Perlmutter (known online as @tinyjewishgirl) inadvertently sparked a revival of maximalist layering by simply dressing for fun. Her avant-garde combinations of vintage, designer, and thrifted pieces resonated with an audience craving individuality amidst the dominance of "quiet luxury." No PR teams, no runway, just an algorithm-powered takeover.This is where the true power of TikTok lies: in its democratization of taste. Unlike the exclusive world of high fashion, where trends are dictated by a select few, TikTok allows anyone to have a say in what’s cool. An aesthetic can be born overnight, propelled by algorithms and collective enthusiasm rather than traditional industry gatekeepers.

Some designers are already shifting their approach. Instead of relying solely on seasonal runway shows, brands like Coperni are staging stunts designed for virality—from spray-painting a dress onto Bella Hadid mid-runway for their spring summer 2023 show to crafting a glass handbag that sent TikTok into a frenzy. In February 2025, Diesel's Fall/Winter 2025-26 collection made headlines at Milan Fashion Week by reintroducing ultra-low-rise jeans, reminiscent of the provocative '90s "bumster" trend popularized by Alexander McQueen. The daring move sparked widespread discussion—whether loved or loathed, it proved one thing: the power of online discourse now rivals the influence of traditional fashion institutions. A runway moment is no longer just a runway moment—it’s a conversation, a controversy, a viral debate unfolding in real-time.

So, who really runs fashion?

The reality is, it’s no longer a simple hierarchy. Fashion Weeks may still provide the blueprint, but TikTok is where trends come to life. It’s a symbiotic relationship: designers provide the raw material, while the internet decides what sticks.

Lead image: Getty Images

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