From small player to powerhouse — how TikTok has shaped the fashion world to be more inclusive

A movement is taking place in the fashion industry. Barriers that once existed are being broken down, and social media is responsible. As Ireland celebrates its first fashion week, Breda Graham explores the transformative impact that TikTok has had and continues to have on the fashion world

Fashion show runway. Picture: iStock.

Since launching in the international market in 2017, social media platform TikTok has become a global phenomenon – from minor player to powerhouse in eight years.

TikTok is known as a platform that sets and influences trends, and its impact on the fashion world cannot be ignored – from making the fashion industry more community-driven and shifting power from designers to consumers, to making fashion trends more attainable and fashion weeks more inclusive.