It hasn’t just been a big year for over-shared motivational quotes and unspo on Instagram, the social media platform has redefined the fashion world for good in 2015.
It’s changed how models are scouted for good – a meaty Insta following and dedication to selfies are now the key to getting spotted. And it’s also changed the way designers showcase their collections, as Misha Nonoo made history as the first designer to debut her line on Instagram, before it had even hit the catwalks.
It was also the year that Kate Moss broke her ‘no social media’ rules, with a dubious recreation of that basic bitch YouTube video. Gigi Hadid took over the world, model’s nipples were freed -and promptly deleted by the platform – and trends we never thought would happen, happened. Gucci fur-lined loafers, anyone?
Here’s 11 Instagram moments that defined fashion this year:
1. Instagran Baddie Winkle was a Belieber before it was cool
This year we found out that OAPs are officially better at Instagram than we are. 87-year-old Helen Van Winkle, aka Baddie Winkle, led the Instagrans movement with a rave wardrobe bigger than Miley’s - who incidentally is a big fan (one of them anyway – Baddie has over 1.7 million followers). And way before it came cool to be a Belieber, Baddie wore Justin Bieber’s face on her chest.
2. Kate Moss had an anti-basic rant
She’s famously not an ‘internet person’, but maybe Cara Delevingne rubbed off on Mossy this year, because she took over Marc Jacobs Instagram to join him in recreating the YouTube star Lohanthony's video 'Calling All The Basic Bitches.' Clearly that EasyJet incident wasn’t the first time Kate had called out someone for being basic.
3. Man Repeller made us all dress topsy-turvy
This year we all wanted to be Man Repeller’s Leandra Medine. She served up fashion with a side of humour in every post and had the fash pack spurred on to wear their shirts upside-down or back to front. Plus, she even made socks with pulled up loafers cool.
4. Kendall’s hair was the most liked Instagram of the year
What does it take to rack in 3.1 million likes? If Kendall Jenner is anything to go by: being a member of the most famous TV dynasty ever, having hours to spend placing your hair in contrived heart shapes, and very well-tiled bathroom and model looks are the key.
5. Vita Kin was the fashion label that went viral
These folk inspired dresses and shirts might have price labels to make your eyes water (£1K for a blouse and £1.5K a dress) but it didn’t stop Ukranian designer Vita Kin from gaining a cult following via Instagram. She started out selling the dresses to commenters who begged to know where to buy them. By the time they hit Net-a-Porter, thanks to popular demand, they were an instant sell-out.
6. The label who snubbed fashion week
Misha Nonoo said ‘screw fashion week’ when she debuted her SS16 collection on Instagram instead. Her @mishanonoo_show handle was a stroke of genius – with all the looks spread across a stream of instagrams. 'I came up with the idea of using one long scroll that’s populated almost like a runway,' she explained.
7. @MoreModelsOfColour called for a less homogenous model industry
As of August @MoreModelsOfColour launched with a mission statement to show what a more diverse modelling industry would look like, by showcasing models who are (for now) under the radar. Let’s hope we see a lot more of their faces on the catwalks next fashion week.
8. Emily Ratajkowski’s glasses won Instagram
Emily Ratakjowski was a one-woman ad campaign for glasses label Garrett Leight this year. She made these Harry Potter specs look like the coolest thing that could happen to your face.
9. Barbie went high fashion
Barbie was kind of a big deal in the fashion world this year – as well as hitting up Paris Fashion Week, she also went all directional on the beauty front, debuting four looks by backstage makeup mogul Pat McGrath. If only she’d looked this cool when we were kids.
10. We learned that models love a bathroom selfie
Behati Prinsloo and co. said ‘screw you’ to Anna Wintour’s selfie ban at the Met Gala when they all snuck off for a bathroom selfie. Though taking turns isn’t their forte, clearly.
11. Gigi Hadid fought back against online hate
As we’ve learned this year thanks to an onslaught of body shaming - with a huge Insta following comes huge amounts of social media hatred. So after strutting down every catwalk going during SS16 fashion week and being fat shamed by commenters, Gigi Hadid took to Instagram silence them. Posting an open letter she wrote 'I love that I can be sexy. I’m proud of it.' Sometimes a thousand (or 200) words is worth more than a picture, eh?
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Follow Hayley on Twitter: @HayleyBSpencer
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.