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Fashion Narrator Lyas is one of the most compelling and authentic fashion communicators to emerge in the fashion world, and his take on fashion shows and editorials is sharp, honest and knowledgeable.
“The golden age of the designer is over, and I think we’ve lost the idea that you can be creative and make a company money,” he says. “Designers are now all disposable. It’s like musical chairs, with someone leaving every month and someone coming in.”
Riaz’s journey has been shaped by a belief in the emotional power of storytelling, which is at the heart of fashion communication. Using TikTok and Instagram to share his thoughts and opinions, his fashion roulette videos and witty runway analysis have attracted hundreds of thousands of viewers. Lately, he has lamented the decline of creativity across the fashion industry.
Key Insights
- Raised in France and studying theatre, Riaz was first drawn to the visual world of filmmaking. Frustrated by the rigid standards of the film industry, he found freedom in fashion, where he could create and critique a persona without being boxed in by a pre-determined mould. Hanging out with fashion people at parties and building a presence through social media, he found a place where his opinions and persona could come to life. “I couldn’t find a place amongst the cinema audience, so I started going out with fashion people,” he says. “It became a way to create a superstar persona for the night, and I got obsessed with it.”
- Lias quickly noticed the gap between personal opinions and public silence in the fashion world. He began to speak out and criticize the industry, speaking out against its hypocrisy. This unapologetic stance led to a brief blacklisting, but it also opened doors and demonstrated the value of staying true to your opinions. “I started telling it like it was on TikTok… I really didn’t like the first Sabato de Sarno, and I think most people in the industry didn’t like it either, but I endured the pain because no one wanted to say it.”
- Lias is critical of the corporatisation of fashion, where creativity is often discounted in favour of profit. “We’ve lost the idea that it’s possible to be creative and make a profit for the company,” he says. “The golden age of the designer is over. Now every designer is disposable. We’ve seen it. It’s like musical chairs.”
- As for advice, Lias says it’s simple: “Don’t be afraid. It’s easy to say, but I think the biggest problem with self-confidence for anyone is fear. … Don’t be afraid, if you’re scared to do it, do it.”
Additional resources
- Commercializing the zeitgeist: Developing a winning TikTok strategy. With a community of over 1 billion people, TikTok is a key driver of success for fashion and beauty brands today. BoF has partnered with TikTok to share exclusive inside insights and strategic analysis from a range of independent experts to identify how companies can optimize their brand and product marketing performance on TikTok and drive sales through advertising and commerce capabilities.
- Why brands invite their customers on influencer trips. Luxury trips packed with free giveaways are no longer just for the elite with the most followers.
- Finding fashion consumers beyond Instagram. Once considered outliers, platforms like Reddit, Discord and Twitch are garnering attention from digital marketers looking to diversify their channel mix beyond Instagram.
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