Fashion's New Frontier: Is Style Now Just Content?

Fashion has always been about desire, but today, that desire is less about owning a specific piece and more about experiencing a moment. It’s no longer just commerce; it’s an entertainment spectacle with its own loyal fan base—and these aren't your typical connoisseurs.

Take Elias Medini, known to his half-million Instagram followers simply as Lyas. He's at the forefront of this shift, turning runway shows into public events. Last summer, on one of France's hottest days, Lyas was in Marseille for “La Watch Party,” his traveling pop-up that streams designer shows for the public.

Think World Cup viewing party, but for couture. He's taking fashion beyond Paris, reaching fans who previously felt locked out. Why?

Because he used to be one of them.

Lyas, now 27, grew up an outsider in Rouen, a historic city far from fashion's inner circle. At 16, he crashed a Vetements show in Paris, driven by a 'delusional sense of teenage confidence' and a desire to belong. He later became a full-time fashion commentator, leveraging his pandemic-era TikTok following.

But a critical review of a Dior collection led to his dismissal from Interview magazine and no invite to Jonathan Anderson's Dior debut.

It stung, but it also sparked an idea.

I was like, 'You know what, I'm going to call the people that follow me, and my friends, [and tell them] to join me in this bar, and we're going to do a watch party [for the Dior show], just like we would watch a football game,'

he recalled. He brought his own TV, set up chairs, and to his astonishment, 300 people showed up. That moment highlighted a massive void: a lack of accessible spaces for fashion enthusiasts.

Today, luxury brands like Vetements are sponsoring La Watch Party, and Lyas is back on the inside, this time as a leader. His congregation travels far and wide, arriving hours early to guarantee entry. These are fashion's biggest fans, braving heatwaves to watch a 15-minute streamable show, commenting things like “Thank God for @ly.as” and “Lyas for président.” They aren't necessarily aspiring professionals or networkers.

They are simply fans.

Is it just entertainment now?

This raises a crucial question: do these people even care about fashion, or has fashion simply transcended commerce to become pure entertainment? We've seen it with sports; you don't need to buy a jersey or even understand the rules to be a fan. You just need a screen and someone to share the experience with.

This evolving landscape means a new kind of influencer—one who builds community and fosters belonging, rather than just showcasing products. The future of fashion might be less about what you wear, and more about what you watch, who you watch it with, and the shared cultural moment it creates.