A Professional believes that small social media brands cannot take over the fashion industry.

Photographed by Alessandro Videla with the products from his brand on Janurary 20, 2024. (Semi Won/T.)

Alessandro Videla, a first-year TMU student, is packaging his orders to ship out to his customers after a successful pre-sale for this brand, Up To Us. 

During his shift at Costco, he had an epiphany: He hated working for someone and wanted to do something for himself, be his own boss, and set his own hours. 

“I started my clothing brand. My goal was to grow my personal brand through TikTok or Instagram, but I mostly focused on TikTok. I knew that if I secured a strong fan base with my own fashion niche, I could definitely attract a lot of customers and have that stable customer base,” Videla said. 

It is evident that there are so many different brands on social media platforms. While scrolling on Instagram and TikTok, you constantly see advertisements for brands you have never seen. 

A student, Ryan Chan, says, “I tend to look at social media brands when I’m trying to buy clothes because the designs are much more unique.”

Since the growth of social media, an uncountable number of people have started their own clothing brands. Many of these brand owners see this as their chance to make something for themselves and expand their businesses in the future.