As Creators, as Influencers

This thesis focuses on the group of fashion design students who are both creative workers and influencers. The aim of this thesis is to explore how influencer identity affects the creative production of fashion design students. By cutting through the lens of social media influencing fashion practices, this thesis provides a fresh perspective for understanding the creative production. In addition, although this thesis studies the fashion industry, the results obtained have potential for general applicability to the creative industry. This study conducted in-depth interviews with 12 fashion design students who are also influencers on the Chinese social media platform RED. 12 interviewees were enrolled in or recently graduated from fashion education institutions and fit the profile of micro social media influencers. In addition, their social media content was predominantly fashion design related. The author explored the interviewees’ behavioral motivations and perceptions as comprehensively as possible through motivational, behavioral, and cognitive questions. This thesis found that influencer identity brought both positive impacts and challenges to the creative production of fashion design students. Positive impacts include the media exposure, enhanced personal reputation, and broadened networks that influencer identity brings to fashion design students. In addition, fashion design students can derive pleasure and a sense of accomplishment from creating social media content. Another positive impact of influencers on creative production is reflected in the fact that the recognition they receive in social media strengthens their creative drive and makes them feel more connected to their identity as fashion designers. This leads them to show a greater willingness to try new things and take risks in their fashion practice. At the same time, influencer identity also poses challenges for creative production. First, this study found that to maintain the quality of creative production, fashion design students need to make trade-offs between influencer identity and designer identity given their limited time and energy. Second, influencer identity brings business opportunities for fashion design students, but these opportunities often have little monetary return or may be detrimental to the designer's credibility. Finally, influencer identity can expose fashion design students to emotional stress.