Influencer and YouTuber Emma Chamberlain has opened up about her experience branching out of the internet space and into high-end fashion.
In a new interview for V Magazine as its latest digital cover star, the 20-year-old — who has collaborated with two of the biggest names in fashion, Louis Vuitton and Vogue — opened up about her transition into the luxury industry.
When asked if she felt there was “pushback” about her and other creators entering the fashion world, Emma said, “Yes, a thousand percent.”
“In a sense, the fashion world itself has been around forever and influencers and digital celebrities are very new and haven't necessarily earned their stripes yet,” Emma said.
“I think some people are not ready to accept it as a new form of celebrity, which I totally understand because it's like mixing something new with something classic and it can feel wrong,” she said.
“I understand that kind of discomfort comes from people who have been into fashion since they were younger, [where] maybe it was before this was all a thing, and seeing digital influencers come in feels wrong,” she continued. “At the same time, the world of fashion and fame has to evolve in order for it to grow, so this is a natural part of that and it only makes sense.”
“When people were questioning my entrance into it, it was kind of scary, but at the same time, I understood where they're coming from,” she added. “My only hope is that people will accept me into it and let me be a part of it.”
Emma went on to recall the commotion around her first appearance at Louis Vuitton’s Fall/Winter 2019 show, and how this marked a “shift” in the industry.
“I think it was a lot weirder for somebody who was looking from the other side of things,” Emma said. “[They] don't necessarily know who I am and they just saw me at the Louis Vuitton show and they were like, ‘What is going on? That's so weird. It does not make sense.’”
However, she praised the support that her fans showed her throughout this transition, maintaining that they were “super stoked” for her.
“My audience felt comfortable with this transition because they were truly experiencing the shock, the confusion, the excitement — they were experiencing all of that with me,” she said.
“I have such an intimate relationship with [my audience] and I think that they felt like it was still me,” she added. “I didn't change my demeanor, behavior, or the way that I filmed content — nothing really changed. I was just doing something very out of the ordinary.”