The Very Specific World of High Fashion Twitter

Picture this: a carton of Icelandic yogurt, a burst of fireworks, a full Louis Vuitton tote, and a pair of jeans. As a group, these images have nothing to do with one another, no obvious correlation or connection. There is nothing that links these four images together except their placement with one another as a series. For the world of High Fashion Twitter, however, also known as #HFtwitter, this is a moodboard; four images that exemplify an aesthetic of a specifically idealized lifestyle. The subculture of High Fashion Twitter overflows with photos of moodboards, 2000s era photo shoots and late 90s runway shows. Curations of images like these are a main component of their content and brand. The power of these moodboards to communicate a narrative that receives thousands of retweets is substantial. These accounts seem to serve as places for passion and aspiration alike. Account owners and followers appear to be manifesting the things that the photos exemplify—a life of ambition, wealth and ease.

High Fashion Twitter accounts paint an extremely specific picture. Outfit inspiration draws from the styles of off-duty models. Food is green juice, acai bowls, iced coffee, sometimes a beautifully decorated pastry; you get the idea. A picture of a party scene is slightly blurry so as to elicit the feeling of temporality and whimsy, like frolicking under the streetlights of a city (usually New York) or gliding around an invite-only club in a Mirror Palais dress and Jacquemus purse. They convey someone who is moving seamlessly through life and excelling at all endeavors—academics, pilates, likely both. There’s a lustfulness for academic success and a fascination with a seemingly balanced lifestyle. It’s the right amount of everything, an idealized version of oneself. 

The accounts have their own lingo that creates a thread of ideas and solidifies their identity as a community. Terms like “Miu Miu it-girl era” and “Emrata'' (an abbreviation of Emily Ratajkowski) are common, as well as pictures of Donatella Versace or Blair Waldorf captioned “Mother” and paparazzi photos of JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. They all understand the romanticization of wearing out a Birkin like the Olsen twins. These seemingly obscure or dispensable references are an essential piece of their world. As far as Twitter handles go, usernames are typically a combination of two things: an adjective or noun alluding to something ephemeral, and an “of the moment” designer; think “MUGLERMIND,” “saintdoll” and “COSMICPR4DA.” The handles emulate what could be generated from the games we played as kids where someone could get their potential stripper name by pairing their favorite color with their dog’s middle name. Some users are overt about their identities while others remain anonymous. 

Creators keep up with current seasons of runway shows and events. One user gained notability after creating the High Fashion Met Gala, a virtual event that put HF twitter on the map. An interesting effect of these accounts is the trust and reliance followers put on them for accurate information regarding designers, collections and shows. Users retweet High Fashion Twitter posts with no question of their integrity, and when a platform becomes a primary source, its influence is undeniable. As a subculture of a major social media platform, High Fashion Twitter reveals the grasp of assumed authority on an interested audience and the coherence between craft and canvas.