Culture

Anna Carter

The Model is Dead, Long Live the Celebrity: How Fame Replaced the Fashion Model

A close-up headshot of a young woman with fair skin, reddish-brown hair, and light blue eyes. Her hair is parted on the side and styled with soft waves framing her face. She has a gentle smile, wearing glossy coral lipstick and a silver-toned, rounded earring on her right ear. She is dressed in a dark, open-knit cardigan over a light gray top, against a soft, light-colored background.

Anna Carter is a Professional Communications student in her final year of study with a strong passion for fashion, social media, and cultural analysis. Her work explores how digital platforms are reshaping the fashion industry, particularly the rise of influencer and celebrity culture. With a background in competitive figure skating and an interest in visual storytelling, she brings a unique perspective to fashion, viewing it as both performance and identity. Anna is especially interested in branding, media strategy, and the evolving relationship between fashion, visibility, and influence. She is planning to expand her knowledge in fashion communication and branding through courses offered at the Vogue School of Fashion this summer.

This project examines the growing replacement of traditional fashion models with celebrities and influencers in campaigns, editorials, magazine covers, and runway shows. Once valued as “blank canvases,” models are now competing with highly visible figures who bring established audiences and personal branding power. This research aims to take that analysis of the increase in brands using celebrities and influencers as marketing tactics, and how platforms like Instagram have transformed casting decisions. Case studies are presented featuring individuals such as Zendaya, Julia Fox, Anok Yai, and Alex Consani, and through analysis of social media feeds of various designer brands. Ultimately, the argument is presented that fashion now operates within an attention economy where visibility, influence, and storytelling have become more valuable than traditional modelling aesthetics.

Lightning Talk

Browse More Culture Research

More Projects

A close-up headshot of a young woman with fair skin, light blue eyes, a slight smile, and a small nose piercing. Her long, reddish-brown wavy hair frames her face, and she wears a black blazer over a dark top. The background is a softly blurred, modern indoor environment.

Mackenzie Cecco

Curating the Ideal Life: Travel and Fitness Influencers on Social Media
A portrait-style close-up of a young man from the chest up, centered against a blurred light grey background. He has fair skin, light brown, somewhat disheveled hair that falls across his forehead, and light green eyes looking straight ahead. He is wearing a fitted grey turtleneck sweater, and his expression is calm and neutral with a slight hint of a smile. Soft, even lighting illuminates his face.

Sean Kapić Gomes

When Seeing Is Not Believing: AI Video and Trust on Social Media
A close-up, front-facing headshot of a man with medium-dark skin, short dark hair, and a friendly smile. He wears black-rimmed glasses, a white collared shirt, and a dark blue crew-neck sweatshirt. Small dark moles are visible near his left eye and under his right eye. The indoor background is softly blurred, showing light-colored walls and windows.

Mohammad Shafin Alif

How Media Representation Influences Public Understanding of Refugees
Scroll to Top