Why will Khaby Lame become a fashion icon?
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The most followed TikToker in the world, with 149.6 million subscribers, has already had his own fashion capsule Khaby x BOSS spring-summer 2022 (a limited series collection, the result of the creative collaboration between Khaby Lame and Hugo Boss.) Khaby Lame, whose real name is Khabane Lame, became known for his humorous videos on the Chinese social network and is now known for his taste in style. Hugo Boss was inspired by Khaby Lame’s audacity and we’ll explain why we’re sure that brands will fight for his popularity, humor and charisma to attract the new generation.
Who is Khaby Lame?
Khaby Lame is a 22-year-old Senegalese-Italian comedian who has captivated the TikTok world with his hilarious “life hack” videos. Without speaking, he takes existing tutorial videos and parodies them in a simplified and hilarious way. What makes him successful? A very visual sense of humor that takes inspiration from silent comedy by mocking social media, and an authenticity that instantly makes you want to be friends with him.
He was born in Dakar, Senegal on March 9, 2000, and even though he has been living in Italy since he was one year old, it was only in August 2022 that Khaby Lame became an Italian citizen.
Since June 22, 2022, he is officially the most followed TikToker in the world!
Why can we easily identify with him?
Because he started very humbly, sometimes dressed in a simple streetwear jogging that we all have in our wardrobe, with the desire to make people laugh and mock the ultra-complicated DIY videos that flood the internet. He started posting on the platform from his room to do what he loves most in the world, share his humor, and it works!
The new generation knows that the traditional model is no longer effective and that social media allows you to succeed by valuing authenticity. And being authentic is exactly what we love about Khaby Lame, who has developed a new type of influence based on naturalness.
It’s easier to identify with Khaby Lame than with influencers who stage their photos and do drop-shopping. While a 22-year-old who succeeds in becoming the king of TikTok is something that many dream of!
The perfect storytelling
Having left Senegal with his parents at the age of one, he arrived in Italy where he still resides. Until March 2020, he worked in a factory as a machine operator. He was laid off due to the pandemic and that’s when he discovered the power of TikTok. It’s hard to imagine that just two years later, he would be posing for Hugo Boss!
Are you following me? The storytelling is perfect and fits into the imagination of the new influencer who started from scratch and is now collaborating with the biggest luxury brands. That’s what we call bouncing back from failure!
Khaby Lame, beyond the phenomenon, is above all the beautiful fairy tale of a Senegalese immigrant in Italy who has become a multimillionaire thanks to his personality and charisma, all without saying a word. In other words, the perfect model of success in today’s world.
Khaby Lame: From TikTok to the world of fashion
It didn’t take long before he was propelled into an icon of fashion, a world that he discovered, as he said in an interview: “I am truly honored to be part of the world of fashion. I just started making videos and it’s a whole new world for me.”
As we said, it’s Hugo Boss who had the chance to collaborate with Khaby Lame for the Boss x Khaby capsule collection composed of a hoodie, a doll in his image, and a jacket.
The projects are not lacking, it’s simple, Khaby is invited everywhere: Milan Fashion Week, New York…
Why do brands love Khaby Lame?
First of all, because he has 149.6 million subscribers and any brand seeks to rejuvenate its image while riding the trends. And what better way to collaborate directly with the man with the largest community in the world?
- In my opinion, there are several explanations as to why brands will fight to work with Khaby. The first one: He is not familiar with the world of fashion and his videos went viral even though he didn’t have a particular style. It’s a godsend for brands that will want to dress him to associate their style with his image, and that’s what Hugo Boss did first.
The second explanation is that brands want to enjoy the luxury of collaborating with the most followed influencer in the world and redefine the concept of authenticity, success, and empowerment with the younger generation.
The Milan and New York Fashion Weeks have understood the power of the influencer: by inviting him to events, they provoke a renewed interest in fashion and designers.
Khaby Lame’s success is truly fascinating in the image-driven society we live in. He proves that words are not necessary to make the whole world laugh.
TikTok… this superb source of inspiration is inexhaustible for understanding the world today, even if the reality we are sold on social media is far from beneficial for our mental health, like this new trend of the Passport Challenge.
