Wait, What’s HFT? High Fashion Twitter: Explained!

by Ian Grafvonluxburg

Much like the actual physical world of fashion, the digital realm of High Fashion Twitter is broad and wide. Right at your fingertips, there are dozens of accounts all focusing on different aspects of the fashion industry—and from posting runway looks to providing critical commentary, there is an @ for any interest. As we dove further into the community, we uncovered many gems—but here are five of our favorite HFT accounts that you should get acquainted with ASAP. 

@fellinysl 

Name/age/location: Cydnie Cole/22/Atlanta, Georgia
Do you remember your first-ever tweet? No I don’t remember my first tweet at all! Whoops!
Was Twitter ‘fashionable’ when you started out? Twitter was not fashionable when I first started, it was mostly ’90s Chanel + 2017 Kardashian-esque style.
Can you describe to our readers what High Fashion Twitter is? How has it been recognized by traditional media? High Fashion Twitter is a section of Twitter for people interested in high fashion or people who work in the fashion industry. It has been recognized in traditional media for The High Fashion Met Gala + funny and/or insane fashion commentary and memes.
How often do you tweet? What’s your daily/weekly screen time like? I tweet at least 10 times a day. My screen time is about 8 hours per day.
Has your Twitter brought you any attention from fashion insiders or brands? Yes! Peter Do posted on my threads on his personal Instagram + DM’d me. Vin Ho also posted my thread on his Instagram and DM’d me. Christopher John Rogers retweeted and liked my thread on Twitter. I was interviewed by Bethan Kapur for Refinery29 UK. I’ve met a lot of industry professionals through Twitter, some of who I now consider close friends.
What are your overall career aspirations? I work in film so I would love to become a director and possibly direct a fashion documentary.
If you could get a followback from any Twitter user, which one would it be? Probably Tracee Ellis Ross or Bibby Gregory.

@coutureisbeyond

Name/age/location: Taima/24/I’m from the US.
Do you remember your first-ever tweet? Yes, I’m pretty sure it was a gif of Magdalena Frackwoiak. I started out as @supermodelgifs and used to post gifs of my favorite models.
Was Twitter ‘fashionable’ when you started out? Twitter was never really fashionable until recently. There were not many people for me to follow who posted similar content. Most people who were interested in high fashion were on tumblr at the the time, that was definitely the go-to app.
Can you describe to our readers what High Fashion Twitter is? How has it been recognized by traditional media?For me High Fashion Twitter is anyone who posts or is interested in high fashion. It’s not really a group of accounts, anyone can be a part of it. I think the most recognition it got was from Vogue in 2020 when a group of accounts made @HFMetGala to host an inclusive online met gala, and that way everyone could participate.
How often do you tweet? What’s your daily/weekly screen time like? I try to tweet a few times a day. I have a full time job, so I don’t go out of my way to tweet. I usually save my posts as drafts and post them when I’m busy or there is not much new going on. I do try to stay up to date and post news and covers as soon as possible. But I miss out on a lot because of my work and just daily life.
Has your Twitter brought you any attention from fashion insiders or brands? Yes, I remember my first big interaction was with Gigi Hadid. She responded to a tweet I posted about a model being upset she wasn’t selected for the Victoria’s Secret fashion show. I didn’t even mention Gigi in the tweet. But she DMd me and gave me some insight on how the fittings and selection for the show go. She talked to me about her experiences getting casted. I didn’t publicly post her response because I didn’t see a reason why.
What are your overall career aspirations? I’m not sure what my future may hold. I have a stable career as an engineer and don’t want to trade it for something unstable. I’d love to create content on the side though. Ideally, I’ll do some fashion content for 10-20 hours a week and be able to attend shows.
If you could get a followback from any Twitter user, which one would it be? I’d love a follow from Kanye or Lady Gaga. Who wouldn’t?

@2mayaz

Name/age/location: Maya AlZaben/23/New York City
Do you remember your first-ever tweet? I do not! Sorry!
Was Twitter ‘fashionable’ when you started out? I started properly using High Fashion Twitter in 2019 and I want to say yes, it was fashionable. A lot of the OGs aren’t on Twitter anymore, but it’s always nice to get new, fresh perspectives.
Can you describe to our readers what High Fashion Twitter is? How has it been recognized by traditional media?
I want to call it the “Fashion Locker Room,” because there’s all kinds of fashion discourse on it and it varies tremendously. Some is educational and informative, some is not, some is just gossip, some people are on there just to post pictures, and some people are on there for the memes. Still, everyone there is there for fashion and that’s what makes it fun, there’s no underlying hierarchy or sense of exclusivity. No matter what’s on your timeline, you’re always going to learn something. How often do you tweet? What’s your daily/weekly screen time like?  I tweet almost everyday, probably 1-4 times. My daily/weekly screen time varies. My daily average on Twitter is 36 minutes a day.
Has your Twitter brought you any attention from fashion insiders or brands? Yes! It’s mostly when I post rare references from past runways/vintage collections, homages that I have researched, or cool things like the fact that Amelia Earhart used to fly in Schiaparelli. I definitely feel super honored to have garnered the following of fashion editors and writers that inspire me! I’m grateful for it everyday!
What are your overall career aspirations? I want to become an editor at a fashion publication like Vogue or Harper’s Bazaar. I’d love to curate fashion exhibitions one day as well and make fashion history and archives more accessible to the public. Anything that follows Madame Diana Vreeland’s footsteps!
If you could get a followback from any Twitter user, which one would it be? Definitely Rachel Tashjian and Vanessa Friedman. I think they’re two of my biggest inspirations in the industry. Tashjian has a way with words—she illustrates them in a way that takes you inside the article. You feel like you’re in it, you’re not just reading it. And with Vanessa Friedman, she is the (fashion) people’s journalist!

@dameandconfused

Name/age/location: Dame/32/Atlanta, Georgia
Do you remember your first-ever tweet? My original account was suspended but my return tweet was the infamous Miley Cyrus video “I’m back mutha…” and the rest is history!
Was Twitter ‘fashionable’ when you started out? Heavens no. Tumblr was and still is the “it” app for fashion, mainly for imagery, whereas Twitter is for thoughts, opinions, and open discussions.
Can you describe to our readers what High Fashion Twitter is? How has it been recognized by traditional media?
I’m still trying to figure out what High Fashion Twitter really is, but there are various accounts for various fashions interests. From McQueen or Schiaparelli enthusiasts. Models, editorials, educational threads or even just style accounts. How often do you tweet? What’s your daily/weekly screen time like? I post daily. I post and go though. My mentions are usually in shambles, so I often miss comments but I try to reply as much as I can. My screen time is off for mental health reasons.
Has your Twitter brought you any attention from fashion insiders or brands? Maybe *wink emoji* but I’d rather keep those a secret for now. Stay tuned though!
What are your overall career aspirations? To be a purveyor of style and eventually launch a small brand. There are the simplest of things I want that don’t exist, so why not make them?
If you could get a followback from any Twitter user, which one would it be? I luckily got that follow back from Antoine @bibbygregory the founder of Black Fashion Fair. He’s the future and his efforts at BFF are going to shift the culture.

@balencianass

Name/age/location: Ana Escalante/23/New York
Do you remember your first-ever tweet? Yes, actually! I think I tweeted a video of snow falling from my balcony in Tokyo—back when I thought Twitter was only for being extremely professional and news-oriented. Clearly, that mindset quickly faded.
Was Twitter ‘fashionable’ when you started out? To be honest, I fully didn’t get into HFT until I began working in fashion media in 2019 and really utilized social media as a means to research. It wasn’t until then that I actually found a community of people who really knew their stuff—and I mean really knew everything about the industry. It was extremely eye-opening.
Can you describe to our readers what High Fashion Twitter is? How has it been recognized by traditional media?Aside from ‘90s aesthetic mood boards and pinning tweets romanticizing fashion PR jobs, HFT feels like a digital  encyclopedia for anything and everything style. Whether it be archive Jean Paul-Gaultier facts or coming together to mourn the loss of one of our industry’s juggernauts, HFT really has a boots-on-the-ground outlook that so many people overlook when it comes to fashion. It’s also composed of so many young, BIPOC, and queer creators, which makes me hopeful for the future. Fashion has been gate-kept for so long, and still is to a degree, by mighty legends who weld an iron sword. Obviously, there’s been so much talk about the democratization of fashion the digital revolution has created, but this little corner of the internet really shows that.
How often do you tweet? What’s your daily/weekly screen time like? I tweet way too often and it’s quite embarrassing for someone who doesn’t have the Twitter app installed on their phone (I deleted it because I spent WAY too much time on it.)
What are your overall career aspirations? Twitter has been so supplemental to my writing. We’re seeing so many journalists really find outlets that embrace their personality and online presence as a means to propel the conversation forward. I think when it came to applying to internships or freelancing, editors were able to take a glimpse into my brain and realize I wasn’t just a 20-something that could string together pretty words into coherent sentences, but rather, there was a personality behind all the madness. Although I’m just at the beginning of my professional journey, I truly love working in fashion media and see myself here for as long as I can. I’m passionate about investigative journalism and really pulling back the velvet curtains on this industry. If I can do that in any way, as a baby writer or a top-dog editor, I would be happy.
If you could get a followback from any Twitter user, which one would it be? Rachel Seville Tashjian, AKA @theprophetpizza, hands down. I have the biggest journalism crush on her. I haven’t been able to get on her Opulent Tips newsletter…yet. Fingers crossed!

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