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Fashion content creator Mandy Lee, also known by the handle @oldloserinbrooklyn, has become a fashion authority on TikTok with her thoughtfully researched trend predictions and commentary. She actually started her career as an analyst in the technology industry, so it's no surprise that she has this unique skill set.
But when the pandemic hit and Lee, like many of us, lost her job, she created TikTok and ventured into content. Now, she has more than 500,000 followers, is the centerpiece of the much-talked-about #75HardStyleChallenge, and hosts her annual Met Gala watch party (last year she only had 48 hours has received over 70 million views).
For the latest episodes of Hilary Kerr and Who Wears Whatwho wears what Editor-in-Chief Kat Collings sat down with Lee to discuss how she got started creating content, the impact of the #75HardStyleChallenge, and more.
Scroll down for excerpts of their conversation.
Many people know you from your TikTok and Instagram handle @oldloserinbrooklyn. And I'm curious about how you started trend forecasting and then how you transitioned into content creation.
I always wanted to be a writer. It was like a dream of mine. I was like your typical millennial obsessed with The Devil Wears Prada. But I lived in Boston. As a result, I haven't had many opportunities to work directly with fashion in my career.
So, my first job was as an analyst at a technology company, and I eventually moved up to work on a performance planning team with a lot of predictive elements. So we were predicting an increase in sales, unit sales, and category growth.
Eventually, I entered the beauty industry and started planning and forecasting at the product level. Basically, it's about understanding what happens in the pipeline. Production of beauty products usually takes a year and a half. In other words, you are thinking about two years ahead.
So you were predicting beauty products and your work inspired you to start Tiktok?
Well, actually, I was laid off during the pandemic. Literally, like two days after I got fired, I joined TikTok. And it never really was, because I loved that job I was fired from. I worked at something like an independent hair care company in Brooklyn.
[TikTok] It really started as a passion project, but I ended up missing the job. To be honest, when I was unemployed, there wasn't really a niche market for TikTok, so it felt like the stakes were really low at the time. Currently, trend forecasting as a niche field under the umbrella of fashion on social media is very popular. However, at that time it was still in an untapped state.
And I've always credited my success to being the first to enter a niche market. And be accurate. My content has definitely changed over the years. I've moved away from trend forecasting simply because it's a skillset I've built over my seven-year career, and now save a lot of my insights for my consulting business and paying clients. . But without TikTok, I wouldn't have been able to start my own business. It was completely life changing for me.
In January of this year, a video introducing a style challenge called #75HardStyleChallenge was released. For those who haven't heard of this yet, could you explain a little bit about it?
The #75HardStyleChallenge was launched in early January, coinciding with people's New Year's resolutions and fresh starts for the year. And this is essentially a styling challenge where you don't buy anything for 75 days, get dressed every day, and record your outfits every day. That's it. Do this for 75 days and finally look back.
I thought this was just a post for the audience. Because this is something I've been doing on a small scale for years and it's something I don't want to do publicly. I always come back to it whenever I feel like I'm in a rut, but I've never really hated doing this before. Again, that's what inspired it.
When I first joined Tik Tok, I was doing things like predicting trends, but I also often talked about things like personal style. My advice always is to stop buying things and explore your closet for as long as possible. This will give you a better idea of the gaps in your wardrobe and what you naturally gravitate toward.
This is just a formal overview on how to achieve it. And it worked really well, I'm still shocked. This is probably the coolest thing I've ever done as a creator.
Because the way I approach my content and my platform, I'm not trying to sell you the shoes that I'm wearing. I'm trying to give you ideas, critical thinking, and thinking about fashion in your own way.
I want to talk about the Met Gala. Last year, you made a very accurate prediction that Doja Cat would dress up as Karl Lagerfeld's cat Choupette, and lo and behold, we don't know if some kind of deal was made under the table. , which was pretty spot on. And this year's Met Gala is just around the corner. And I'd like to know if you have any predictions.
In announcing the theme, Andrew Bolton said that nature would be the waypoint. It was in front of the Garden of Time dress code, which is different from the name of the Met Gala night and also different from the exhibition. It's a bit confusing, but Garden of Time technically has a dress code.
Naturally, many flowers bloom. I think there's a bit of a faded element to some of the looks. I think the dress will be created as something completely new, similar to an older iconic garment. And I think those will be kind of the main themes that you see on the red carpet.
I would love to see the literal interpretation, as the exhibition is as follows [titled] Sleeping Beauty awakens fashion. And then again, maybe Jared Leto will do it, showing up in what looks like a sleeping bag with a pillow.
The exhibition will feature lots of technology and conservation techniques, as well as some really cool smells, sounds and tactile experiences. And I really wonder if that somehow translates into some of Loewe's looks like his 3D almost grass print-like futuristic gardening look. I think it will work very well. Loewe is also sponsoring the Met Gala for the first time this year, so it would be a shock if that didn't show up in some form. It's clearly going to be a big show from Loewe and Jonathan Anderson. I can only imagine how many habits he has.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.Check out next Interview with celebrity stylist Jamie Mizrahi.
