Adrienne Reau began creating content one summer in middle school, after she saved up all her money to buy a used computer. Trying to escape the heat, and maybe a little boredom, she soon discovered the joys of crafting vlogs on iMovie. “I would make little fashion videos in my room,” she says, showcasing outfits pieced together from trips thrifting with her mom on the weekend. “I had all these really cool, funky clothes and I would DIY-edit these videos together. I think my love for fashion and video editing really blossomed the summer I got that damn MacBook.”

Today, she posts playful photographs and videos to more than 114,000 followers. Back then, she had a YouTube channel but was too embarrassed to upload the videos to the public that could be found by the kids at school. “I was getting bullied so badly,” she says, always “wearing weird clothes and weird shoes. But I was just like: you know what, I really don't care. I’m determined, I know this is going to work for me.”

Adrienne kept her eye on the prize, and has since turned her childhood hobby into a full-time job. Now, she collaborates with fashion brands that range from Miaou and Acne to Pandora jewelry, who took her to Coachella. Her content is always fun, never taking herself too seriously. She straddles the line between goofy, cute and sexy. She hopes her page can teach girls that they can be confident in their bodies: be cool, fashionable and self-sufficient. She says: “Look, I have a giant nose, I didn't come from a ton of money, like I'm not the sharpest knife in the toolbox. But I'm hardworking. And I'm a great people-person and I really care. I'm genuine and I believe that will get you further than anything.”

She’s the first to admit that it’s a tough world to break into and thrive in, which is why Adrienne is an advocate for keeping some things private. Her 5-year-relationship, for example, as well as her family and the friends she’s retained since college are all hidden from her feed. “Oftentimes, haters and people that just don't understand what I’m all about will combat or attack me or my character when they really don't know the full story,” she says. “I've learned to protect what's important to me.”

She also tries to stay grounded and careful not to get too caught up in the materialism of it all. “Comparison is literally the death of all things creative.” In this industry, you really have to be confident and not care what anybody else around you thinks, she says: “I think a lot of people couldn't even fathom being so vulnerable or posting themselves constantly.” 

But Adrienne loves the creativity behind it all and the freedom to be her own boss. Her page is a kaleidoscopic collection of color and texture: lace socks combined with high heels, chain belts and biker boots. There’s a sense of fun and play that filters all of her work: a true passion for the brands she represents and the clothes she’s dug out of piles in car boots. Sometimes she jokes with her viewers in videos about a pair of stilettoed boots that fell apart after purchase: ‘POV: you buy vintage shoes from the thrift,’ the caption reads while she sips on an Aperol spritz.

There’s an assortment of content shot at baseball games, in the street, at music festivals and stores. Documenting her life is the job and one that is not always as easy as it might look. In fact, the unifying thing that connects creators is being hard workers, fearless and unabashed about their passion. 

Content creator Ellie Danielle Burnett agrees. Her Legally Blonde-approved feed is a mashup of all things Y2K: a throwback to the days of Paris Hilton. It has diamontes, baguette bags, and french tips galore. A year after graduating from a degree at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in downtown LA, Ellie launched her own brand of cruelty-free makeup called Bad B, which she promotes on her page. One of Ellie’s shades of lipstick is called ‘role model,’ which is something she hopes she can be to others. “I think when you kind of just go for your dreams, you don't really let anything hold you back, you inspire other people to do that.”

Today, she says, vloggers on Instagram and TikTok have become “like retailers: we're selling products, and it's hard to sell something and to create it because it is all about building trust in your brand that means reviewing products you truly believe in.” Ellie shoots most of her content in her home, “so it's very authentic,” and “definitely me, like 100%.” Her page personifies empowerment in its girliest form, a celebration of female energy and the power that holds. It’s where she expresses herself and does what makes her happy. “I really love to make videos,” she says, about reels that draw on everything from self-care and homewear to fashion and beauty hauls.

Gone are the days of Mad Men-style advertising where suits would sit in a boardroom and come up with ways to reach their audiences. Today it’s much more direct and in many ways female focused. Content creators have taken over their role by building up a fan base among viewers who rate their look and aesthetic and trust their recommendations. “I don't just work with any brand,” says Ellie. “I try to work with brands that I feel I can really influence their product well and would fit my style.” It’s all about authenticity, after all, and staying true to themselves.