[ad_1]
When Aki Kim, 71, and Koichi Suzuki Kim, 73, began posting outfit videos to their Instagram and TikTok accounts (@akiandkoichi) in the spring of this year, neither the couple nor their daughter Yuri (who creates and posts content on their behalf) expected to gain 1 million followers before the end of the summer. While the outfits — from some of their favorite brands like Issey Miyake, Loewe, Comme des Garcons and APC — change from video to video, the format remains simple, featuring the couple in their California neighborhood.
“We never anticipated this level of attention and it still feels unreal to us,” the Kims told Refinery29 in a joint statement. “It’s difficult to pinpoint why we believe people are responding positively. We think people appreciate our style, but it might also be tied to the joy we convey.” Although the goal of their accounts has never been financial — “as 70-somethings starting a new adventure, we believe fashion can help everyone feel confident and true to themselves. Fashion is about feeling good no matter your age,” they say — in addition to followers, the Kims have since secured partnerships with brands like ASOS, Warby Parker and Uniqlo, catapulting them into the growing space of fashion influencer couples.
From Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake’s matching denim outfits in 2003 to Kourtney Kardashian’s Travis Barker-influenced style 20 years later, people have been obsessed with couples’ fashion for ages. In more recent years though, this has gone beyond celebrity pairings with internet duos like Aki and Koichi, Young Emperors and more gaining devoted followings and engaged virtual communities.
In June, Remi Alfallah and Erris Burke, 27 and 28 respectively, shared a video of themselves posing in their kitchen that received 11 million views and 431,000 likes and counting. In it, the LA- and London-based couple are seen wearing matching black outfits — Alfallah in a secondhand Roberto Cavalli dress, Burke in an AREA crop top and Zara mini skirt. The caption reads, “No one talks about the struggles of two femmes trying to find a non-cringe way to post.”
View this post on Instagram
Burke, who has been creating fashion and lifestyle content for four years, met film producer Alfallah via Instagram in 2022, and began sharing videos of Alfallah a few months into their relationship. Fast forward to last summer: The couple created joint accounts on TikTok and Instagram (as @remianderris), sharing videos of their everyday outfits which range from baggy jeans and crop tops to mini skirts and boots. While Burke mostly wears loose-fitting streetwear, Alfallah likes to pair feminine silhouettes with masculine accessories like ties, flat caps and chunky shoes — though they also share their clothes and coordinate outfits that play to each other’s aesthetics. Now, a few hundred thousand followers later, the couple has been signed to a talent agency while their accounts continue to grow daily.
Just as the Kims hope to provide representation for seniors, Alfallah and Burke started their account to create a space for queer people and couples who dress like them. “There is a certain stereotype of more masculine queer women that’s often shown in pop culture, which is obviously valid and exists, but for people outside of that, [we’re] like, ‘Can I see somebody like me who dresses more feminine, or is more of a tomboy?’” Alfallah tells Refinery29.
Indiana-based couple Daniel Mirage and Shamaria Thomas, both 21, use Mirage’s account (@daniel_mirage) to showcase style trends. In their posts, they wear coordinated streetwear and Y2K-inspired outfits that include jorts, shrunken tops, matching Timberland boots and various secondhand finds. “We’re both in this weird, experimental phase where we know what we like and don’t, but we’re still trying to find things that we wouldn’t necessarily have worn a year ago,” Thomas tells Refinery29. “Most of the time we get ready together and decide on a theme for the day,” Mirage adds. Some of their recent themes included jersey dressing (where both wore thrifted sports tops and matching shorts) and Western-inspired cowboy boots and chunky loafers.
“It was a really positive response,” Mirage says about when he first started featuring Thomas on his account. “All my friends who see my page were really happy for me.” Mirage’s followers and engagement have grown with their increased couple content, which often features smooth transitions and outfit compilations. Comments on their videos range from “me and who?” and “ya’ll compliment each other so well,” to inquiries about outfit details.
While #FitPics isn’t a new format, the success that these couples are experiencing is further proof that users today are looking for more than just aspirational fashion content. In a recent Refinery29 survey that asked 82 readers to list the reasons they follow influencers, 56% said because they make creative content, 43% said because they’re relatable, and 33% said it was because “they showcase a lifestyle I admire or aspire to.”
@pipanddeya let’s get to work 📸 #girlfriend #boyfriend #comedy ♬ original sound – Pip & Deya
“A lot of what we see online is someone speaking to the camera, so you miss out on that human interaction… And that’s what people love,” Deya Suresh tells Refinery29. “Like when TikTok came around, everything was so raw and relatable because it’s not carefully curated and people are just sitting down in their messy rooms.” On their travel-focused account @pipanddeya, Suresh alongside her partner Pip Puveendran, both 33 and based in Toronto, post fit checks, often on the street or on holiday, and meme videos that show their personality. In their videos, Suresh wears feminine silhouettes like milkmaid dresses, printed blouses, and A-line skirts, while Puveendran sports tailored pieces, matching sets, and activewear. “We wanted a place where we could just be us,” Suresh says of their account.
We can’t complain, this is our dream job… However, it’s not a vacation. We wake up, we film, we edit, we go on our emails.
Deya Suresh
While Suresh and Puveendran try to stay as authentic as possible, the two full-time creators also treat it like a business. This comes with cons. “We can’t complain — like this is our dream job and we get paid to travel — however, it’s not like a vacation. We wake up, we film, we edit while on vacation, we go on our emails, ” Suresh says. “One rule we’ve recently been implementing is we try to make our last day of vacation a [non-working] ‘us day.’” Alfallah and Burke also recognize the need to balance being present in their relationship while showcasing personal moments that their followers come to love them for. “If there’s a moment that goes by and you’re trying to be present, where you forget to film or you don’t want to, there’s this lingering guilt like, ‘that would have done so well,’” Alfallah says.
When asked what would happen to their content if they broke up, Puveendran says he’s not worried about that: “We do bicker and fight, but ultimately we have the same love for travel and content creation that, if I were to be with somebody else who wasn’t part of that world, I would have a nightmare existence with them. They wouldn’t understand why I want to take a nice drone shot at sunrise [laughs].” Mirage and Thomas agree that their social media journey so far “has been pretty easy.” With their audience and career opportunities growing alongside their relationship, according to the two, their hardest challenges are deciding on outfits and finding aesthetically pleasing locations to film.
As the world of fashion influencers continues to change, couples content gives us the wholesome vibes we deserve — and two times the outfit inspiration.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
What's The Appeal Of Brat Green Color?
9 Fashion Staples To Nail The European Summer Look
5 Ways To Style Boxer Shorts This Summer
[ad_2]