The Fate and Fortunes of the Fashion-Adjacent Economy

The Fate and Fortunes of the Fashion-Adjacent Economy

The Coronavirus OutbreakliveLatest UpdatesMaps and CasesThe Stimulus DealThe Latest Vaccine InformationF.A.Q.The Fate and Fortunes of the Fashion-Adjacent EconomyInfluencers and street-style photographers changed the fashion ecosystem, creating an entirely new way of selling fantasy. Then came a pandemic.Paris Fashion Week 2018, when scrums of street-style photographers were part of the everyday scene.Credit...Acielle Tanbetova for The New York TimesBy Elizabeth Paton and Jessica TestaTamu McPherson, one of the original street-style stars and a former editor of Grazia Italia, has 319,000 followers on Instagram. For years, many have watched her pose in immaculately styled outfits at runway shows, glittery parties and on vacation. During the fashion weeks in September 2019, Ms. McPherson, who was born in Jamaica and lives now in Milan, flew to New York and back four times to produce content for her Rolodex of clients, which include the jewelry brand Bulgari, the fashion label Etro and the fast-fashion retailer Mango.In 2020, the jet-setting stopped.“I haven't been on a plane since March,” Ms. McPherson said this month. During the pandemic's first lockdown, all of her brand partnerships were put on hold. For months she waited, uncertain of what might happen next. But in May, the phone started to ring again. Since