This Gen-Z influencer is one of the established and breakout names informing fashion and, more importantly, culture today. More from the series →
TikTok content creator, face of DSW back-to-school collection
Ellie Zeiler, who has more than 10 million TikTok followers, has a versatile eye for style that rivals the average adult.
Based on her passions when she was younger — she’s only 17 — her influence and career trajectory up to this point comes as no surprise.
“Since I was a little girl, I’ve loved getting dressed up and wearing jewelry,” she said. “I’m definitely influenced by my mom, who has more of a timeless, classic style. [She wears] blazers, tailored shirts, loafers and a simple color palette. My favorite YouTubers growing up also influenced me, when it comes to [the way I] mix-and-match styles, price points, thrifted pieces and on-trend fashion.”
As for who and what have inspired her most, Zeiler credits Devon Carlson’s “courage with color and vintage pieces,” Emma Chamberlain’s “ability to mix thrifted pieces with designer trends,” and Hailey Bieber’s “flawless day-to-day style.”
But now, Zeiler — whose appearance has been compared to Charli D’Amelio’s — is having her pinch-me moment, realizing she’s become one of the girls doing the influencing. In fact, her style recently landed her a huge partnership with DSW that received mainstream attention.
“I started getting DMs and emails from my followers, asking for advice on what to wear,” she said. “My favorite experience is when someone comes up to me in public and says they love my style and just checked my social accounts for outfit ideas. Being able to help people figure out what to wear is so rewarding for me.”
While the budding fashionista generously incorporates varying trends and price points into her wardrobe, you won’t catch her in low-rise jeans or bright patterns. They’re simply “not for me,” she said. Blazers, however, “whether fitted or oversized,” are a different story. “A blazer will elevate any look, from a T-shirt to a dress.”
As for shoes, she said, “Everyone should have a comfortable but stylish loafer, a combat style boot and a classic sneaker.”
The social media star has early regrets of “wearing sweats and leggings 24/7” in her bite-size video clips, but she came to her senses after just a few weeks and began changing outfits “at least four times a day, just to mix up my content.” she said. “My room was a mess, but it was fun and definitely kept me busy.”
Clearly the hard work paid off. But like with any creator, the pressure mounts as the attention does.
“The pressure to post content that people like can feel overwhelming at times,” she said. “It’s natural for creators to worry about views, but I try to keep perspective and remember that it’s all about creating content that I like, which hopefully others will, too.”
To see all 13 Gen-Z names changing fashion, click here.
