Born and raised in NYC, Carolyn Chang sharpened her eye on the streets long before she ever posted a fit check. Now she’s turning that instinct into a digital presence built on rare vintage, niche references, and a very specific kind of cool. On a sunny day in Soho at La Cabra, a cult-classic café that very appropriately matched Carolyn’s ever-trending presence, we sat down to chat about designer bags, nepo-baby fashion icons, and why every “flop” is just a prelude to the next slay.
What drew you to finding your niche in the Tiktok space?
Carolyn Chang: What started for me was when I was posting my outfits, and I was doing it very casually. This was when I wasn’t really making money off TikTok or my content yet, but when people started resonating with the things I was posting, I started to put more effort into it. I decided to talk to the camera, which is something I’ve never done before, and I’ve always had sort of a resistance to it because I felt like it was really vulnerable. That organically led to me sharing more about my style, the brands I like, the things I’m drawn toward, and I found that people really love when I had something that was—something not everybody else has. The history behind vintage pieces is so special as well, so that is an aspect about the fashion space I knew was unique, and I ran with that.
When was the turning moment that made you realize this could be a career worth pursuing?
CC: I was working in fashion PR, and at my job I really felt like I was just a number. I wanted to work in fashion because I wanted to feel fulfilled by my job creatively, and I wanted to be a part of the industry and everything happening. I felt like my goals were diminished with this job because I did very administrative tasks—it wasn’t everything I’d dreamed of as a little girl wanting to work in fashion. I actually started feeling that energy from my content creation instead. The turning point for me was when I started making more money with my content creation than my actual job, and I was like, “Okay, maybe this could actually be something.” That really pushed me to take the leap and invest my time into doing full-time content creation.
Who are some of your fashion inspirations?
CC: I don’t know if this is controversial to say, but I feel like my fashion inspirations are all nepo-babies. I’m obsessed with Lily-Rose Depp right now—she has amazing taste in vintage. Iris Law has such fun style. I also think nepo-babies were raised with backgrounds that allow them to cultivate taste, especially because they have the funds to do so. Even Bella Hadid—you can say whatever you want, but she has amazing street style.
Growing up, I was obsessed with London Tipton from The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. I really feel like she was a formative part of my childhood, and her style on the show was so iconic. I feel like I draw a lot of inspiration from her in my Y2K looks.
Scroll, Post, Delete: Instagram, Tiktok, Youtube
CC: Scroll: Tiktok, because it’s the easiest to scroll, obviously. We love a good scroll.
Delete: Instagram. For a couple reasons. I really think my relationship with Instagram is that I feel like I have to be my best self there. It’s almost become the new LinkedIn, and it’s so much pressure. Sometimes I get stressed out just from curating an Instagram post, and I’m like, “when did this get so serious?”
Post: YouTube. I just started YouTube, so that’s something that I’ve been really fulfilled with lately. I’ve been really loving putting my energy into it, and it feels more intentional than TikTok, where you can film and edit a video in minutes, and scroll for ages. With YouTube, you put hours into editing a video, and then you finish it and it’s like your baby—and then you put it out and it feels so rewarding.
What goals and hobbies do you have outside the influencer space?
CC: I’ve really been into wellness and taking care of myself. I feel like I’ve always liked doing my skincare and things like that, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve come to romanticize things like staying in on a Friday night and having a self care night. 21 year old me would never believe it. Anything that revolves around taking care of yourself is, first of all, great to incorporate into your content, but anything for self-betterment is amazing.
I also have a passion for handbags. I feel like a lot of my content has been about my vintage bags, and I think I’d love to make bags based on some of my favorite vintage ones. That’s something I really want to pursue one day—starting some kind of brand for myself.
What’s your “baby” from your designer bag collection right now?
CC: This one [points to her vintage pink Balenciaga] I have been carrying around with me all the time. I thought I was going to be in a honeymoon phase with this bag, but it ended up being such a statement bag, and I have all my little charms on here which I feel like really makes it my own. She carries everything, so it’s great for putting your laptop in and running around.
How would you categorize your personal style?
CC: I think I definitely have a bit of an “urban,” “streetwear” [style]. When I first got into fashion, I was super into streetwear—but I was like Hypebeast, it was so bad. I would dress more masculine and wear very baggy clothes—it was hyper streetwear and hyper Y2K. But that was kind of the vibe at the time. I feel like I’ve evolved from that, both with age and the times. I think my style has transitioned now to kind of edgy but still feminine. I still draw a lot of inspiration from the Y2K era, but it has also been very classic ’90s now—so I’m moving backwards in time, and everything is a lot more minimalistic. I’m drawn towards black and white and I am more simplistic, but then I love having these bold details. I love a pop of color—something that makes my outfit a little interesting or different, and I feel like it’s all in the details for me.
What has been your favorite brand collaboration so far and what is one you are itching for in the future?
CC: One of the most special collaborations to me was actually earlier on in my career, but it was with Farfetch. They reached out about this promotion they were doing with Miu Miu, and they said you can pick anything you want from the website. They sent me Miu Miu ballet flats, and I remember getting them in the mail and being like, this is crazy. It was really amazing—I felt so out of body, like total imposter syndrome. I remember holding the box in my hands and being like, this isn’t real. It’s a great moment because it’s moments like this that you really realize your worth, when you get things sent to you that are so meaningful to you.
Moving forward, I would love to be in that luxury space. I would love to do collaborations with brands like Loewe—those newer-age luxury brands that are cool for the youth.
Is there another career you would switch to if given the chance?
CC: Honestly, no. It sounds weird to say, but I feel like I was always drawn towards doing something on the internet. When I was 14, I had a Tumblr account with like, 100,000 followers, which I didn’t even realize the worth of then — looking back though, it’s crazy. I love connecting with people and brands all over the world and being a part of their story, and even when I was working in PR that was something that really made me love what I was doing.
If the internet didn’t exist, I feel like I would practically be Amish.
What has been one of the most surprising things that has come out of being in the influencer space?
CC: I gained knowledge in the influencer space when I was working in PR because I was working influencer events. I feel like a lot of people don’t enjoy themselves the way it appears on social media. That’s something I would love to see changed in the space—brands finding ways to make events more interactive and allowing people to truly connect.
In the influencer space, it can be quite cliquey. It’s interesting because I think that the whole point of enjoying these things is to be able to come together and meet new people. But it can be a pretty intimidating environment to meet people if everyone already knows each other, or if the vibe is like, “show up, take photos, and leave.” When I first attended those events as an influencer myself, it was very dystopian. Everybody had their cameras out, and I was like, this is so crazy.
Social media can be a lot…how do you manage your mental health with the expectation that you have to be “on” all the time for your followers?
CC: I feel like the biggest thing is to not have too much pressure on yourself. At the end of the day, you’re not saving lives with this job. I went through a period of time where I felt a lot of pressure. I was like, I’m going to post every single day—that was my goal when I first started full-time—and everything I post has to be amazing and has to resonate with people. That really gets in your head because you check the numbers every day…and you become so reliant on those numbers that your mood will change depending on how it is. The biggest thing is to take a step back and allow yourself that balance.
Something I always say with my friends is that “for every flop, there is an equal and opposite slay.” So every time you’re down, it just means you’re on your way back up.
Do you get embarrassed easily? Especially when it comes to being out and about making content?
CC: In the beginning, I actually experienced this so many times. I had to film for a brand deal this morning and had to do it in public. I feel like in the beginning it’s really scary—like I would wait until the street was empty before filming on the street, and I would be very aware of my surroundings. But I really believe in exposure therapy. The more you do something, the more you get used to it. So now that I’ve been doing this full-time for almost a year, I’ve become very comfortable with filming. Part of starting YouTube was like that, and now I can vlog in public without an issue.
Who are your top creators right now?
CC: There’s this girl, her name is Aimee, and I’m actually so obsessed with her content. She makes mostly food videos, but I think because of her energy, she’s also welcomed in the fashion space and the New York community. She makes cakes, but she’ll also do these farmer’s market hauls, or she’ll do a grilled cheese flight. It’s amazing..
Random content of people filming their cooking—but they’re outside in the woods and it’s ASMR—it’s so satisfying. Or when girls put together an elaborate “girl dinner” snack plate that’s like charcuterie, fruit, and crackers. Basically, anything food related.
