Journal of Digital Convergence (디지털융복합연구)

The Society of Digital Policy and Management (한국디지털정책학회)
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The Meanings of Fashion on the Social Media of Virtual Influencer Lil Miquela

버추얼 인플루언서 릴 미켈라의 소셜미디어에 반영된 패션의 의미

  • Lee, Se-Lee (Major in Fashion Design, Ewha Womans University)
  • 이세리 (이화여자대학교 조형예술대학 패션디자인전공)
  • Received : 2021.07.30
  • Accepted : 2021.09.20
  • Published : 2021.09.28
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Abstract

Lil Miquela, who appeared on social media in 2016, is one of the most popular virtual influencers. In particular, Miquela is having a great impact on society by continuing to collaborate with many fashion brands through Instagram. As the activity of virtual influencers is emerging today, this study aims to derive the meanings of contemporary fashion through analyzing Miquela's social media case. This study analyzed Miquela's Instagram posts as research subjects. As a result of the above analysis, it was possible to classify the methods and devices for expressing fashion in Miquela's social media into three categories: storytelling, reality, and tags & hyperlinks. In addition, the meanings of fashion could be derived from three aspects: the object of experience, the direction of technology, and the realization of the spirit of the times. After appearing on social media, Miquela, who has gradually expanded her domain, is a virtual fashion influencer who has built her identity through fashion, and is expected to give new meaning to fashion in the future.

2016년 소셜미디어에 등장한 릴 미켈라는 오늘날 점차 주목받는 버추얼 인플루언서들 중 가장 알려진 존재이다. 특히 미켈라는 인스타그램을 통해 많은 패션 브랜드들과 실제적 협업을 이어가면서 사회에 큰 영향을 미치고 있다. 본 연구는 오늘날 버추얼 인플루언서들의 활약이 부각되고 있는 만큼 미켈라의 소셜미디어 사례 탐색을 통해 현대 패션이 지향하는 의미를 도출하고자 하는 목적을 갖는다. 이를 위하여 미켈라의 인스타그램 내 스틸컷 이미지, 비디오 이미지, 미켈라의 설명, 댓글 등을 연구대상으로 삼아 분석하였다. 이상의 분석을 시도한 결과 미켈라의 소셜미디어에 나타난 패션을 표현하는 방식 및 장치는 스토리텔링, 리얼리티, 태그와 하이퍼링크 등 세 가지로 구분이 가능하였다. 또한 경험의 대상, 테크놀로지의 지향, 시대정신의 구현 등의 세 가지 측면에서 패션이 갖는 의미를 도출할 수 있었다. 소셜미디어에서 등장한 이후 점차 더 영역을 확장해가고 있는 미켈라는 패션을 통해 정체성을 구축한 버추얼 패션 인플루언서이며 앞으로 패션에 보다 더 새로운 의미를 부여할 것으로 기대된다.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the Ewha Womans University Research Grant of 2021.

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