How Influencers, Actors, and Musicians Are Redefining the Runway
How Influencers, Actors, and Musicians Are Redefining the Runway
By Anna Grace Bowling — April 30, 2025
When hearing the word “influencer,” most tend to think of viral TikTok videos, paid advertisements, and various forms of content creation, but influencers these days are proving that they can do much more than engage with followers on social media.
In the past, high fashion runways were reserved for top models who had undergone extensive training in the industry. However, over the last few years, the lines have started to blur as social media influencers, actors, and musicians alike have joined iconic models like Naomi Campbell on the catwalk.
Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, 22-year-old rapper NLE Choppa walked for DSquared2 in their fall 2025 show. The musician has embraced new audiences and art forms, as he has started to pursue modeling alongside his time in the studio. “I live and love, so I appreciate all walks of life that just appreciate my art, rather than who you are. If you’re a fan of me, I’m a fan of you,” he said in an interview with Man About Town.
Quenlin Blackwell, also known as Quen Blackwell on social media, made both her runway and Paris debut last year when she walked for the Off-White Fall 2024 show. Blackwell got her start as a teenager on Vine, and she is known for her unfiltered comedy skits and funny, relatable content. Her ability to connect with her audience has played a key part in her success, and at 24 years old, she is arguably one of the most prominent and well-known social media influencers online right now.
Florence Pugh is one of the most versatile actresses of this generation. Don’t Worry Darling, Midsommar, and Little Women are just a few of the box-office hits that she has starred in within the past five years. Pugh opened for Harris Reed Fall 2023 by delivering a monologue based on Shakespeare’s “All the world’s a stage” speech. Two years later in 2025, Pugh arrived back on Reed’s catwalk with an even more haunting performance accompanied by a group of cellists playing heavy metal music. It is undoubtable that Pugh is an artist in her own way, but the gothic attire that she wore on the runway was a shock to those that know her work. Reed spoke about Pugh in an interview with British Vogue saying, “She’s just unapologetically badass.”
William Dafoe is an actor who has had a long-standing relationship with both the Prada and Miu Miu families. Dafoe’s introduction to the runway was in 2012 when he walked in Prada’s “Villains” show, poking at his antagonist role in Spiderman as the Green Goblin. He just recently closed the Miu Miu spring 2025 show in Paris. Miuccia Prada, the creative director of both Prada and Miu Miu, has long considered Dafoe a muse, most likely because of his unique and unconventional style, and has featured him in various campaigns. In the high fashion world, some even refer to Dafoe as the “Prada King.”
As the boundaries between traditional fashion models, influencers, actors, and musicians continue to fade, the runway is becoming a dynamic space where a wide array of talents converge. Whether it’s NLE Choppa bringing his street-inspired style to DSquared2, Quen Blackwell captivating audiences at Off-White, Florence Pugh blending acting with high fashion performance, or William Dafoe embodying his iconic persona for Prada and Miu Miu, the presence of non-traditional models on the runway highlights a broader, more inclusive definition of beauty and artistry in fashion.
These stars not only bring their individual artistry, but a deep connection to their audiences, making high fashion feel more accessible and relatable. This shift not only challenges the conventional notion of what it means to be a “model,” but also reshapes the future of fashion itself—one where creativity knows no limits, and where anyone, from any walk of life, can walk the runway.
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