Tearing open its cardboard box, Nicholas Ho unboxes his latest package, a pair of Balenciaga sneakers. He holds up the shoes to the camera, capturing its fit with silvery streaks and unique soles for his Instagram audience to see. Slipping them on, he utilizes the rest of his collection of unique clothing to create a casual streetwear outfit, complementing the shoes with a pair of thrifted baggy jeans and a graphic tee.
At the start of 2023, Ho began creating and posting fashion-related content on the social media platforms Instagram, Tiktok and Youtube, showcasing outfits and different sneakers. On Youtube, he has accumulated 1,200 subscribers and on Tiktok, over 18,000 followers. As Ho continued to post, he began experimenting with other types of content, ranging from outfit checks to unboxing shoes from luxury brands. Taking inspiration from other creators, he adds his own twist to similar content, such as different editing styles and unique outfits. People in his life and the experiences he has gained have motivated Ho to reach out of his comfort zone and pursue fashion not only for himself, but to share with others online as well.
“I’ve always been into clothing and streetwear mainly because of my uncle who was into fashion, so I grew up around it,” Ho said. “He has influenced almost everything in my life; he would give me clothes that he had been collecting since he was my age.”
With only his phone for a camera, a tripod and a ring light, Ho implements clever editing styles with CapCut to deliver high-quality videos and capture his audience’s attention using quick choppy video clips and catchy music.
“I like to keep it simple because I feel like if you don’t have the skills to make short-form content with minimal equipment, then you can’t expect to be able to do it with expensive equipment either,” Ho said.
Since Ho produces mostly short-form content, a variety of video ideas are needed. Most of his video ideas come spontaneously, working well with the short turnaround time that comes with social media. Currently, Ho is working on his 100-day “Outfit of the Day” series; every morning, he films himself choosing an outfit and displays it in front of the camera, which he then edits and posts before the day ends. The goal of this project is to stay consistent and challenge himself to constantly create interesting outfits.
“It’s actually a really big struggle,” Ho said. “I wake up 30 minutes earlier every day, and I have to pick out an outfit that ‘meets the standards’ of a good outfit. But it all just comes down to wearing what I like to wear. I don’t really care what other people think about my outfits.”
Another aspect of Ho’s social media accounts is selling unique clothing as a way to curate clothing for others to enjoy. While thrifting for fun, he often finds clothing that he thinks is worth a lot more than the marketed price, which he then sells on second-hand clothing websites such as Depop. When thrifting, he often goes with friends to make the process more enjoyable, as well as to get a second opinion on any interesting pieces he comes across.
“We found a shop and they told us about how it was originally a garage and now the owner was selling clothing there,” said junior Diego Perez, Ho’s close friend and fellow fashion connoisseur. “When we were there, it didn’t seem like a garage, the owner had completely transformed it.”
Ho also offers promotional codes to his audience from doing collaborations and sponsorships with other clothing businesses, such as hotkicks.cc and BVBOX on Instagram.When fans use affiliate links to buy sponsored items, Ho receives a commission from the purchase while customers receive discounts.
Ho also gets paid for making videos about the different products that brands send him. At first, Ho contacted hundreds of companies and sellers, hoping for a collaboration but faced rejection.
“Learning how to accept rejection is definitely something that you learn through this process,” Ho said. “But with that, it comes with opportunities sometimes. Once a company sees your potential and consistency on social media, they’ll often give you a chance.”
Over time, as his social media following grew, he received more opportunities. An up-and-coming streetwear brand, PHOLOH, contacted Ho and offered a modeling opportunity, which he was eager to accept. On the brand’s site, he poses with different upcoming clothing releases to be posted later on.
Ho hopes to work with more well-known brands, which will come with more products for him to try out. Being able to contribute back to the fashion community and becoming more prominent is a goal Ho is consistently striving for.
“Everyone wants to become an influencer when they’re older,” Ho said. “I didn’t think it was possible until I saw humongous growth across my channels. I’m really fortunate that I am able to do what I love and get something out of it.”
