Is It Just Us, or Is Instagram’s Fashion Set Suddenly Super Into Interior Design?

Before he launched one of Paris’s most famous fashion houses, Pierre Balmain studied architecture. While Elsie de Wolfe was busy inventing the career of interior design, she also enjoyed a secondary title: 1935’s best-dressed woman in the world (basically, the O.G. influencer). The relationship between design and dress is definitely not new—but is it just us, or is it suddenly more pronounced?

Rachel Comey set her Fall 2020 show in Roman and Williams’s La Mercerie in New York’s SoHo. Mary Katrantzou teamed up with the Rug Company for a botanical-themed collection. Simon Porte Jacquemus opened a Mediterranean-themed café, complete with Flintstone-esque nooks. It’s not just designers either: We’ve noticed fashion folk—Instagram stars, writers, stylists—of all sorts doing the same, sharing photos of old shelter magazine spreads or sneak peeks into their latest sofa purchase on their feeds just as often as their take on New York Fashion Week. 

“People want to buy into a lifestyle rather than just an item, and spaces allow you to physically inject yourself into that specific way of life,” explains Lauren Caruso, site director at the Zoe Report. Stylist Juliana Salazar agrees: “It’s reaching a new level. You have the dream outfit, but what does that outfit go home to? You care about the presentation of things and, in theory, that should begin at your house.” 

Maybe it’s as simple as Instagram growing up. The same people we followed five or six years ago to see what they were scooping up at a Net-a-Porter sale are in a different phase of life: house hunting, posting polls about which rug they should buy, and asking their followers for recs on inexpensive upholstery.

For some, it’s an easy extension of their brand: “My taste has changed over the years, but I have found that the more airy and relaxed my space is, the more creative and happy I feel. The older I become, I’ve realized how important creating a home is,” explains blogger Taylr Anne.

Ultimately, if you’re a creative person (as these trendsetters tend to be), getting dressed is simply one outlet of many. “If you have an interest in what clothes you wear, chances are you also care about what your home looks like,” says Salazar. “The only difference is the medium used to translate that creativity.” Her connection to interiors started at a young age—her mom is a designer and architect, so she grew up at trade shows and furniture exhibits. Fashion came later. “Social media makes it easier than ever to organize interior inspiration, so you can get a better sense of what you really want to invest in,” adds Hannah Baxter, senior beauty editor at Coveteur. 

As platforms like Instagram continue to dominate and we gravitate toward a more holistic approach to shopping, we can only expect the line between the two worlds to keep blurring. Inspiration, whether for a room or a wardrobe, doesn’t come from just one place. Here’s where some of our favorite fashion people are turning to for decorating ideas: 

I get most inspired when I am traveling; I have a thing for vintage furniture, and it’s so effortless to find when I’m out of the country. I love going to hotels and restaurants with beautiful interiors. —Taylr Anne

I comb Craigslist and vintage stores around my neighborhood in Brooklyn. When I see a piece I like, I first ask myself if I’m just reacting to a recent trend. I look for something that feels special and that I won’t want to throw away in six months. Lately, that’s a fair amount of Memphis design, some mid-century staples, and plush textiles. —Hannah Baxter

Of course, there’s Instagram, but I also like to look at magazines like The Gentlewoman and Apartamento. I also enjoy visiting certain home-centric shops, like Coming Soon, Home Union, and Dream Fishing Tackle. —Lauren Caruso

Books! Every good Internet hole always ends in the purchase of a few. —Juliana Salazar

See more ways fashion is crossing over: Which Is the Real You: Your Interiors or Your Clothing? Jason Wu Just Debuted an Affordable Mid-Century Furniture Line Go to Gucci’s New Restaurant for the Food, Stay for the Design Inspo