Lakeisha Goedluck writes about media, entertainment, fashion, and beauty through a lens of Black culture.

In a hyper-connected world, it feels like everything previously ‘insider’ is more available than ever: from behind-the-scenes access to the lives of public figures to travel experiences immersing people into worlds previously deemed unattainable. But while people embrace this community-based inclusivity and unprecedented access to their icons, they still yearn for touches of exclusivity to define their status.

As the age-old understanding of exclusivity is eroded, people are redefining status for themselves using a broad range of factors beyond solely economic ones. This new iteration of status is often based around increasingly niche and local signifiers – from luxury dupes to the rise of members clubs and closed-community spaces based on shared interests. Status is becoming a mode of belonging and connection with like-minded people.

People are erecting walls of their exclusive communities, relying on more subtle markers of identity. This is apparent with middle-class people fetishising working-class aesthetics, athletes turning to niche sports like padel, and social media groups organising around niche interests – spawning companies. As status-defined micro-trends on social media accelerate, brands face a challenge to keep up. If previously certain legacy items were automatically associated with exclusivity, now people are much more trusting of the UGC-defined vision of what status means. More than ever, speed, knowledge, inventiveness, and being plugged into the community determine what – and who – is in.

Insider Status

 is an experienced freelance fashion writer. She has worked for a number of luxury businesses including MATCHES.com, Burberry, and Selfridges.

United States

Resale and online marketplaces

Style

Clothing, footwear, and accessories

Entrepreneur

Interview with Joanna Kyte conducted by the author

Dallas News

Highsnobiety

Fashion Network

Consumer Goods

The Drum

Formroom

McKinsey & Company

The Business of Fashion

With model and ‘It girl’ Kendall Jenner as creative director, FWRD is a luxury fashion destination that’s rapidly garnering a mass following. From celebrity marketing and viral campaigns to physical pop-ups, FWRD is expertly positioning itself as an online retailer with real-world appeal.