Betting on the Influencer Race — The Lexington Line

The Kentucky Derby is one of the most traditional, historical, and sought-after sporting events, and has had that reputation since the late 1800s. It’s the Masters of Horse Races; only the most prestigious and luxurious can attend. It's like the Super Bowl for posh people. While this is about expensive horses racing each other, it’s about the status that comes with this event. At the end of the day, it's about the fashion.

When the derby was created, it started this standard for dressing. It was a way for the American people to feel like they were a part of the luxury of a European horse race. The tradition of dressing only maintained its standard and importance. The lack of tradition in America is astounding to me in comparison to tradition in older countries, and yes, while we did take the idea of the Kentucky Derby from Europe, it is an important part of our fashion society, as it’s a piece of tradition that we’re still holding onto. The style was camp, in a way. Dramatic, over-exaggerated hats with lace, feathers, and frill. Dresses with large silhouettes and bright colors, with an ode to southern style and Louisville, Kentucky.

However, what’s so fascinating to me and our culture as a whole is that it seemed like the Kentucky Derby was the second Coachella. So many influencers of various followings were at the derby, and for what purpose? Even micro influencers such as Eloise Dufka were brought to the Derby as a brand trip, perhaps following suit of Alix Earle and her grand appearance at last year’s Derby.

This is more of a reflection on our glasshouse, that is, the state of our society. Influencers have the strongest word, the strongest form of advertisement, and why? These objectively attractive people make short videos and aesthetic photos to overstimulate your brain with obsession about someone else's life, and we take the bait. This year, I saw more Kentucky Derby coverage than I ever have, so I wonder if this new wave of marketing is clouding the advertisement space, or if it’s increasing its credibility.

Influencing is the creation of tradition within our country, perhaps. They keep events alive, and to be fair, they wear the appropriate clothing tenfold. These girls who only wear matching workout sets are wearing the biggest hat in the crowd, the brightest dress, and putting on the biggest smile.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about influencers taking over every event and making it something you can “aestheticize”, because that’s not the reality of this life. I suppose it works because people want to leave their view of reality and step into the eyes of a really beautiful girl who shows her take on reality for 3 minutes of her day. It’s not going to change, and I feel geriatric in even thinking this, but this is the new way we have to get used to looking at reality. Even if we don’t want rose colored glasses, we may be forced to see through them against our will.