With the rise of social media over the last decade, we've both witnessed and participated in online personal style and expression. From streetwear to luxury fashion and all niches in-between, it's safe to say that we have more than enough inspo at the tip of our fingertips. But with an overabundance of content comes the growing need for curators who can sift through the noise and find the hidden gems. Enter @morefashionlesshype.
While many curate with an emphasis on hype, MFLH takes the opposite approach, focusing on the finer details that make a fit a 'fit': fabrics, cuts, proportions, and above all else expressing your true self through your own sense of style. ARCHIVE.pdf has connected with MFLH to look past the posts and gain a deeper insight into the person behind the account. From how he got into the online fashion scene to his views of personal style and showcasing several underrated accounts, MFLH proves to us that there really is more to fashion than meets the eye.
Interview
Tell us the story behind @morefashionlesshype and how it became what it is today.
I started this account about three years ago in 2018 because I was so bored by all the other outfit inspiration accounts I knew of at the time. I felt as though they were all the same. They all posted the exact same people, the same styles, and had nothing unique to show or offer. I wanted to do my own thing and do it better; but, I never had any intention of creating arguably the next big outfit page. I just posted outfits that I thought were really sick and that I felt inspired by myself (it's still like that today, actually). I have changed a lot over the past few years, as the account has. MFLH has always and still does reflect my personal style and taste when it comes to fashion. Something that i find interesting is when I scroll through my feed and see how much my view on fashion and style has changed over the years.
I never cared about how many likes or reach an outfit was going to get me. Whether the style was hyped or not, I just posted outfits I liked and people I wanted to support/thought deserved more reach. That is what my account has been about for a while now. It's a place where I can share my views on fashion and style with other people while supporting other people or brands that I believe are doing interesting and innovative things.
How did you start becoming involved in the online fashion scene?
I come from a family where we never really had much money; especially for things like the coolest new sneakers or clothes. That often made me an outlier at school that many didn’t want around. When I was about 15 years old, I wanted to finally change that and start dressing towards my definition of “cool” thus meeting new peers who were also interested in fashion. I started looking on platforms like Instagram, YouTube and ASKfm for people who i believed dressed well. Next i began buying cheap alternatives of people's outfits i enjoyed with the money I earned from vacation jobs, along with a part-time job on weekends.
This was the first time I ever got into fashion and fashion on social media.
After browsing through your account, it's clear that there's a gravitation towards outfits with monotone color palettes and an avant-garde aesthetic. What makes you gravitate towards the type of fashion that you showcase through your account?
There's really not much to say about that. The aesthetics, style, and outfits I post are just what I personally enjoy and what inspire me. I can’t describe why I like it in detail. It’s just the way i feel. Hopefully this makes sense and someone can relate.
Tell us a bit about your thought process when choosing outfits to go into your curation.
Usually the first thing I do is check my saving folder to see if I've seen an outfit I liked in the last few days and saved it. Sometimes there are weeks where I've saved a lot, and sometimes weeks where I've rarely seen outfits that I thought were good enough to post. When that's the case, I ask friends if they've seen anything cool in the last few days, check my tags, hashtags to see if there's anything there, or look at people I follow to see if they follow other cool people with interesting outfits. Some days this can take several hours, but that also has to do with the fact that I've become very picky. Sometimes it can be little things like a garment that doesn't fit right, shoes that don't go well, a weird angle, etc. These are all things that make me procrastinate on an outfit for a long time.
How has hype affected fashion?
I have a very divided opinion about it. On one hand, I don't think hype is necessarily a bad thing. Hype can make it easier for many people to discover new aesthetics, brands, and it could potentially give people the confidence to finally try certain styles, especially if they’re being more accepted. On the other hand, I also believe the entire fashion scene has grown so much in the last few years it's become more normal to own the latest collections of popular brands. I feel as though many people (especially young people) feel pressured to be current and own what’s hot.
What do your goals for @morefashionlesshype? Anything in store?
I want to collaborate more with other people, create cool stuff/content, and connect more with the fashion community while supporting creative individuals who I believe deserve more attention and reach.
What advice would you give to people who are trying to find and craft their own personal styles?
I think one of the most important things is to try to figure out your proportions. Ask yourself what fits your body, what you feel comfortable in, and generally get an understanding of styling. also coming to an understanding of how different fabrics, cuts, etc work together.
Another thing that I think is important is to care less about what other people are wearing and thinking about your style. By that I mean you shouldn't start wearing things just because person xyz is wearing them; but, you also shouldn't stop wearing things just because they are hyped and more people are starting to wear them. At the end of the day, your style should be about you and not about others. You should feel comfortable in your outfits and reflect yourself within them.
Underrated Personal Styles
I've been a huge fan of her style since I first discovered her on Instagram. She always manages to put her own touch on simple outfits and make them look special., whether it's through the choice of clothing she chooses for outfits or the way she wears them. She is such a good example of how you don't always have to have the most extravagant style in order to have a style that has implements your own signature.
I love the way he makes brands like Carol Christian Poell, Rick Owens or Boris Bidjan Saberi look casual with his outfits and how over the time he has created a style all his own in this niche and there is no one in this niche that has a similar style. Although he has grown very fast in the last few months, I think he is still way too underrated and will definitely inspire many others in the upcoming years.
I love the dark and elegant atmosphere she creates with her style on her account and the way she perfectly complements it with her photos. In my opinion there is hardly anyone who does it as well as she does.
She has a really unique style that looks amazing on her and you can see that she is really comfortable/confident in what she wears. To me, she's definitely one of the best examples of how much of a difference it makes when you feel comfortable in your style and the outfits you wear.
MoreFashionLessHype: Instagram
Interviewer: Riv