Dressed in a dark-wash denim set with a colorful, brushstroke pattern and black mesh gloves, Jay Guapõ, New York City’s prince of TikTok, hit the Luar runway. He’d teased the moment to his 3.3 million followers a couple of days prior with a frantic mini-vlog during his fitting for the show: “Real model shit? I’m not a real fucking model. I’m losing my fucking mind. I overthink a lot.” Soft, melodic music played and strobing lights illuminated the catwalk as Guapõ, a codified New York celebrity, emerged. But around me, no one from the fashion establishment, apart from a 21-year-old designer named Fallou, batted an eye. They must not have known that one of fashion’s most influential people (no, not a nepo baby or supermodel) had just walked the runway.

Over the weekend, I joined Gua

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