Style Theory's Creators in Fashion Runway Show Seeks to Demystify Fashion; MatPat Interview

Matthew Patrick, also known as MatPat, creator of The Game Theorists as well as the other Theory Channels including The Style Theorists, has announced Creators in Fashion, a fashion show made for content creators by content creators.

With creators from the nerd/gaming space like Critical Role, art space like ZHC, and even adventure/vlog space like Yes Theory creating their own looks for this runway, I got a chance to talk to MatPat last week about the creation of this project, the things that they want to not only show but teach, and also how nerdy 'merch' has evolved past a logo on a coffee mug or hat.

Creators in Fashion will be available to watch on the Style Theory and Game Theory YouTube channels this Thursday, April 25. There will be a pre-show beginning at 2:30 p.m. PST/5:30 p.m. EST, with the main event beginning at 3:00 p.m. PST/6:00 p.m. EST.

A First-Of-Its-Kind Event

"Creators in Fashion is a first-of-its-kind YouTube Event," MatPat said. "Basically, it's taking the idea of Fashion Week and applying it to the YouTube community and the digital influencer space." Commenting on other influencer brands such as MrBeast's Feastables and Logan Paul's Prime, they noticed that work being done in style, fashion, and apparel space wasn't getting the same recognition.

MatPat pointed out that fashion in the creator space wasn't ever limited to the beauty or style guru channels, as any channel with shop offerings has taken a step into this. "It's happening in the athleisure space, in the Nerdom space, in lifestyle and travel log space."

"We wanted to create an event that served as a platform to spotlight all of the amazing work that's being done in this space all under one roof."

Being a 'first-of-its-kind' experience, Patrick explained that this was going to be a very digital-first experience. Those watching on April 25 can expect an active and engaged chat experience, clippable moments that will catch you off guard, and the ability to purchase what you see.

"Yes there are runway shows, but they're still meant to be entertaining," he said. "If someone suddenly gets dunked with a vat of water or if a surprise guest appears on a runway those are moments that are for the viewers at home."

Not Just A Theory, A Style Theory

Asking about the origins of Creators in Fashion, I asked if this had always been part of the Style Theory roadmap, a new part of the Theorist family that was announced a little over a year ago.

"We knew that we wanted to do something fun with a runway show," Patrick said. "As a channel that comments on style, hygiene, and personal apparel [...] we knew that runway talk analysis would be part of the content lineup. Since the early days of the channel we've been talking about, 'Hey, does it make sense for us to do our own version?'

"Over the course of the first six-seven months [...] we were batting around the idea of how we could riff off the runway show format, and out of that we saw Creators in Fashion come into being."

Patrick added that there was a lot that made sense of it from the business angle, but seeing so many concerns come up in the style space with dropshipping models, questionable quality of products, and AI-generated imagery, this is a chance for an audience to not only see fashion but the people who have created it.

"[The audience] is seeing that there's a level of quality put into the looks that are on the runway, and they're getting an opportunity to hear directly from the designers, the creators of these products, to know the thought, care, and detail that went into each of these designs," he said.

Creators On The Runway

Patrick took a moment to explain how an event like this is going to be different from a collaboration between creators that fans might be more familiar with.

"We're all sharing the same models, the same venue, production equipment, things like that but you're going to see six completely different runway walks, six completely different apparel lines, all filtered through the unique lens of these creators," he said.

The creators that fans will be able to see showing off their designs include Cassey Ho (founder, CEO, and head designer of POPFLEX), ZHC (founder of A Baana Club), Critical Role, Yes Theory, and Theorywear.

From their shortlist, Creators in Fashion was able to quickly fill the slots that they had available. Patrick mentioned that he did think now that they could have handled more than the six creator groups though.

"We didn't want to overreach in year one," Patrick explained. "We wanted to showcase enough different verticals and enough product lines to show off the breadth that's showcased through these apparel lines without being unsustainable."

Patrick said they were looking forward to seeing the performance of this event and how they could scale it out further in the future.

"Now that we have spent the last year crafting this playbook on how to make this sort of event happen, it becomes easier to replicate and expand moving forward," he said.

Putting On A Show

Knowing that Patrick and Game Theory have put on all kinds of events in the past, I asked about what kinds of challenges came up during the planning of a fashion show that they might not have expected.

"This is by far the hardest, most complicated of shows that we've done."

"The idea of 'you just throw up a runway' and then people walk down it [...] is a very heavy simplification that we started off with," he said.

Patrick explained that while putting the show together, the level of coordination has been something that's been steadily increasing. In terms of behind-the-scenes logistics, Patrick highlighted how six unique runway shows mean organizing models that fit the look and demographic being targeted, each creator's third-party production lines, and the shipping of these looks to the event.

"I cannot say enough about the level of collaborative spirit that all of these creators have had to make this event become a reality," he said.

Looks On The Runway

Merchandise for creators of any kind isn't new, but with the growth in the content creator space, many creators have been moving past 'merch' and into apparel, and now with a look towards a fashion runway, I wanted to know how differently they approached this process with 'fashion' in mind.

"The merch space on YouTube has really evolved away from just 'Here is a bunch of logos spray painted onto a shirt.' That era of product has really become passe," Patrick said. "What we wanted to do was put a foothold in the apparel space that creates stuff that we don't see but we want."

"As creators there's this mentality that if it doesn't exist, I'll create it myself."

For those interested in the behind-the-scenes process of creating the looks, Style Theory will also have follow-up content showing what these pieces took to make. This will also go into detail explaining why some looks work on certain bodies, why different colors complement certain complexions, and will help to "empower the consumer to take ahold of their own personal style journey."

Demystifying Fashion

As I commended the idea of more than just a graphic tee or a blazer, Patrick explained that while that has been a lot of the merch space for a long time, they're wanting to not only expand on the styles but demystify fashion.

Part of the way that he'll be demystifying fashion is by having an analysis of pieces as they come down the runway. Patrick will also be joined by guest commentators for those. There will also be interviews with the designers and the creatives looking at the details, design decisions, and story to show in full transparency, "Hey, this is what it took to make these a reality and this is why this is important to showcase as a creator."

"I think there's a big learning curve here for everyone, not just us producing it, but also for the audience," Patrick said. "I think for a lot of people the idea of a runway show feels foreign and scary. The goal of all of these companies and Creators in Fashion in general is to showcase that fashion can be for everyone, and a runway show can be accessible."

Patrick hopes that audience members who might not be comfortable with 'fashion' can take what they learn at this runway show, and through other videos on Style Theory, and use that when crafting their own looks.

Moving forward, Patrick wants shows like this to be a trusted place of information that many can look forward to being a part of every year.