Julia Fox has been trending all over the internet this year. She especially made headlines in January after revealing her relationship with Kanye West through an Interview Magazine feature. However, Fox was a public figure long before the media frenzy sparked by her and West’s relationship. She had a popular clothing line, had an art show with pieces featuring her own blood, published photography books and even starred in Uncut Gems alongside Adam Sandler. All that said, I think Fox’s strategic interaction with the media and how she portrays her self-image will make her an icon in pop culture.
Julia Fox knows what shock value is and understands how to use it to her advantage. Whether it is through her fashion and makeup choices or her interviews, Fox grabs viewers’ attention. Shortly after she and Kanye West revealed their relationship, Fox appeared on the Call Her Daddy podcast, hosted by Alex Cooper. The way Fox said certain phrases, such as “uncut gems,” became a sensation on social media fueling internet memes and Tik Tok trends for months to come. But the most interesting part of this interview, in my opinion, was the information Fox revealed about her past such as her previous artwork, photography and her experience working as a dominatrix. Julia also shared information involving very personal matters, such as her childhood, her relationship with her parents, her history of drug abuse and the struggles she went through in abusive relationships.
After the popular interview, Fox shared pictures of her birthday celebration where West gifted her and her friends Hermes Birkin bags, which can range from tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars. These photos created a major buzz around Fox, West and their relationship. Around the same time, Fox made headlines after debuting her striking eye makeup in the front row of a fashion show. People either loved or despised the look, but regardless, everyone was talking about it and her. Since then, this dramatic smokey eye makeup look has become a signature for Fox and has been seen on models in numerous runway shows. Fox’s fashion statements truly are attention-grabbing and conversation-provoking. For example, her look at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party featured a handbag made from real human hair and a dress with a neckline that had a hand around her neck.
The key to gaining and maintaining the public’s attention is through consistency and creating a signature look, which Fox has flawlessly done. For months, Fox wore black leather extremely low-waisted pants and a matching long-sleeved crop top a majority of the time. Everyone was so focused on her low-waisted pants. With each paparazzi photograph, people claimed that her pants were becoming increasingly low-waisted. This look became directly associated with her and made the media very interested in her fashion statements.
Then, in May of 2022, Julia took her conversation-evoking outfits to the next level when she was photographed pushing a cart full of groceries. She wore an open denim blazer with matching denim boots and had only an Alexander Wang bra and underwear set on underneath. Shortly after this, Fox revealed a campaign she had with Alexander Wang, where she was photographed modeling the bra and underwear set. Creating massive media attention surrounding her pictures at a grocery store led to more buzz for her fashion campaign. In my opinion, Julia Fox is a marketing genius.
Fox also hosts a podcast called Forbidden Fruits where she and her co-host Niki Takesh interview a wide range of guests. Their interviewees range from controversial figures, such as cult members or con artist Anna Sorokin (also known as Anna Delvey), to popular figures in music and pop culture, such as singer-songwriter and artist FKA twigs and Leah McSweeney, a fashion designer and star on The Real Housewives of New York City. The podcast wrapped up its first season in early May.
Fox has recently been photographed at Paris Fashion Week wearing a dress a Parsons student designed. I appreciate how Fox uses her platform and media attention to spotlight emerging designers. Between her iconic fashion moments and wide range of creative outlets, Julia Fox sure knows how to get our attention, which I think will make her one of this generation’s most iconic figures in pop culture.
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