Even those who don't consider themselves fashion buffs could probably name a few hot designers of the year. People like Marc Jacobs and Victoria Beckham are household names. Diane von Furstenberg has her own reality show. Big stars like Joseph Altuzarra and Alexander Wang have been collaborating with mega brands like Target and H&M throughout the year. If you enjoy shopping even a little, these names were bound to be on your radar. So when Google announced Bethany Mota was the most-searched fashion designer of 2014 it was, um, just a little surprising.
If you're not already familiar with Mota, here's the rundown: She's a beauty and fashion vlogger with millions and millions of subscribers. Last year, Mota partnered with Aeropostale to design a line of clothes and accessories. The collection includes standard teenage-approved items like sweaters with pandas on them and a general smattering of crop tops.
Apparently, the Aeropostale line translated into a great deal of success for Mota, beating out names like Kate Spade and Valentino for the top spot on the most-searched Google list. At first, this ranking might seem unsettling to many a fashionista who may not see Mota as a true 'designer,' but keep in mind this is just a search list. It's not "most talented" or "most prestigious;" it's just who people are Googling the most. This isn't to say that Mota isn't talented or successful, of course — but is she in the realm of the late Oscar de la Renta, as this list would imply? Probably not. But given that a great deal of people on the Internet either fall into the category of being a teenager and/or being obsessed with YouTube (or both), it makes sense that Mota would be high on the most-searched designer list.
And although it still feels a little odd to be calling a YouTuber a "designer" in the same category as people like Oscar de la Renta — good for her. The power of the Internet, my friends.
Image: Aeropostale
