Eva Cheung on being one of the first fashion influencers

When Instagram was at its infancy, the term ‘influencing’ hadn’t yet materialised, and fashion brands had yet to realise the potential of social, there were a few people way ahead of the curve, using their platforms to share their unique style and connect with audiences like never before. Eva Cheung (also known as Eva Pinkland) is one such figure — a model, blogger and now digital marketer from Hong Kong, who helped define the 2010s Harajuku scene through sharing her ‘80s-kitsch-cute style online — search any keyword related to that era in fashion and her image almost always comes up. We caught up with Eva to find out what it was like to be at the forefront of a scene that blew up online and her thoughts on the ever-evolving landscape of social media today:

For our readers who may not be aware, how would you describe Harajuku street fashion?

I think the uniqueness of Harajuku style is that everyone has their own unique style, and it is impossible to define a style to suit everyone, so it is collectively called Harajuku style.

You were one of the It girls in the early 2010s Harajuku fashion scene. How did sharing your fashion on social media contribute to your popularity?

I was amongst the earliest batch of influencers that used Instagram to promote themselves; I maximised the power of social media by tagging brands and using hashtags to reach my targeted audience. My fans could copy my style by following the brands that I loved while at the same time bringing traffic to those brands' socials. By doing so, I gained popularity in a short period of time.

How did you meet and connect with other girls in that scene? What were some of your most memorable moments?

Social media connected us all — although everyone has a different style and uniqueness, we all wanted to share and promote our own style and the Harajuku culture.

We have been to many places together for the Harajuku kawaii fashion show, and together we promoted Harajuku culture to the world. Except for the Japan trip show, we have been to the UK, the US, France and other places together.

Your style is also very bold and eclectic, what were your fashion inspirations back then and now?

My clothing inspiration usually comes from American music/clothing/culture in the 1980s; I am really into Michael Jackson, Madonna, etc., and I like the bold, avant-garde, bright colour mix-and-match, exaggerated sports style. It’s colourful and fun, so these are all my muses. 

You’ve been blogging and sharing your unique style online for the past decade or so now, do you think blogging and the overall internet has changed during that time?

Social platforms have changed so much throughout the past decade — from an app you checked two to three times a day for browsing pictures, to a search engine where you could find anything you wanted by typing related keywords. I have a strong feeling that everyone’s life relies on that (especially Gen Z) because it creates trends and affects everyone’s shopping habits. From a platform that you “Share” your life to a platform that “Creates” life. 

Many people in the fashion scene have gone offline but you’ve remained consistent. What has your relationship with social media been like?

I am in a love-hate relationship with social media. I have been transforming myself into a digital marketer instead of a model, therefore I put in a huge effort to maintain my page and at the same time transform my influential power to help build brands.

A new generation of teens are reviving the past styles and subcultures online, have you seen this? If so, do you see any similarities to when you were a teen?

Yes, Y2K is roaring back, not only the fashion style but also the whole culture is being revived, even the foldable phones that I used to own. All the pop culture references, the cyber aesthetic — it all brings back so many memories. I remember my teenage years with the Von Dutch caps, low rise jeans, a lot of bling bling accessories and of course watching the iconic Mean Girls.

For more content like this, explore the rest of the Digiverse, or connect with us on TikTok or Instagram. If you’re a brand or business and want to inspire your audience in innovative ways, reach out to our strategic & creative lab eve@thedigitalfairy.co.uk