Millennial fashion icon, EJ Johnson, dishes about all things NYFW

EJ Johnson is no stranger to the fashion industry. Over the past few years, the Instagram and reality television star has been crafting his sense of style, pulling from high fashion labels and infusing his own avant-garde twist into every outfit he creates. His sharp eye and incredible sartorial intuition has lead him to become one of the top fashion influencers (and experts) of his generation.

So it's only fitting that when New York Fashion Week rolled around, we tapped into EJ for the 4-1-1 on all things style. Below, we talked to the fashion guru of the hour on his favorite go-to designers, his styling advice, and more!

And if you want even more EJ Johnson news, head over to AOL.com at 6 pm EST today for more exclusive videos, photos, and interviews. ​Or check out the AOL Instagram, where he will be posting his insider Fashion Week photos all day.​​​



Who are designers you try to emulate in your day-to-day wardrobe?
Good question. I love Alexander Wang for more casual street looks, Balmain for going out and for those fierce diva moments. I also love Yves Saint Laurent and Givenchy, designers like that. But my style is all over the place and I really focus on whatever speaks to me.

Which designers are you really excited to see this NYFW?
I'm going to Chromat after this and I'm really excited to see them after I saw their presentation for the CFDA awards and when they did the presentation for Vogue. I love up-and-coming designers and I'm excited to see what they're going to do.

Which up-and-coming designers do you think everyone should know about?
Oh God, a few! Chromat obviously is great, Jonathan Simkhai is always amazing; I love his work. And I recently met and loved LaQuan Smith.



Lots of people cant be part of NYFW. What's your recommendation to people who want to be involved but aren't in the NY area?
Tune into all of the online coverage, keep up to date with AOL and everything that's going on! I also always go back to see all the looks and all the street fashion. Definitely check your Instagrams and keep up-to-date with everything that's going on.

And how strictly do you think people after fashion week should be following the runway trends?
I always tell people to take little pieces and notes. I never really like when people are "all trendy"; it's more so about incorporating trends into your own style. So pull a piece here, or a piece there, or something that spoke to you. You can't lose yourself and your sense of style in the process. So don't just take an entire outfit from the runway because you never want to be that "trendy" person.

%shareLinks-quote="You can't lose yourself and your sense of style in the process." type="quote" author="EJ Johnson " authordesc="" isquoteoftheday="false"%

YouShouldKnow is a feature that showcases up-and-coming social stars. To see more of past interviews, click here. And come back at 6 pm EST for more exclusive EJ Johnson features, including how he views diversity in the fashion industry.

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