Meet Wisdom Kaye; he is an American-Nigerian model, YouTuber, TikTok star, social media influencer, and internet celebrity. Kaye has made a name for himself through his high-end fashion sense and the creation of viral fashion-related content on TikTok and other platforms.
His social media journey began when he started #FashionTok in 2020 where he posted styling challenges while he was quarantining and studying electrical engineering in college. His first video on YouTube was initially posted on Twitter. It featured a compilation of outfits and shot images around the Texas State University campus, where he was a student, according to Vogue Teen.
“I just had one of my friends help me out,” Kaye, who was born in Houston, Texas to a family of Nigerian immigrants in 2001, explained, “just record me a couple seconds every day.”
His exemplary fashion sense and swagger on TikTok earned him the best-dressed guy on TikTok by Vogue. What is more, his eye for fashion has catapulted him into a TikTok sensation. As he kept generating deeply engaging content, his following kept soaring.
Today, he has over 12 million followers on social media. In his most viral posts, he puts a spin on pop culture-inspired outfits, from Marvel characters to Teen Titans, Barbie, and SpongeBob SquarePants, according to Forbes.
Forbes added that the content creator has now moved into other aspects of the creative. For instance, he directed a sponsorship with Mercedes-Benz this year and also did a modeling campaign with eBay. He has also worked with Tiffany & Co., Google, and Sims.
“It’s not out of the norm,” said Kaye of how TikTok is challenging the fashion industry. “I feel like social media is becoming a big part of everyone’s life. It’s more like, ‘Hey, there you are.’ The next whatever.”
Kaye’s social media game has seen him being named in the list of Forbes’ top creators – 50 internet personalities who have earned an estimated $700 million combined.
His earnings come from his influential presence on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube and from his thriving career as a professional model. He also earns fat cheques from endorsement deals and ads. He makes between $5,000 to $8,000 per post excluding sponsored posts, based on speculative estimates from various sources.
His love for fashion emerged in high school when he used it as a shield for kids who bullied him, but he desperately wanted to fit in with everyone, so he began using personal style as a form of self-defense, Teen Vogue reported. Eventually, he found his voice which has been nothing short of amazing. He now takes inspiration from people who know and understand fashion and style; Hedi Slimane and Rick Owens are two of his favorite designers.
Even though dance challenges may be more popular on TikTok, Kaye has found a way to stand out and he exudes his unique style effortlessly with every look he puts out there. “What sets my page apart, and what has contributed to my growth, is that I show the limitlessness of fashion. I make videos that disprove myths like you can’t wear navy blue and black or boots with shorts.”
