Kia Marie Is Leading The Fashion Conversation on Threads

Fashion thrives on Threads. It’s a fashion community with a nonstop feed of insightful tips, thoughtful voices, and a true showcase of the internet’s best-dressed. It’s a space that sparks conversations about fashion’s impact and encourages creators to push boundaries in fresh, meaningful ways.

Kia Marie (@thenotoriouskia) is one of the most resourceful creators in the space who are leading the community. She shops, thrifts, styles, and creates content, all while looking incredible doing it. On a platform that’s all about fostering a vibrant, idea-driven community, there are few people who embody that mission better than Kia.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Kia has always had a unique sense of style and perspective that inspire her followers and spark authentic conversations. In one post she could be sharing her creativity with a fall moodboard, and in another, she’s giving people unsolicited advice. It’s her ability to connect on a real, personal level that sets her apart, and what’s made her an asset to some of the biggest brands in the game.

Kia is passionate about creating opportunities and platforms for other creators, especially women and people of color. On Threads, she carries that same energy, constantly lifting others up and making fashion relatable and accessible to everyone.

Threads’ fashion community is all about creativity, individuality, and connection—everything Kia Marie stands for. She’s a go-to voice for style inspo, sustainability talks, and celebrating fashion as self-expression.

In a conversation with Kia, we explore how she’s using Threads to shape the conversation around fashion, sneakers, and community while continuing to inspire others to lead with intention and creativity.

This interview has been condensed for clarity.

How did your journey as a creator start, and what role did social media play?

My journey started before “content creator” was even a term. In 2011, after breaking my ankle, I was stuck at home watching videos online all day. One day I just had this revelation, God spoke to me: Turn on your camera. I’ve always been comfortable performing—whether in theater, church plays, or sports. Watching women share natural hair tips and DIY tutorials made me think, If they can do it, so can I.

Prior to that I was an aspiring stylist, running a personal blog, but being on bed rest gave me time to explore my creativity. I started making DIY fashion videos—thrifting tips, distressing denim. It was low-production, but I loved it.

When my ankle healed, I went back to work but rushed home daily to make videos. One blew up—a DIY distressed shorts tutorial—and that momentum grew. Eventually, I was laid off, but I poured into my channel, gaining 11,000 subscribers within a year. That’s when I realized you could get paid—my first $300 check was mind-blowing. By 2018, after building my channel and Instagram with brand partnerships, I quit my full-time job. It’s been 13 years now, and my career shows you don’t need a million followers to have longevity. Staying true to yourself, being authentic, and having integrity are what matter most.

You’re known as “The People’s Stylist” on Threads—is that self-dubbed or bestowed?

Self-dubbed. I’m focused on helping people discover their personal style. Style isn’t about money; it’s about intention. Sustainability can be as simple as reimagining what you already own—like wearing a hoodie a different way. Black culture has long been a pioneer of sustainability, not by choice but by necessity—hand-me-downs, oversized clothing—what’s trendy now was once considered “ghetto.”

When did community become central to your brand?

I think [it was] the first time someone approached me in real life and said, Oh my god. I love your videos. Your videos helped me love my hair or find my personal style. I realized this was bigger than me. Community is everything. Thrifting and natural hair communities empowered me just as much as I empowered them. Sharing my love for sneakers showed me there were women worldwide who felt the same—it made me feel seen and represented. It is not just me out here. It is a bunch of us and you’re really putting on for the team. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for my community. Community holds me accountable, encourages me, and gives me purpose.

What’s your philosophy on social media? Is it primarily content-driven or is it also an outlet for personal expression? Do you follow a strategy or is it more intuitive?

Balance is key. When it comes to having a niche, the first thing I consider is whether an idea fits into one of my content buckets. Is it about fashion, sneakers, hair, or beauty? If not, can I tie it back to those elements? As you grow, you might evolve beyond your niche into more of a personal brand—someone who can share almost anything. Still, it’s important to stay true to your boundaries. For example, if you’ve never shared your home life or personal relationships, why start now? When you’re starting out, being intentional is crucial. Ask yourself if this is something you’d still want to share 10 years from now. Many people get into content creation for money these days, but when I started, it was all about passion and creative expression. If you’re only in it for the money, you’ll eventually feel trapped by the type of content you create. Imagine going viral for something, and now your audience only wants that one thing. It becomes a cycle you can’t escape. That’s why I believe in creating content you’re passionate about from the start.

What initially drew you to Threads and what keeps you there today?

Back in ’09, New York had a niche social media culture that I loved. Threads brings back that nostalgia. Threads is also connected to Instagram, which makes it seamless for me.It lets me add thoughts to visuals I’ve created or share random ideas, even something as simple as a grocery store find.

You are very open to sharing your knowledge, especially on Threads. Why is sharing important to you?

For me, it’s about give and receive. If someone pours into me, I pour back. It costs me nothing to share where I got a jacket. Gatekeeping often stems from a scarcity mindset—the fear that if someone else has it, you can’t. But I believe the more you share, the more that comes back to you. That said, I do think we’ve gone overboard with sharing. People have started losing their sense of self. They like something just because I like it, not because they genuinely like it. That’s why I always encourage people to ask themselves: Do I truly like this? My approach is about more than just personal style; it’s about self-mastery and understanding. Fashion is just the vessel I use to explore those deeper questions.

How does the fashion conversation on Threads differ from other platforms?

Threads is more opinionated. Your content can reach people outside your immediate community, unlike Instagram, where engagement is more localized. On Instagram, the comments are usually polite, especially if you’ve cultivated a positive environment. On Threads, there’s more discourse, even discord at times, partly due to the influx of people from other platforms. For fashion, I think Threads allows for deeper, more detailed conversations. It’s less about trends and more about analyzing the zeitgeist. The people I follow on Threads take a philosophical or theoretical approach to fashion. They provide insights that help me learn and see fashion through their unique lenses. It’s less about what’s trending and more about holding the industry accountable.

What would you like to see more of in the fashion community on Threads? Are there trends you love or things you think we’ve outgrown?

Honestly, nothing’s truly new on social media. I always tell people to log off and live life—that’s where real inspiration comes from. Or dive into media from a decade ago—old shows, magazines, or movies. In fashion, I love the creativity of people using walking pads to showcase outfits. That’s fire! But I’d like to see more “why” behind outfits—like why this shoe works or how you built the look. Everybody learns differently. Some people are visual learners, some people are audible. Some people got to sit down and really map it out for them. So switching up the same type of content, but for different types of learning styles.

And personal style? It’s so generic now. Everyone’s in soccer sneakers, wide-leg pants, sweaters, trenches, and a Yankees or Dodgers hat. We can all have similar pieces, but how are you making it your own? I grew up wearing uniforms and learned to remix them—turning a dress into a skirt or using sneakers to stand out. We need to bring that energy back! Look at inspiration and ask, How can I make this mine?

What would you like to see added to the Threads fashion community?

I’d love to see more community meetups and collaboration. There’s so much competition in this space, but there’s room for everyone to succeed. Back in the day, influencers supported each other, and it made a huge difference. I’d like to see Threads foster that—mentorship, collaboration, and just making fashion fun again.

This ties perfectly into our last question: If you could host an in-person event with your Threads community, what would it look like?

We used to do this thing back in the day on my channel called “Thrift With Me.” It was thrift challenge where we would pull something out of a hat and for example it might say “brunch.” Then we have 30 minutes to run around the thrift store to put together a look for this particular thing. I’d combine that with a workshop to share thrifting tips, then have a competition where the best look wins—maybe I’d even pay for the winning outfit.