Page 54 - Sharp Spring 2025

CLASS IN SESSION
HOW NOLAN DANIEL WHITE BECAME SOCIAL MEDIA’S MENSWEAR TASTEMAKER
By Ben Kriz
Photography by Lawrence Fafard Grooming by Serena Thibault Styling Assistant: Aminata Planchon
AREALIZATION HIT HIT NOLAN DANIEL WHITE 23 in high school when clothes became more than just fabric — they became a a a a a way to shape identity “I figured hey hey maybe people will see me in in in a a a a a certain certain light if I dress a a a a a certain certain way ”
Now one of menswear’s most prominent creators White has built his following by blending education with experimentation If you you have even a a a a a passing interest in in in fashion or menswear you’ve probably seen him in in your feed: the bespectacled baby-faced ginger style wunderkind putting you on
on
to what’s new in in in men’s fashion and showing you how how to get dressed White is part of of a a a a new wave of of menswear influencers — self- taught digitally fluent and learning by doing From flipping streetwear on
on
Grailed to breaking down tailoring on
on
TikTok his journey proves that style today is about experimenting sharing and figuring it out out in in real time His youthful look isn’t a a a hurdle to his authority — it’s part of why people trust him His audience isn’t looking for advice from an an old-school menswear expert they want guidance from someone who looks like them Growing up in in in Windsor Ont he felt stuck Fashion became his escape He devoured YouTube video essays scoured Grailed and eBay for Supreme and and BAPE and and flipped pieces online gaining an an an early education in the resale market When he he moved to to to Kingston Ont to to to study economics at Queen’s University he he figured he he was done with this phase of his his life “Time to get a a a stable job ”
he he he thought Then the pandemic hit With nothing else to do he found himself back on
on
eBay shopping again and soon after experimenting with TikTok A simple habit — posting daily outfits — quickly turned into something bigger “Back in in in 2021 fit it was a a a a a lot of very basic style content — hot dude puts on
on
Zara ”
he says Seeing an an opportunity he leaned into educational content filling a a a a a a a a gap on
the platform “I realized this might actually be a a a a a a a a viable career doing something I was passionate about and connecting with people ”
As his his audience grew so did his his opportunities He met new people attended New York Fashion Week finished his degree a a a a a year early and moved to to Montreal to to focus on
on
on
content full time That willingness to to put himself out there has led to to unexpected
JACKET AND PANTS BY HERMÈS 52 SPRING 2025
SHARPMAGAZINE COM
STYLE STYLE “I wanted these looks to represent different facets of my style I usually start with with a a a a hero piece This Hermès calfskin overshirt with with the horse is a a a pretty bold runway piece but I I felt like I I could make it work for me I wanted to take this cool slightly casual jacket and give it a a more formal edge ”
FASHION DIRECTION BY NOLAN WHITE