When Aki Kim, 71, and Koichi Suzuki Kim, 73, started posting videos of clothes on their Instagram and TikTok accounts (@akiandkoichi) in the spring of this year, neither the couple nor their daughter Yuri (who creates and publishes content on their behalf) expected to win 1 million followers before the end of summer. While the outfits — from some of their favorite brands like Issey Miyake, Loewe, Comme des Garcons and APC — change from video to video, the format remains simple, with the pair in their California neighborhood.
“We never expected this level of attention and it still feels surreal,” the Kims said Refinery29 in a joint statement. “It’s hard to pinpoint why we think people respond positively. We think people appreciate our style, but it can also be connected to the joy we convey.” While the goal of their accounts has never been financial — “as 70-somethings embark on a new adventure, we believe fashion can help everyone feel confident and true to themselves. Fashion is about feeling good no matter what your age,’ they say — in addition to followers, the Kims have since secured partnerships with brands like ASOS, Warby Parker and Uniqlo, launching them into the growing space of fashion-influenced couples .
From Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake’s matching denim ensembles in 2003 to Kourtney Kardashian’s style influenced by Travis Barker 20 years later, people were obsessed with couples fashion for ages. However, in more recent years, this has overtaken internet celebrity twin pairings like Aki and Koichi, Young Emperors and gaining more engaged followers and dedicated virtual communities.
In June, Remi Alfallah and Erris Burke, 27 and 28 respectively, shared a video of themselves posing in their kitchen which has received 11 million views and 431,000 likes and counting. In it, the Los Angeles-based and London-based couple are seen wearing matching black outfits – Alfallah in a second-hand Roberto Cavalli dress, Burke in an AREA crop top and Zara mini skirt. The caption reads: “No one’s talking about the struggles of two women trying to find a way that isn’t tiresome to get published.”
Burke, who has been creating fashion and lifestyle content for four years, met film producer Alfallah via Instagram in 2022 and began sharing videos of Alfallah a few months into their relationship. Fast forward to last summer: The pair set up joint TikTok and Instagram accounts (like @remianderris), share videos of their everyday outfits ranging from baggy jeans and crop tops to miniskirts and boots. While Burke usually wears baggy streetwear, Alfallah likes to mix feminine silhouettes with masculine accessories like ties, flat hats and chunky shoes — though they also share their outfits and mix and match outfits that match each other’s aesthetics. Now, a few hundred thousand followers later, the couple has signed to a talent agency while their accounts continue to grow daily.
Just as the Kims hope to provide representation to older people, Alfallah and Burke started their account to create a space for queer people and couples who dress like them. “There’s a certain stereotype of more masculine queer women that comes up a lot in pop culture, which obviously does and does exist, but for people outside of that, [we’re] like, “Can I see someone like me who dresses more feminine or is more tomboyish?” Alfalah says. Refinery29.
Indiana-based couple Daniel Mirage and Shamaria Thomas, 21, use Mirage’s account (@daniel_mirage) to showcase style trends. In their posts, they wear coordinated streetwear and Y2K-inspired outfits that include georgettes, shrunken tees, matching Timberland boots, and various second-hand finds. “We’re both in this weird, experimental phase where we know what we like and don’t like, but we’re still trying to find things that we wouldn’t necessarily have worn a year ago,” says Thomas. Refinery29. “Most of the time we get ready together and decide on a theme for the day,” adds Mirage. Some of their recent themes have included flannel dressing (where both he wore economical sweatshirts and matching shorts) and western-inspired cowboy boots and chunky loafers.
“It’s been a really positive response,” Mirage says of when he first started featuring Thomas on his account. “All my friends who see my page were very happy for me.” Mirage’s following and engagement has increased with increased couple content, which often includes smooth transitions and outfit collections. Comments on their videos range from “me and who?” and “you’ll compliment each other so well,” for questions about dress details.
While #FitPics isn’t a new format, the success these couples are experiencing is further proof that users today are looking for more than aspirational fashion content. In a recent Refinery29 survey that asked 82 readers to list the reasons they follow influencers, 56% said they create creative content, 43% said it’s relevant, and 33% said it was because they “promote a lifestyle I admire or aspire to.”
@pipanddeya let’s get to work 📸 #girlfriend #friend #comedy ♬ original sound – Pip & Deya
“A lot of what we see online is someone talking to the camera, so you lose that human interaction… And that’s what people love,” says Deya Suresh Refinery29. “Like when TikTok came out, everything was so raw and believable because it’s not carefully curated and people are just sitting in their messy rooms.” On their travel-focused account @pipanddeya, Suresh and her partner Pip Puveendran, both 33 and based in Toronto, do fitness checks, often on the road or on vacation, and video memes that show their personality. In their videos, Suresh wears feminine silhouettes like milkmaid dresses, printed tops and A-line skirts, while Puveendran sports chic pieces, matching ensembles and activewear. “We wanted a place where we could be us,” Suresh says of their account.
We can’t complain, this is our dream job… It’s not a vacation though. We wake up, film, edit, go to our emails.
Deya Suresh
While Suresh and Puveendran try to stay as authentic as possible, the two full-time creators also treat it like a business. This comes with drawbacks. “We can’t complain – because this is our dream job and we get paid to travel – but it’s not like a holiday. We wake up, film, edit while on vacation, go to our emails,” says Suresh. “One rule we’ve implemented recently is that we try to make the last day of our vacation a [non-working] “Our day.” Alfallah and Burke also acknowledge the need to balance being present in their relationship while showing intimate moments that fans love them for. “If there’s a moment that goes by and you’re trying to be present, where you forget to film or don’t want to, there’s this lingering guilt, like, ‘He would have done so well,'” says Alfallah.
When asked what would happen to their content if they split up, Puveendran says he’s not worried about it: “We argue and argue, but ultimately we have the same love for traveling and creating content that if I was with someone else who wasn’t part of this world, I would have a nightmare existence with them. They wouldn’t understand why I want to shoot a nice drone at sunrise [laughs].” Mirage and Thomas agree that their social media journey so far “has been pretty easy.” With their audiences and career opportunities growing alongside their relationship, the two say their toughest challenges are deciding on outfits and finding aesthetically pleasing film locations.
As the world of fashion influencers continues to change, the couples’ content gives us the wholesome vibe we deserve — and twice the outfit inspiration.
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