Stories by
Sofia has documented internet culture for five years, watching the creator economy grow from a curiosity into a multi-billion-dollar industry. She follows the platforms, the personalities, and the money. At OpenThreadNews, Sofia covers TikTok and YouTube stars, viral trends, platform policy changes, and the business of being influential. Her reporting treats creators as what they are: media companies of one, navigating an industry that is still writing its own rules.
Camila Coelho went from a Dior makeup counter to running the beauty brand Elaluz and a Revolve fashion line, and 2026 brought her biggest personal change yet.
Patrick Starrr turned a Florida MAC counter job and viral YouTube tutorials into One/Size Beauty, now sold at Sephora and Boots worldwide.
Alex Warren went from Hype House prank videos to a record-breaking Billboard number one and a Grammy nomination in 2026.
A 2026 ranking named Natalie Reynolds LA’s fastest-growing beauty TikToker, but independent tracking data raises real questions about her account’s status.
Fourteen real profiles of the creators actually shaping LA’s fashion and beauty scene right now, from OG bloggers to the Sofia Richie effect.
Before the 1.3 million TikTok followers. Before the 25 Ironman triathlons. Before the National Fitness Hall of Fame induction and the 100-plus magazine covers —
Correction, August 6, 2026: An earlier version of this article misstated the date of the Las Vegas ceremony. It took place in November 2024, not
Most fitness creators on TikTok have a backstory that involves a personal transformation or a before-and-after photo. Cassidy Malsch’s backstory involves 12 years of competitive
In March 2025, Remi Bader went on Khloé Kardashian’s podcast and said what a significant portion of the internet had been speculating about for over
There’s a version of Monet McMichael’s life where she’d be working hospital shifts right now. She graduated with a nursing degree from Rutgers University in
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