TikTok stars visit D.C. as creators turn into temporary lobbyists
WASHINGTON — In a hotel room Wednesday morning, Los Angeles-based TikTok fashion and lifestyle designer Janette Ok was preparing for a day of lobbying on Capitol Hill. She ripped off the tag hanging from one sleeve of her blazer and slipped on a pair of bright pink gloves, matching her heels.
Could she consider shoes more ergonomic for the long day ahead?
"Everything for fashion," she said.
Mrs. Ok, 26, was one of more than 30 TikTok stars who took part in an all-expenses-paid trip to speak on behalf of the platform amid rising TikTok tensions as the Biden administration pushed the Chinese-owned TikTok to sell the video app or face a possible ban in the United States. Singapore-based TikTok chief executive Shou Chew testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday. Washington and put them up in an upscale hotel for the week. On Tuesday, the group had dinner with Mr. Chew, who appeared in several videos posted that night.
Wednesday morning leftover room service — a pink smoothie, smoked salmon and scooped up eggs — sat on a table in Mrs. Ok's room overlooking the Jefferson Memorial. She had brought along a friend, Imani Carrier, a fellow creator.
Before joining TikTok in 2019, Ms. Ok had steadily built a following on other social media platforms . On TikTok, she gained a million followers in six months. With this growth came opportunity. Some have been just plain fun, like meeting actor Michael B. Jordan. Others have been very profitable. These days, she can order up to $70,000 for a single brand, she said.
"It's like the new American Dream she said of her experience, adding that her parents immigrated from South Korea to Los Angeles.
WASHINGTON — In a hotel room Wednesday morning, Los Angeles-based TikTok fashion and lifestyle designer Janette Ok was preparing for a day of lobbying on Capitol Hill. She ripped off the tag hanging from one sleeve of her blazer and slipped on a pair of bright pink gloves, matching her heels.
Could she consider shoes more ergonomic for the long day ahead?
"Everything for fashion," she said.
Mrs. Ok, 26, was one of more than 30 TikTok stars who took part in an all-expenses-paid trip to speak on behalf of the platform amid rising TikTok tensions as the Biden administration pushed the Chinese-owned TikTok to sell the video app or face a possible ban in the United States. Singapore-based TikTok chief executive Shou Chew testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday. Washington and put them up in an upscale hotel for the week. On Tuesday, the group had dinner with Mr. Chew, who appeared in several videos posted that night.
Wednesday morning leftover room service — a pink smoothie, smoked salmon and scooped up eggs — sat on a table in Mrs. Ok's room overlooking the Jefferson Memorial. She had brought along a friend, Imani Carrier, a fellow creator.
Before joining TikTok in 2019, Ms. Ok had steadily built a following on other social media platforms . On TikTok, she gained a million followers in six months. With this growth came opportunity. Some have been just plain fun, like meeting actor Michael B. Jordan. Others have been very profitable. These days, she can order up to $70,000 for a single brand, she said.
"It's like the new American Dream she said of her experience, adding that her parents immigrated from South Korea to Los Angeles.
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