Established Influencer

After a brief career in finance, Leo Chan (BS ’11) modeled and developed his fashion/travel blog, Levitate Style, with his girlfriend, Alicia Mara (BA ’13). Today Chan is an established influencer with 118,000+ followers on Instagram @levitatestyle, and he works with Fortune 500 companies like Nordstrom, Express Men, and Audi. 

What is your definition of an “influencer”?

At the base level, it’s someone with a full-time career on social media with an audience they can influence, hopefully, for the better. An influencer works with brands on sponsored content and collaborations. For me, it’s also helping people realize their bigger potential. They can dress better, travel more. One of the main reasons I started Levitate Style in 2014 was for representation. Growing up, I didn’t see Asian guys in movies, magazines, TV shows—unless it was a negative stereotype. I hope to change that image and offer positive representation.

What’s a typical day like for you?

Being an influencer is image-heavy, so I go to the gym every morning and eat at home because it’s healthier and more budget-friendly. Then I check emails and my calendar. I might be doing a photoshoot, editing videos, or generating ideas for brand collabs. Pre-COVID I’d go to 10 events a week to support brands, network, and build relationships. It’s very humbling to be at some of them—like an event at the Met—which was like being in a movie!

How do you characterize your style?

It’s kind of a new style that I coined: “tailor-hype.” My first taste of style was in menswear, since I went to UB for accounting, then worked for Morgan Stanley and Barclay. Then, there’s “hype”—street style—made popular by NBA athletes, celebrities, and hip-hop artists, and something I grew up with. I wanted to mix menswear with street style, with sneakers, with what I love.

Did UB have an influence on your influencing?

100%! UB professors prepare you for the real world. They drilled it in us to join clubs, do extra projects. You need more than just a degree. I was part of Pi Sigma Epsilon, a marketing group in the School of Management. We learned how to organize, advertise, network, and I could add all of it to my résumé.

What’s your process for developing ideas?

In the beginning, it was looking for gaps. Five years ago, diversity was not on the radar for big brands. I knew people who shopped certain brands, but their marketing materials didn’t represent those people. I wanted to bridge that gap and help change that. Now, some brands let me do whatever I want.  Recently, I brought sunglasses from a brand I was representing on a family vacation in California. I shot them on my trip. I like shooting outdoors, not in a studio, because you see things in real lighting. Because of social media, we all want to capture moments in real-time—authentic experiences vs. staged.