Before TikTok: 5 “Influencers” From Different Eras of History

Isabella d’Este’s father ruled the Duchy of Ferrara in what is now northern Italy, whilst her mother was the daughter of the King of Naples. With such an illustrious background, Isabella was always likely to stand out from the crowd, but she utilized all of her considerable intellect to ensure that she became one of the most talked-about women of the Renaissance era.

In common with other noblewomen of her day, Isabella’s destiny was settled from an early age. She was betrothed to the future Marquess of Mantua at the age of just six and married him nine years later. Her husband spent much of their marriage away from home on the battlefield, meaning that in effect Isabella had to rule Mantua in his absence as well as raise six children. 

Like the successful social influencers of today, the ambitious Marchioness of Mantua quickly came to realize that the most effective way of raising her profile was to create a distinctive and instantly recognizable public image. Isabella tasked sculptor Giovanni Cristoforo Romano with casting a bronze medal featuring her head in profile. She also commissioned the best-known artists of the day to paint her portrait, including Leonardo da Vinci and Titian. By the time of the Titian portrait, Isabella was approaching her sixth decade, but the great Renaissance artist based his work on a much earlier likeness. 

These images of Isabella may well not have represented her true appearance but did much to develop her reputation as one of the style icons of her era. When she was pictured wearing a turban-style headdress, known as a balzo, the accessory became popular with noblewomen all over Italy. Isabella claimed the credit for designing this unique style of headwear, as well as creating her own perfume and jewelry.

By the time of her death, aged 64, in 1539, Isabella d’Este was renowned across Europe for her exquisite taste in fashion and the arts. Such was her reputation that the Italian Renaissance poet, Niccolo da Correggio, famously described her as the “First Lady of the World”.

George Brummell was born at one of London’s most prestigious addresses in Downing Street, where his father was employed as private secretary to the Prime Minister. He was educated at Eton College, where he mixed with the British elite and reportedly displayed an early interest in fashion, accessorizing the school’s traditional white cravat with a gold buckle. 

Following a brief stint at Oxford University, Brummell enlisted in the army. He did not stay there long, either, but made an invaluable social contact in the form of the Prince Regent (later George IV) and took advantage of this friendship to become one of the leading lights in London society. Known for his charm and wit, the debonair Brummell also became renowned for his stylish dress sense and acquired the nickname “Beau”.

As the male fashion leader of his era, Beau spearheaded a late 18th-century style revolution. The ostentatious silk breeches, white stockings and powdered wigs once sported by the fashionable man about town were abandoned in favor of a new understated elegance. Beau led the way in focusing on more flattering cuts, which mixed the best of tailoring with top quality fabrics. His typical look consisted of a plain white linen shirt and elaborately knotted cravat combined with a fine wool coat, full-length trousers and boots, favoring a dark palette rather than the bright colors of the earlier Georgian era.

The outspoken Beau eventually fell out of favor with his royal patron and, having amassed huge gambling debts, left England for France in 1816 to escape his creditors. By the time of his death in 1840, he was virtually penniless and had largely been forgotten back home in England. Yet, like all the best influencers, Brummell’s impact continued long after his death. This stylish Georgian dandy started a fashion revolution which still influences the way in which men dress today.

Still in print today, Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management became an instant bestseller upon its UK publication in October 1861 and went on to become a global phenomenon. Such was its impact that the name of Mrs. Beeton became a generic term for anyone considered an authority on cooking, cleaning and running a home. Its author has been hailed as the 19th-century forerunner of today’s influential “tradwife”. Yet, for years the woman behind the bestseller remained an enigmatic figure, whose real story was seldom told.

Isabella Beeton (née Mayson) was brought up in the unusual surroundings of Epsom Racecourse, home to the English Derby, where her stepfather was the clerk of the course. At the age of 20, she married a young publisher named Samuel Beeton and became involved in an ambitious new project. 

Each month for two years, she produced a 48-page supplement for The Englishwoman’s Domestic Magazine which contained recipes and advice on how to run a household. Hardly any of the recipes were original, but the way in which they were presented was radically different to what had gone before, in that they included useful tips on subjects like the seasonality of ingredients and the estimated cost per portion. 

These supplements were later collected into one volume under the now familiar title of Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management. Despite the book’s runaway success, however, things did not go well for the young couple. Isabella died at just age 28 a week after giving birth to their fourth child, and Samuel made a series of poor business decisions, meaning that for financial reasons he was eventually compelled to sell the rights to their bestselling book to another publisher.

Isabella’s influence lived on long after her death, as the book’s new publishers did nothing to disabuse readers of the notion that the famous Mrs. Beeton was still very much alive. With over 2,000 recipes and a comprehensive guide on how to run a domestic household, the book became a must-read for any late 19th-century young bride daunted by the prospect of taking on the role of “mistress of the house”.

However, successive editions departed more and more from her original work. In time, her name became a byword for Victorian extravagance, to whom oft quoted comical phrases like “first catch your hare” were wrongly attributed. Only in recent years has Isabella Beeton’s groundbreaking approach to concepts like menu planning, seasonality and affordability been properly recognized.

As the grande dame of early 20th-century haute couture, Lucy Duff-Gordon (née Sutherland) was responsible for popularizing new fashion trends that revolutionized the way in which women dressed. 

The Englishwoman started her first fashion design business whilst still in her twenties, following a disastrous failed first marriage. From humble beginnings at home, Duff-Gordon’s innovative approach proved so popular with the high society women of her era that she acquired her own premises, known as Maison Lucille, in central London. 

Unlike her competitors, her outfits were tailor-made to suit each client’s individual style and personality. She was also quick to recognize the opportunities offered by a new era of greater social freedom for women. Duff-Gordon removed much of the restrictive corsetry that had been a feature of formal wear during the Victorian era and added slits to skirts to allow women to move more freely. She proved equally ahead of her time in introducing a range of delicate lingerie that perfectly complemented her glamorous outerwear.

The astute businesswoman transformed the world of fashion in other ways too. Duff-Gordon was the first to come up with the idea of staging a “mannequin parade” to showcase her designs, employing real-life models to strut down a catwalk. She also incorporated theatrical elements into these events, not dissimilar to today’s runway fashion shows.

Such was her influence on fashion tastes of the day that Maison Lucille became the first truly global fashion house, with branches in New York, Chicago and Paris. Duff-Gordon’s career even overcame one highly embarrassing public scandal. In 1912, she and her second husband were on board the ill-fated RMS Titanic and were accused of having bribed a lifeboat crew to ensure their quick escape from the disaster. In the end, though, she suffered the fate of so many fashion influencers when her once-revolutionary designs were superseded by those of younger rivals like Coco Chanel.

Today’s top sporting celebrities attract such lucrative sponsorship and product endorsement deals that often their earnings from commercial opportunities far outstrip those from their on-field activities. Legendary baseball star George “Babe” Ruth is widely credited with paving the way for the role of the modern athlete as celebrity influencer. 

The young George was taught to play the sport at the St Mary’s Industrial School in Baltimore, where, as an unruly youngster, he was sent to learn discipline. In early 1914, he joined the Baltimore Orioles, aged just 19, where he acquired his famous nickname. His impressive performances attracted the attention of the Boston Red Sox and he made his Major League debut for them later the same year. Originally signed for his ability as a pitcher, Ruth became renowned for the power of his hitting and, in the 1919 season, set a record of 29 home runs. 

Ruth was sold to the New York Yankees the following year and proceeded to hit 54 home runs in his first season, shattering his own record from the previous year. Over the course of the next 14 years, Ruth continued to rewrite the record books and helped the Yankees to achieve unprecedented success. Such was the clamor to see the Yankees play that they constructed a new stadium in the Bronx in 1923, which was dubbed “The House That Ruth Built”.

Babe Ruth proved to be a larger-than-life character off the pitch as well. Renowned for his love of alcohol, women and fast cars, Ruth fully embraced the celebrity lifestyle. Thanks to the efforts of his agent, Christy Walsh, the baseball star was able to fund his extravagant spending by cashing in on his superstar status. Ruth modeled his own range of All America Athletic Underwear, signed lucrative endorsement deals with big brand names like Quaker Oats and Ford, and embarked on promotional speaking tours across the States.

The charismatic Ruth remained as popular as ever with the American public even after his retirement in 1935 and continued with his promotional work right up until his untimely death, aged 53, in August 1948.