Victoria Paris HAS BUILT A CAREER BY TURNING HER everyday life INTO SOME OF THE INTERNET’S MOST engaging content.
What started as a way to drive traffic to her Depop shop quickly evolved into a thriving business after her first brand deal paid off her student loans, proving social media could be far more than a side hustle.
Since then, Paris has become known for her candid videos about fashion, marathon training, design, and entrepreneurship, including her wildly popular $5 Depop drops that keep followers coming back. Her appeal lies in her ability to make aspiration feel accessible; she’s polished, but never too precious, and always feels like the friend texting you back in real time. Read about Victoria Paris’s journey in her C&C 100 interview below.
You've spoken about building your platform with the intention to promote your Depop store. Initially, what made you realize, like, social media could be an even bigger platform for you?
For me, it was really that the dollars and cents made sense. My first brand deal paid off my student loans, and I was like, whoa. That would have been a third of my starting salary out of college. I realized that if I really leaned into this and gave my full self to it, this could be something massive. It was getting that first deal and seeing how much that could change my life.
When did you realize your content had really taken off? Was there a specific video that went viral?
Yeah, it was pretty linear. Every video grew more than the last, and I was like, the more I put out, the more eyes there are, and the more people who are asking, “Who is this for?” the more I was being received.
I was attacking the algorithm from every side. It wasn’t just my running videos or my get-ready videos or my coffee videos. It was all of them all at once. I wasn’t living for six months. I was just making videos for six months because I was so invested in it and growing it. It scaled so quickly, so it wasn’t one thing. It was everything.
How do you draw a boundary between who you are online and who you are in real life?
I think what you get from me online is definitely the most interesting and vibrant version of me. Offline, I’m pretty chill. I don’t really go out. I’m not a huge drinker. I’m a homebody.
What I do online is what I think will continue to push the needle for my career. It’s what I think my followers are interested in. We’re also unfolding life together. Whether it’s getting married, having kids, buying a home, or traveling somewhere new, they can logically understand the progression of my life and where I’m at. They’re along for the journey and get to see that side of me.
“The internet you consume and the internet you share are reflections of you as a person. I’m very careful about what I consume and what I engage with.”
Why was it important to you to offer pieces from your closet at such an affordable price through your Depop drops?
It’s interesting because I’ve done giveaways and I donate the bulk of my stuff to people in my life or local shelters. But a giveaway doesn’t generate as much interest as selling things for $5.
I think a giveaway feels like it’s just in the ether. There’s no clue if you’re going to get it. But if you can physically buy something, it feels much more attainable. That wasn’t the reason I did it, but it’s something I’ve learned. Everything in my life seems to come back full circle. My career started because of Depop, and now my career has a whole new pillar because of Depop. It didn’t feel right to charge an arm and a leg for things I didn’t need money for. I wanted to make it accessible, but not feel gimmicky like pricing things at $1. Five dollars felt right.
I loved Five Below as a kid, and it didn’t feel right to have a Depop store unless it helped people fall in love with the platform the way I did. If my drops are a springboard for people to discover Depop, sustainable shopping, and secondhand fashion, that makes me really happy. I also have arguably too much stuff, and I’m just happy to see these pieces get a second life and a new home.
Where did your love of secondhand and sustainable fashion begin?
I started online with fully thrifted outfits. I wanted to have my Depop because I was selling vintage pieces, and I was thrifting every day. Living in New York City, it was the thrifting mecca. It was also the peak of thrifting being really cool.
I’ve always loved having pieces that felt different—things that were one-of-one and hard to find. I love the hunt. I love pieces finding me. I still have a very curated vintage section of my closet, but I don’t share as much fashion content now, so a lot of people don’t realize what I’ve sourced over the years. For example, people didn’t know I had this Balenciaga City bag until it showed up on Depop. I sourced it years ago, but I never wore it, so I was like, this needs to go to someone else. Depop is where you go to find a vintage City bag.
Has there ever been a piece of content that surprised you with how well it performed?
Honestly, the Depop drops. I thought people were going to say, “I can’t do this. I’m not going to win.” But every time, they keep outperforming the last one.
Apparently I’m the top converter to the platform this past year. To see real people show up and really want to participate has been really surprising to me. My marathon content also surprises me. The number of people who watch and are invested in those videos is amazing. Sometimes I’m also surprised by how invested people are in my relationship. I feel like we’re pretty boring, normal girls, but people love to know about us.
What’s the most common thing that lands in your DMs?
People love to engage with my stories. It’s not usually a cold DM. I’ll post a picture of my shoes, and someone will respond, “Damn, girl, that manicure is well overdue.” My followers love to roast me because they know I read and engage. I’ll screenshot the message and say, “Noted. Appointment booked.” It feels like people are texting me back when they respond to my stories, and I really enjoy that conversation.
How intentional are you about responding to comments and DMs?
When I was first starting out, during the first two or three years of my career, I responded to every single comment. I wanted to foster a community and create open dialogue and a place where people could connect directly with me. DMs are different because once you accept a message, people have consistent access to you. Comments feel a little more manageable. Now, I don’t respond as much because I do like having a bit more of a boundary between me and my audience as I grow up online.
What kind of doors are you hoping your content will open in the future?
Longevity. That’s the main thing. Not one specific thing, but longevity and flexibility. I hope the door to my adulthood continues to open even more. Whether that’s getting married, having a family, or continuing down these major life paths with my followers and bringing them along for the ride, I hope I stay interesting to them.
Has being more visible online made you more cautious about how you engage on the internet?
I’m definitely more cautious with how I engage with the internet, as one should be.The internet is a scary place, and we shouldn’t use it freely and willy-nilly. The internet you consume and the internet you share are reflections of you as a person. I’m very careful about what I consume and what I engage with. Sometimes I’ll like something, post it, and then think, “Damn, will that be received wrong?” and I’ll take it back.
I also haven’t put myself too much on a pedestal. I’ve made myself feel like a girl who would be your friend, not someone untouchable. I’m just your friend who found success and is trying to navigate it. I think people give me a little more leeway and understanding because of that.
Everybody messes up, says the wrong thing, or makes a mistake. It’s really about what you continue to put out there—whether it’s positivity and relatability. If you give people the opportunity to get to know you fully, they’ll look at you more wholeheartedly.
What advice would you give to an emerging creator who wants to turn social media into a career?
At the end of the day, all you can do is approach it with an input-output mindset. What you put in is what you get out. The more you put in, the more you get out. There is no reason not to be creating and making things every single day as much as you can. When it comes to brand partnerships, that’s up to your own discretion. Some people can do everything and will do everything. Others need to curate more carefully. Nothing is definitive. Taking one deal won’t stop you from getting another. It might delay something, shift your trajectory, or change people’s perspectives of you, but you can direct this career yourself. The sky’s the limit.
Rapid fire POP QUIZ:
The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is:
Take my dog out to go pee.
If I had one more hour in the day, I would:
Run more.
A song that describes the era I’m in right now is:
I was just listening to that new Slater Kesha song a lot. It’s called “Attention.” I don’t know if it describes my era, but it’s definitely the anthem to my era.
My current obsession is:
Outdoor furniture. I’m trying to find good outdoor furniture because why is it more expensive than indoor furniture? Make it make sense.
Three words to describe the legacy I want to leave behind:
Fun. Expressive. Creative.