Meet the Street-Style Whisperer: How Linoya Friedman Built One of Fashion’s Most Addictive Feeds

In an industry often obsessed with exclusivity, Linoya Friedman has built her influence on something far more democratic: curiosity and connection. Through her hugely popular Instagram account What People Are Wearing, she’s captured not just outfits but personalities, cultures and stories, showing that fashion is as vibrant on the streets as it is on the runways. Her lens has carried her from sidewalks to the front row, transforming her into one of social media’s most compelling chroniclers of personal style and taste.

“In New York, there’s an energy you don’t get anywhere else,” Friedman tells PEOPLE during an intimate sitdown on a park bench in Tribeca, dressed in a white Reformation T-shirt and STAUD trousers. “First, it feels like home, which is always a nice addition to being so busy and running around. It’s always nice to have that familiar feeling. And I love that in New York… people are so creative with their style and personality dressing.”

Her approach to content creations is simple but effective: highlight creativity, celebrate individuality, and engage with people in an authentic way.

“I’m always on the lookout,” she says with a smile. “I don’t really go into cities that I’m not going to get content at because I feel guilty.”

And the more her work grows, the more clear it becomes that the true magic is actually within herself. “People always tell me I make them feel very comfortable,” she says. “They forget about the camera. It’s just a conversation.”

Growing Up with an Entrepreneurial Spirit 

Long before hundreds of millions of views and major brand partnerships, Friedman grew up watching her entrepreneur parents run businesses.

“I always knew that I wanted to be my own boss,” she says. “My only experience working for somebody else lasted two months.”

Social media was her natural entry point — first as a manager, then through her own photography and content agency — but fashion didn’t click until an internship on Franklin Street, at a now-closed start-up that tried to replicate the iconic rotating Clueless closet. “It was cute. I loved it,” she laughs.

These days, Fashion Weeks around the world make up much of her calendar. And though she adores Milan, it’s Paris that feels most like home: “I’ve spent around six months total there over the past few years. I kind of speak the language. I understand the culture.”

Paris is also where she finds her best vintage: a perfectly fitted leather jacket with intricate stitching and a cherished Dior jacket that cinches exactly the way she likes. “One tip I have is to dress according to what works for your body,” she says. “Understand what looks best on you.”

Despite what her impeccably edited videos and wardrobe might suggest, Friedman says her closet is a work in progress.

“I’m trying to be as minimalistic as I can because I’m always on the go,” she explains, citing brands like Cos and Sézane as some of her go-tos for elevated everyday wear. “But at the same time, I keep buying and exploring other styles. My style keeps evolving each year.”

Embracing the Era of the Influencer 

While many debate the role creators play in fashion, Friedman sees it as a total positive movement.

“It brought so much more accessibility,” she says. “It used to be just celebrities getting dressed by brands. Influencer culture brought something refreshing — it helps people find their personal style by seeing how real people get dressed.”

Her audience seems to agree. One of her most viral videos was an emotional montage of visually matched couples walking together in the street. “I titled it, ‘This is your proof that humans were just made to find one another,’” she recalls. “It always comes back to the outfits, too.”

No matter how big her platform grows, she edits every video herself — and enjoys it.“Every time I edit, I smile,” she says. “I remember the interaction.”

For someone who interviews supermodels backstage and fashion insiders across continents, Friedman is remarkably unflappable.

“I’m not very starstruck,” she says. “At the end of the day, I’m just having a conversation with another person.”

Except, she admits, for Johnny Depp — “the only person I’d get starstruck for.”

Still, the closest she’s come to being tongue-tied was on a plane, face-to-face with her favorite filmmaker, Quentin Tarantino. She recounts the moment with theatrical clarity: referencing a line from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, telling him he was “the kind of genius who’s born every 50 or 100 years.”

“He said, ‘That’s my favorite poem,’” she says, still glowing. “And I told him, ‘I know.’ Then he shook my hand, and I dropped my hat from excitement.”

Looking Ahead 

Despite the constant travel, brand deals and content pressure, she stays astonishingly balanced.

“I don’t need to put my phone in a box,” she laughs. “Working makes me happy. I’m a very balanced person.”

Her management team at DBA handles logistics, leaving her free to do the part she loves: talk to strangers, find beauty in the everyday, and turn those moments into something meaningful.

When fans recognize her — more often in Europe, surprisingly — the exchange is always gentle and grateful. “It’s very cute,” she says. “I love meeting people.”

There’s no shortage of possibilities for What People Are Wearing. “A podcast would be really cool,” she says. “To dive deep into unique people and unique styles.”

She’s also dreaming of a photo-driven city style guide — part street photography, part global fashion diary — a natural extension of the observational lens she’s so known for.

She even hopes to one day take her interviewing skills to the red carpet.“That could be one of my big goals,” she says. “I don’t really get starstruck, so I can be natural around anyone.”

And based on the ease, warmth, and instinct she brings to every encounter — from Paris sidewalks to New York hotel lobbies — it’s not hard to imagine her there.