Influencers, as we know them today, are the direct heirs of celebrities. Their impact on culture, society, and consumerism since the early 2010s has changed how we talk, shop, and behave. The rise of platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and, more recently, TikTok has created a whole new world: the world of content creators. This new side of entertainment became a form of personal expression—but not just any form—one that was open to anyone, at any time, and anywhere. Social media became the playground for normal people, allowing them to connect with other normal people.
In this new wave of self-made internet personalities, a 14-year-old Clara Marz seized the opportunity to open her YouTube channel and just… talk. “I’m the youngest in my family. I always loved playing with a lot of people and taking on the big sister or mom role,” she explains, adding, “One summer break, I was alone—my brother and sister were away—and it just felt natural to take out a camera, start filming, and talk as if I already had this big family. I imagined I had thousands of younger siblings.” That’s how Clara describes the beginning of her career. Her debut came at a pivotal time for the platform, as YouTube was evolving from a site for casual video sharing into a global hub for entertainment. Gaming, beauty tutorials, vlogs, and song covers were taking over the internet, creating the first social media stars and defining the rules for what was next to come.
Clara’s first videos, some of which can still be found on her channel, offer a nostalgic glimpse into life in the 2010s. Reminiscent of a time of sepia-hued filters, skinny jeans, the Naked palette, and viral challenges, her content serves as a reminder of the authenticity of that era and the creative freedom of the early days of influencers. “When I started social media, it wasn’t a business at all. It was something that was a hundred percent authentic,” she said. Her content captured the life of a teenager trying to find her place in the world and experiencing what many other teenagers were going through at the same time. “Learning all that stuff you learn while growing up, and having gone through it with such a big community, was amazing. It was honestly a privilege to grow up with so much help, love, and support,” she reflected.

In over ten years, she has amassed more than 1 million followers on Instagram alone, built an impressive portfolio of brand collaborations, and cultivated a loyal community that has watched her grow from a kid to a jeune femme, as she puts it. Her endurance in the business is a testament to the power of social media, the influence of content creators, and Clara’s ability to understand the zeitgeist and her role within her community. “I have a healthy relationship with my followers (…) My DMs are always open. I have a lot of DMs with followers, and they’ll text me and say, ‘Hey, I have this situation with my boyfriend, what would you do?’ (…) I definitely have a healthy, listening, and helpful relationship with them,” Clara affirmed. From cars to fashion, travel, and dinners, her IG feed is visually pleasing and unapologetically herself. “I hope people see me as a friendly, chic Parisian, if that’s not too bold to say,” she claimed—and she’s not wrong.
One YouTube video led to another, and what started as a means of expression became a career. Her presence on social media has opened doors to opportunities in acting and music and collaborations with brands like Porsche and Tag Heuer. “Honestly, being 25 and working with such brands feels unreal!” she says. Her versatility is a product of her artistic expression and her ability to adapt to the ever-changing landscape of social media. “The amazing thing about social media and my journey is that it opens to everything,” she said, adding, “I’m so grateful for growing up with the open-mindedness of thinking: I can do whatever I want.”
Her passion for trying new things is her way of pushing boundaries; however, staying real amidst the algorithms is her biggest challenge to date. According to Clara, “It’s super important to push yourself and push your boundaries, but also to have stability and stay true to yourself while doing so.” She also noted, “It’s mostly people I work with, people I meet, or even people I find on social media who do the same thing, who help me push past my boundaries in my content.”

It’s this same perspective that has drawn brands to collaborate with her. “I think it’s about identity. They’re searching for your identity,” she says about her work with renowned labels. As she explores new fields, there is one passion that has always been close to her heart: her love for cars and racing. This interest, which began at a young age with her dad’s tractor, evolved into collaborations with Porsche and Formula 1, becoming a defining element of her social media presence. “Every Sunday, I watch F1—no matter what’s happening in my life, I’ll be watching it and forgetting about everything,” she claims. Brands are drawn to Clara by her ability to bring a sense of femininity to the racing world and an undeniable je ne sais quoi to their image. “It’s just me doing my thing, and people are like, ‘That’s what we were looking for,’” she says.
The curatorial process of one’s feed has become an artistic prowess in the age of influencers. For Clara, “I really try to be careful and only work with brands and do things that I genuinely align with as a person.” Her feed is the entrance to her world and the doorway to her brand, and the connection to her audience is still her priority when selecting any project. “Sometimes, I would say, ‘But that doesn’t look like me,’ or ‘I know my community won’t react to that because it doesn’t make sense at all.’”
It’s hard to think of a 25-year-old as a veteran at something, but when you start in the business at 14, you can now be seen as one. Her feed is now a reflection of the passing of time, a documentation of growth and personal discovery, and a testament to what happens when life happens and runs its course naturally. As she begins her second decade of creating content on social media, she and her followers are learning how to become jeunes femmes together.
“I have no idea where I see myself in a few years,” she says. The changing landscape of social media, the volatility of algorithms, the shifting trends, and the high flux of information make it an extremely difficult and competitive industry. However, “the only thing is my personal life—I would love to have a beautiful house or apartment with dogs, and Porsches, and maybe kids. But professionally, I’m taking life as it goes.” Her outlook on the industry evolves, but her appreciation for her journey remains the same. She approaches each project with the same gratitude and excitement as she did at the beginning, knowing that “everything can change in any second. And that’s the fun and scary part of it—it’s like a roller coaster,” she admits.
