On one of my favorite pop culture podcasts, “Las Culturistas,” co-hosts Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers famously ask their guests, “What was the culture that made you say culture was for you?” This has always been an incredibly easy question for me to answer: It was the 2006 pilot episode of “Hannah Montana,” in which Miley Cyrus as Miley Stewart reveals her epic secret closet (and pop star persona) to her best friend, Lily Truscott.The maximalist wardrobe (by Costume Designer Catherine Wagner), housed on a rotating garment rack, included kitschy Betsey Johnson gowns, Jeremy Scott sneaker pumps and plenty of custom Disney Channel couture — all of which shook younger me to the core and inspired many chaotic dress-up sessions.
Me (Brooke) on my way to see the “Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert” movie in 2008. Photo: Courtesy of Brooke Frischer
I didn’t know it then at age five, but that closet scene was a major catalyst for my decision to pursue a career in fashion (and pop stardom, but that one hasn’t panned out yet). As I got older and reminisced with friends and industry peers on the “Hannah Montana” show, feature film and albums (and accompanying fashion and beauty moments), I realized I wasn’t alone in my cultural awakening.
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“Once I saw that closet in episode one, I was hooked,” Ranyechi Udemezue, a beauty writer at British Vogue, tells Fashionista. “I loved Hannah’s outfit with the white cowboy boots in Season 2, Episode 26, and the double-denim outfit from the ‘Best of Both Worlds’ Tour…My friends and I wanted to be pop stars and have cool style because of the show, but we also wanted to actually be good at it too.”For a lot of young girls, Hannah Montana/Miley Stewart proved they didn’t have to choose one path in life. Beauty publicist Brenna Smith says that, as “a five-year-old kid in Tennessee,” seeing an “Ordinary Girl” (lyrical pun intended) live out her dream as a glamorous pop star led her to follow her PR dreams in New York. Meanwhile, Macy Eleni, a media personality and author who grew up in Ohio, felt that Hannah was “a lifeline to another universe.”
Miley Stewart looks through her secret closet in the series finale of “Hannah Montana.”Photo: Eric McCandless/Disney Channel via Getty Images
Freelance fashion editor and content creator Bella Gerard draws parallels between the character’s double-life and her own: “As someone whose career is evenly split between content creation and editorial work, I often joke that I’m maneuvering the fashion industry ‘Hannah Montana style,'” she says. “Editor by day, influencer by night, I feel like I have ‘the best of both worlds.’ That phrase alone created a cultural shift — it signified to girls that they could have it all, and produced viewers who genuinely believed nothing was out of reach.”
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For Blue Jeans Public Relations founder Rachel Granger, the character was so formative that it inspired the name of her fashion and lifestyle PR company. “I guess you could say there’s always been an invisible string to ‘blue jeans’ in my life, with Miley/Hannah being a subconscious inspiration,” she shares. (Hannah has a song called “Old Blue Jeans,” and in the 2009 movie, Miley’s horse is named Blue Jeans.)
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Hannah’s glittery makeup, sparkly belts, sequined mini dresses and leather boleros ignited an early love of fashion in so many of today’s industry professionals. Ahead of the “Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special” airing Tuesday night on Disney+, we asked Zillennials working in fashion and beauty — from buyers and editors to event planners and consultants — to share how Hannah Montana, the character and the show, influenced their careers, personal style and more. Read on.Daniela Beltran, 27, Assistant Buyer at Tom Ford
Daniela Beltran wearing Hannah Montana-esque sunglasses as a child (left) and as an adult, in an outfit influenced by the character (right).Photos: Courtesy of Daniela Beltran
“[Hannah] was my introduction to fashion in pop culture. From a really young age, I wanted to dress like Hannah…I was always inspired by the way she expressed herself through clothing. I love how she styled sunglasses and scarves and how she layered her outfits. I would try to find pieces that felt similar or gave me the same vibe. That was the first time I remember being thoughtful about what I wore. Fashion stopped being random for me and started feeling like an exciting part of my life.Hannah was the first person who made me curious about fashion and pushed me to explore it more deeply. Because of her, I started imagining my future early on and what I wanted my life to look like…She showed me that fashion could be more than an interest; it could be a path.”Brenna Smith, 26, Communications Manager at SEEN Group
Brenna Smith wearing a Hannah Montana T-shirt as a child (left), and as an adult (right). Photos: Courtesy of Brenna Smith
“I connected with Hannah Montana the same way my sisters connected with Britney Spears, another Southern girl-turned-pop-star. I was obsessed with the cover of the first Hannah Montana album. She had a subtle smoky eye and a pink, glossy lip, and I remember that as her signature look — just enough makeup to notice but not so much that it would anger parents if their kids emulated her.A particularly impactful moment for me was the opening scene in ‘Hannah Montana: The Movie’ during Miley’s beauty montage. It was a pivotal time in my beauty journey. I was in fifth grade and just starting to seriously experiment with makeup. I remember it being very affirming that this was something I truly enjoyed and wanted to be good at.Looking back, Hannah Montana (and Miley) taught me perseverance and, above all, nerve. As a girl who came into the beauty PR world in a big city with zero connections, nerve gets you far!”Levi Sebree, 28, Event Planner
Levi Sebree attends a 2026 event for Bravo’s “Summer House” Season 10 at 92NY.Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
“I remember seeing the home screen teaser of ‘Hannah Montana’ on the Disney Channel website and thinking, ‘Who is this fabulous diva with the beaded curtain behind her?’ Growing up in Indiana with no real exposure to super fashionable people, I looked up to the girls I saw on my TV. The concept of a double life was very cool. It made me feel like, ‘Oh, I don’t have to be just one thing.’She impacted my mindset of ‘dressing the part’ or ‘dressing for who you want to be,’ especially since Hannah’s and Miley’s wardrobes were different. I dress authentically to who I am, but also tap into different versions of my personal style depending on the setting.”Bella Gerard, 30, Fashion Editor, Content Creator & Writer of ‘B List’ newsletter
Bella Gerard on stage at age 15 with very Miley-coded hair (left) and during Fashion Week in 2025 (right).Photos: Courtesy of Bella Gerard
“When the show debuted in 2006, I had just turned 11 years old. From a beauty perspective, I remember being less enthralled with the Hannah wig and more so with Miley Stewart’s hair. At the time, I didn’t understand just how many extensions were in that little girl’s head! I used to beg my hairdressers to cut my hair ‘like Miley Cyrus.’From a style perspective, it also taught us a lot about binaries. Some looks and pieces felt strictly Miley-coded, while others screamed Hannah. But we, as neither pop stars nor Cali teens, had the luxury of being able to derive inspiration from both.”Macy Eleni, 33, Media Personality & Author of ‘Second Chances: The Ultimate Guide to Thrifting’@macyeleni#greenscreen middle school me is SCREAMING!!! #hannahmontana#y2kthrift#y2kthriftfinds♬ original sound – Macy Eleni
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“As a girl who grew up in Ohio dreaming of a future in entertainment and fashion, Hannah felt like a lifeline to another universe. She was a “normal girl” my age, getting to live out her wildest dreams. Her confidence became my confidence because she was totally and completely herself.She gave me permission to dream big, and I have not stopped since. I’ve been able to create a whole new niche in the fashion industry where everything is sustainable and secondhand, and it’s something little me growing up alongside Hannah would feel so incredibly proud of.”Ranyechi Udemezue, 25, Beauty Writer at British Vogue
Photos: Courtesy of Ranyechi Udemezue
“Once I saw that closet in episode one, I was hooked. It was the best thing that I had ever seen on TV. From there, I developed a great relationship with wearing colors and patterns. I love an artful clash here and there – not quite as theatrical as Hannah’s actual wardrobe, but the inspiration is there. As for the beauty, I loved how Hannah matched her eye shadow to her clothes. I always match my eyeliner to my outfit, and there’s a hint of Hannah in that decision.I think that Hannah/Miley was so unapologetically herself, but also didn’t punish herself for making mistakes. That made her quite real to us as kids in a way that cartoon characters or superheroes couldn’t be.”Rachel Granger, 26, Founder & CEO of Blue Jeans Public Relations
Photos: Courtesy of Rachel Granger
“I remember watching ‘Hannah Montana: The Movie’ for the first time and thinking, ‘This is my dream life.’ Having the horse, the career, the peace and the hustle — I wanted it all. Sixteen years later, I have a horse, a business named ‘Blue Jeans,’ (also the name of Miley’s horse in the movie and one of Hannah’s songs) and I am consistently changing between dirty denim and cowgirl boots, heels, dresses and jewelry for my career.In a lot of ways, I relate to Hannah now more than ever. There are two versions of me that coexist. I can do both, I can be both and I feel really content about that. In the words of Miss Montana, you get the best of both worlds.”Amanda Le, 29, Writer & Consultant View this post on Instagram
“I was in elementary school when ‘Hannah Montana’ premiered and it quickly became one of my favorite shows. I think I was drawn to Miley because she was a Southern girl who loved to dress up, sing and dance, which felt deeply relatable to me growing up in Alabama. Even though she was a pop star, her background made that dream feel a little more attainable. The fashion and beauty of the show definitely made me want to be a pop star when I was younger, [but] as I grew older and gained a bit more realism about what my career path looked like (and realized my lack of singing skills), I started aiming for something adjacent, the media industry. Looking back, Hannah helped me shape my interest in fashion, beauty and storytelling, and showed me that there were many ways to build a creative career.”Chloe Butler, 24, PR & Influencer Coordinator at Makeup By Mario View this post on Instagram
“[My sister and I] immediately became entranced with [Hannah Montana’s] iconic style…and instantly aspired to be just like her. I became obsessed with sparkles and wanted to wear literally everything Hannah/Miley did. I got the skinny scarves, sparkly T-shirts and even had a fake microphone headset. I feel like it set me up career-wise to want to be part of the world that creates magic and wonder through beauty and fashion.”We offer unique services and partnership opportunities for brands big and small to get in front of Fashionista’s community of 1M readers. Learn More.
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