Blair, Serena and even Chuck became style icons, influencing trends in high schools everywhere. Girls who identified as Blairs rocked headbands and tights, while the self-appointed Serenas favored boho-chic pieces. 

“Merchants, designers, and trend consultants say that Gossip Girl …is one of the biggest influences on how young women spend,” The New York Times reported in 2008, with a Bloomingdale’s fashion director explaining that the show had had a “profound influence on retail.”

And even high-end designers, like Chanel, wanted to be part of the in crowd. 

“Everybody wanted to be a part of it,” Daman told Fashionista. “Because there was so much paparazzi and the girls were constantly getting shot on the street holding their Chanel bag or their Fendi bag or their Chloé boots and they were getting editorial attention from that, everyone jumped on the bandwagon.”