The only 'fake' thing about Emma Chamberlain is her hat

How this early YouTuber turned into a new-age online Agony Aunt.

How this early YouTuber turned into a new-age online Agony Aunt.

Emma Chamberlain is the Brené Brown for Gen Z.

The 21-year-old's online fan base is so diverse it's no surprise Louis Vuitton appointed her as ambassador, Vogue tapped her to host their Met Gala red carpet and teenagers save up to buy her merch.

On a day when former Prime Ministers showcased hard-headed traits, Chamberlain is a refreshing, calming balm of softness the world so desperately desires.

“I’ve never been scared of vulnerability,” she tells Vogue Australia for its September issue which goes on sale on Monday, August 22.

“I don’t care if telling a story about myself makes me look stupid, if it can help someone else feel understood in some way. That is more important to me than feeling embarrassed. I’m not scared of sharing the parts of us that we’re scared of sharing.”

Emma Chamberlain, wear faux fur in NYC, opens up to Vogue about how being vulnerable has led to her success. Photographer: Dan Rogers/Vogue Australia.

Brown, a psychologist who specialises in "feelings" like shame, guilt and being soft, once said: "Learning how to be vulnerable has been a street fight for me, but it’s been worth it."

Chamberlain is Brown for the generation who missed the rise of Oprah Super Soul Sundays and when "self-help" was considered niche; she is of the moment.

Not afraid to be authentic, but not in an "authentic/no make-up, make-up way", warts and all is her vibe.

The difference to most content creators is that she started on YouTube in her teens and while started going down the now well-trodden path of pretty videos illuminated by ring lights, she pivoted: "What do I need to watch?" she said was her breakthrough idea which saw her views skyrocket and likes accumulate.

"Emma Chamberlain shuns make-up, sometimes skips a shower and doesn't seem to care if she looks weird on camera is poised in an unflattering angle," is how The Atlantic described her while crowning her the most important person on YouTube.

Last year she uploaded a video she made that chronicled a bad panic attack, something she also chats about on her podcast and via her social media, and, less directly so with her coffee empire - Chamberlain Coffee.

Watching her talk through things like mental health, drug experimentation, eye infections, fashion shows and what "leaving your comfort zone" actually means in 2022, sparks internal thought bubbles in her viewers, listeners and fans, while generating essays of comments with people seeing themselves in her, and her experiences.

"My favourite episodes are the ones that are uncomfortable for me to record, like talking about body image. That's an ongoing struggle for me. Do I have advice on how I made it better? Sure. But I have not got that shit figured out and I probably never will. Being able to share that I'm struggling with the same dilemma, I think that's so helpful. So even though it's uncomfortable for me, it's so worth it," she said. 

Much of her recent projects and content reflect this and her genuine concern for the wellbeing on her audience.