Upcoming Fashion Week

Fashion week is coming up and although, traditionally, the event has been notoriously exclusive, participating has never been easier. And it’s all thanks to social media.

Social media has opened fashion week up to a whole new audience and the engagement a brand gathers on social media can dictate the success of a collection. This is simply because that’s where the influence is today, online. During fashion week the audience is no longer just sitting alongside the runway, confined in one room. Instead, the majority of the audience is following the event in real-time from their phones. Tracking every look and turn with a stream of new information being updated to their feed every second. It seems as though the person sitting at home scrolling through their phone has access to more information than the majority of the guests physically attending the event – and in many aspects this is true. That is why it is crucial for fashion brands to adapt to this switch in digital influence and see social media for what it is: an opportunity. Not only do these platforms make fashion week wildly more accessible to the average person, but it also benefits the brands and designers in many ways. By implementing a more active social media presence, fashion brands can engage more meaningfully with their audience and grow their engagement. We have seen upcoming designers use social platforms to increase their brand recognition. Alyx Studios generated a total MIV? of $383K across 121 placements during Men’s 2022 Milan fashion week. This provided valuable engagement for the brand. We are even seeing more established fashion brands take the same social media-centered approach to avoid the risk of becoming outdated by actively adapting to the changing times and trends. This focus on social media has been growing for the past few years from live streams of runway shows to incredibly insightful and complex projects such as Moncler’s “Mondogenius” social media universe last year.?

The increased utilization of social media during fashion week might have started out of necessity during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic but has now cemented itself as essential even after the necessity for it has passed. Men's 2022 Paris Fashion Week generated a total MIV? of $83M, with $55M coming from socials. Instagram was the highest performing social channel and generated a total MIV? of $32M. Louis Vuitton was the top performing brand with a total MIV? of $14M across 3178 placements. This is a prime example of the importance of having a strong social media presence that enables engagement through several different platforms.

It is important to note that social media isn’t just an essential part of today’s fashion weeks but shows to be only growing in demand. This is why we believe that while fashion weeks might take place in NYC, Paris, London and Milan, the real action is found in social media, and there are more and more brands will find their focus in the future.