A Round-Up of SS25 Womenswear Fashion Weeks

SS25 Womenswear Roundup

What You'll Learn

• Fashion and Internet Culture are Increasingly Intertwined
• The Key Data Trends of SS25 Fashion Weeks
• Chinese Social Networks' Interactions with SS25 Fashion Weeks
• The Top Brands and Influencers by Visibility on Social Media
• The Rise of Social-First Correspondents
• The Peripheral Effects of Fandoms and Cultural Protagonists
• The Most Successful Brand Activations and Collaborations
• Fashion and Entertainment Combine
• Athletes Become Key to the FROW

Fashion Under the Lens of the Internet

All Change for SS25

As the global luxury market continues to face economic turbulence, brands – and their respective marketing departments – are under increasing pressure to either flex with less or re-write the rulebook. Marquee-name designers scaled back their shows; young labels bolstered themselves with commercial partnerships, while several key names paused the schedule to recalibrate – or recalculate. Many recalculations included the rigmarole of creative director switch-ups, signaling a shake-up in strategy from several leading houses. Perhaps the most anticipated change was the return of Alessandro Michele, whose vision for Valentino offers an antithesis to the quiet luxury movement that has become ingrained in the luxury lexicon and the culture at large.

The Internet's Impact on Culture

Just how large culture has become was on the minds of many. Fashion under the acceleration of the internet has created a paradox: a bounty for new business and global connection, yet a simultaneous flattening effect on culture and aesthetics. At Prada, the dichotomy of the algorithm was top of mind: ‘We exist in an era of extreme information, immersed in a content stream of content,’ read the show notes. The designers presented an eclectic mash-up of styles, a rejection of ‘the derivative and expected’, in a collection referencing their past which will ultimately shape the future. Meanwhile, the obscurest eye of Jonathan Anderson reimagined the work of bygone artists such as Van Gogh and Mozart under the lens of pop culture, recalibrating ‘high-culture’ masterpieces with a ‘low-culture’ spin via mechanized fan tees.

In Influence: Less But Better

As designers break the algorithmic logic of the internet through creative rebellion, there’s no denying the profound and ongoing impact it’s had on the marketing and communication landscape. Fashion is firmly cemented within the pop culture world, and fashion week is its stage, awash with celebrity sightings and marketing teams vying for a viral moment.

As a result, the events’ Earned Media Value (EMV) across social media continues to boom, growing +16% to hit record highs of $840M EMV, according to Lefty data. This trajectory continues despite a downturn in influencers activated (-75%), suggesting brands are investing in a ‘less is more’ approach to talent with higher engagement and reach, resulting
in a powerful undercurrent of media value, that transforms Fashion Month into an ever-powerful entertainment spectacle.

SS25 Data Cheat Sheet

SS25 by Numbers

Weibo & Red: Key Data

Fashion Week makes a huge impact across Chinese social media platforms, and Chinese stars drive vast visibility to brands via their regional platforms, Weibo and Red. Lefty uncovers the key brands and profiles that generated noise throughout SS25.

Top 10 Brand Ranking for SS25 Womenswear

Top 10 Influencers of SS25 Womenswear

SS25 by City

SS25: Key Insights and Trends

The Rise of the Social-First Correspondent

Nestled amongst the editors, influencers, stylists, and celebrities, a new FROW mainstay has emerged. Armed with a cell phone, TikTok, and an unwavering point of view, the social first correspondent has fast become an undeniable element of the contemporary fashion landscape.

With highly engaged audiences, and a fresh socially attuned take on high fashion that doesn't always bend to the whims of the industry, profiles such as @ly.as ($481K EMV), @oldloserinbrooklyn ($411K EMV), and @ideservecouture ($2.94M EMV) have become ones to watch when it comes to providing incisive and entertaining FROW content. Throughout the entire SS25 season, social correspondent profiles generated $10.3M in collective EMV across 633 posts.

Heritage titles have been quick to cozy up to these increasingly popular profiles, inviting many of them into the fold and sending them to shows with a tiny mic in hand. Elle USA sent TikTok star @hello.tefi backstage at Brandon Maxwell to interview the designer and models before the show, while Interview Magazine appointed French creator @ly.as as its official fashion correspondent. Over the past year alone, his insightful and humorous show reviews have taken him from his bedroom to the catwalk.

The Peripheral Effect of Fandom

Fandom Creates an Afterglow of Media Value

As demonstrated in our seasonal data dashboard, an annual drop in influencer attendance (-75%) and quantity of posts (-21%) doesn’t necessarily equate to a lower overall Earned Media Value. The season’s growing EMV implies that brands are opting for a ‘less but better’ strategy when it comes to talent, casting those with a hyper-engaged audience and stratospheric reach.

Fandom Can Generate Up to +90% of EMV

Three particular genres of celebrity who continue to generate high EMV are K-Pop, K-Drama, and Thai Drama stars, known for their loyal followings and hyper-engaged online fandoms. Tommy Hilfiger had the most widespread strategy across these groups, with 45% of their posts surrounding their K-Pop, K-Drama, or Thai Drama stars generating $54.82M EMV, 97% of Tommy Hilfiger’s EMV.

One thing these stars have in common is the peripheral effect that their presence has at an event, which exists far beyond the media value they generate by themselves, and amplifies across media titles, street style photography, airport arrival content, fanzines, and fandoms standing outside the show. This ripple effect creates an afterglow of media value and boosts the overall digital presence of a brand in return.

To demonstrate the impact of one singular profile, we map out the surrounding impact of Blackpink member Jennie’s appearance at Chanel.

Casting the Cultural Protagonist

As culture morphs at increasingly breakneck speed, brands are telegraphing their knowledge and joining the cultural conversation by casting of-the-moment protagonists as part of their show strategy. Take, for example, the Gallagher children, whose appearances at Fashion Week (@lennongallagher at COS in NYC and @gallagher_anais at Chloe and Stella McCartney in Paris) coincide with the rising tides of Oasis-mania as the famous family’s band is thrust back into the spotlight.

Mrs & Mr Smith

TikTok star du jour, @naraaziza, whose elaborate and stylish cooking videos have taken the internet by storm, appeared alongside her model husband @luckybluesmith
at all four fashion weeks. In total, the couple’s attendance at shows amassed a collective $3.5M EMV. Gucci doubled down on its coverage of the pair with an en-route interview conducted by @ameliadimz as they rode to the show that explored the internet’s favourite couple’s origin story.

Brat vs Demure

Perhaps no two words dominated the digital discourse this summer more than brat and demure. Charli XCX’s zeitgeist-y presence was felt at multiple shows – the star headlined for H&M in London, in what could arguably be described as the party of the season, while both GCDS and Dior featured tracks from her chart-topping album. A video of Rosalía, Anya Taylor Joy, and Yseult bobbing along to the song ‘Guess’ took off online.

In Milan, Bottega Veneta invited TikTok sensation @joolieannie to its presentation, where she sat front row next to Interview Magazine Editor-in-Chief Mel Ottenberg; a post by @interviewmagazine featuring Lebron generated $40.6K at the event. Her presence gave new meaning to Bottega’s understated, elegant tailoring. Very demure, very mindful.

Who Benefits from Fashion Month?

With a brand’s involvement in culture making up 1/4 of purchase decisions (Kantar, 2023), brands across categories are embedding themselves in major cultural moments like Fashion Month. Beyond reaching new audiences, this approach signifies meaningful alignments to new and existing customers.

High-Street Brands

$2.8M EMV Generated by H&M x Charli XCX

H&M popped up throughout fashion month, showcasing its new collection with Charlie XCX. In London the event generated $2.8M EMV, with mentions of Charli XCX alone driving $2.3M, representing more than 80% of the event’s overall media impact.

Entertainment Companies

Coperni x Disney Generated $14.44M EMV

Coperni’s partnership with Disneyland Paris helped boost the brand’s EMV by 320% seasonally, with 190 out of 678 posts mentioning Disney – accounting for 18% of the show’s total EMV. For Disney, this collaboration was an opportunity to reestablish cultural relevance by aligning itself with a major luxury event.

Beauty Brands

$58.84M Generated by L'Oréal

The Beauty category continued to reap the alignments with fashion month. L’Oréal’s Walk Your Worth runway generating an EMV second to top brand Dior.

Food & Beverage

1.57M Reach Cumulated by Gant x Rita's

F&B partnerships have become key for brands to connect with a broader audience at accessible price points. GANT’s collaboration with Rita’s, an American-style diner in London, reached over 1.57 million accounts online.

Sportswear

86% of Avavav's brand visibility was driven by its collaboration with Adidas

Post-Olympics, there were plentiful Sportswear collaborations on the runway. The Attico partnered with Nike, Cecilie Bahnsen continued its collaboration with Asics while debuting a new one with The North Face, and Avavav showed a viral collection in collaboration with adidas.

Chinese E-Commerce

$605K combined EMV on Weibo

Chinese e-commerce platforms inserted themselves into the fashion month calendar by creating their own fashion shows, promoting the brands they stock and inviting Chinese KOLs.

During LFW, Jingdong generated $328K EMV on Weibo, while Tmall – which hosted a show during MFW – generated $277K.

The Art of Fashion-Tainment

The Power of Great Storytelling

As The Independents CEO, Isabelle Chouvet, recently stated in the Financial Times, brands that tap into the entertainment economy can captivate new audiences and tell more engaging stories. Coincidentally, some of SS25’s success stories exuded an air of grandeur.

Great production is everything, and Tommy Hilfiger proved this strategy worked with a scenic show aboard the MV John F. Kennedy (previously the Staten Island Ferry), produced by PRODJECT. Alongside a performance by the Wu-Tang Clan and a strong guestlist that included K-Pop and Thai Drama power players, the brand’s EMV grew 302% season on season, earning its spot as the second most impactful brand of the season.

Similarly, in Paris, Louboutin made waves with a show produced by Bureau Betak, co-created by David LaChapelle and choreographed by Blanca Li. The showcase, held at the iconic Piscine Molitor, featured the French Olympic synchronized swimming team performing in Louboutin’s Miss Z pumps, earning the brand a 137% seasonal growth in EMV.

The month ended on a high note with Coperni’s spectacle-filled Disneyland show, which culminated with Kylie Jenner’s runway appearance, boosting the brand’s EMV by 320% seasonally, reaching $14.4M EMV.

Actors Made Up 1/5 of SS25's Share of Voice

Coincidentally, actors’ media value grew 43.15% season on season, generating $173.2 million in EMV, despite a lower attendance overall, showcasing a more targeted approach to mega-actor profiles.

Tapping into zeitgeist-y talents like Thai actors or new Netflix protégés can help resonate with younger audiences, while established and nostalgic actors such as Diane Kruger or Willem Dafoe can harness audiences’ established emotional connection to the famous characters they played on screens.

As Seen on Screens

Meanwhile, following a recent surge of impactful fashion documentaries, many houses are leveraging the genre to connect more deeply with customers. One day prior to its show, Mugler launched a documentary celebrating the brand’s 50-year legacy, while Victoria Beckham was spotted at her show being followed by a Netflix crew, likely filming the confirmed series about her fashion and beauty ventures.

But the screens are also a means to extend the lives of brands’ show spectacles. After its viral Couture show, Maison Margiela produced a film called ‘Nighthawk’ based on John Galliano’s concept for the collection, which was released at the tail end of Paris Fashion Week. This format shows how iconic fashion shows can become referential in the entertainment world, and open doors to new storytelling opportunities.

The Summer of Sports

Athletes Drive Over $7.9M EMV During SS25

This SS25 season, athletes took centre stage, not just as front-row guests but as key players on the runway. Olympians like Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles, and sprinter Noah Lyles walked for top brands such as Off-White, Tommy Hilfiger, and Brandon Maxwell during New York. Meanwhile, BOSS stood out with its innovative casting, featuring athletes like tennis star Matteo Berrettini, fencer Miles Chamley-Watson, and swimmer Nicolò Martinenghi. The growing commitment to diversity was evident, with Paralympians also in the spotlight: Italian athlete Veronica Yoko Plebani attended Milan’s key shows, while in Paris, Marie Bochet and Beatrice Vio took part in the L’Oréal Walk Your Worth show.

Athletes' Stories Shape the Runway

It wasn’t just athletes’ achievements that made an impact; their personal journeys shaped the runway narrative. During Milan Fashion Week, Ib Kamara of Off-White discussed the influence of athletes in luxury fashion with GQ, saying,

Brands like Bottega Veneta echoed this approach, featuring viral Olympians like gold-medal boxer Imane Khelif and world-record pole-vaulter Armand Duplantis. Their personal stories from
this summer’s games resonated deeply with online audiences, emphasising the powerful role athletes play in shaping the cultural dialogue of high fashion.

Labrum Scores Big

LABRUM London, however, stole the spotlight. Partnering with Arsenal and Adidas, the collection debuted pitch-side at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, with star midfielder Declan Rice gracing the runway. Rice generated nearly $300K EMV for the brand, ranking as the 8th most influential KOL at LFW and contributing to LABRUM’s staggering 997% YoY growth. The show demonstrated the brand’s smart strategy of blending fashion with sport, tapping into football’s highly engaged fanbase.

Ones to Watch SS25