Womenswear SS26: Top Brands and Influencers

Lefty and Karla Otto joined forces to go beyond the numbers, diving deep into the creative and strategic forces shaping Womenswear SS26.

Together, we reveal the key trends driving the season — from the evolving role of influencers and digital storytelling to the innovative marketing approaches that set brands apart on and off the runway.

Internet Boyfriends, Love Island Icons, NYC Bloggers And More

With $100 million in Earned Media Value (EMV), New York Fashion Week kicked off fashion month with a bang, serving up internet crushes, TV darlings, and a distinctly New York edge that had people hooked.

Read on as we break down the most impactful moments of fashion month, spotlighting leading brand strategies and the influencers commanding the biggest audiences, in collaboration with our partners at The Independents: Karla Otto and CTZAR.

Top 5 Brands in NYFW by EMV

Internet Boyfriends Court NYFW

You may not have watched it, but your audience has. Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios’s The Summer I Turned Pretty dominated Gen Z (and millennials) screens this summer, sparking memes, fan edits and viral debates that kept the show trending across social media as audiences took sides between two of the protagonists.

Calvin Klein and COS both declared themselves 'Team Conrad', inviting Christopher Briney to their FROW, considerably boosting their EMVs as the star broke into the top 8 influencers of the week.

Calvin Klein sparked further conversation as BTS’ Jungkook made his first post-military appearance at the show, sending shock waves across the K-pop scene. Posts about the icon generated a total $7.44M EMV – 30% of the brand’s overall EMV. COS also tapped into online crushes from APAC, with Thai actor Pruk Panich, AKA Zee, and Korean actor Jinyoung, helping the brand reach their fans in the region.

Local Bloggers and Homegrown Stars Lead the Rankings

Top 5 Profiles Images here

New York native bloggers such as @mickmicknyc and @girlfromjerseycity climbed to the top of the rankings, even overtaking K-Pop icons, both generating an impressive $12.6M and $750K EMV respectively. Together, North American profiles drove $28.63M EMV, growing their impact by 47% year-on-year. This represents a wider shift in consumers seeking narrative and storytelling from relatable profiles and those within their local communities.

For the Public Gaze

This emphasis on relatability reflects a broader trend at fashion week, one where access is increasingly democratised, both in person and online.

In person, KidSuper opened up its show to the public, aptly named ‘The People’s Runway’, welcoming over a thousand people to witness the event. Imagined by creative director Colm Dillane, who was recently announced as the first-ever Brooklyn Ambassador of the Arts, the show spotlighted five emerging designers exploring identity, heritage, and resilience.

Online, brands lifted the curtain on their backstage via social content and model interviews, as seen at TORY BURCH ($3M EMV) and TOTEME ($540K EMV). On TikTok, Tory Burch created a ‘social diary’ featuring model lineups, guest interviews and raw crowd moments, as spotted by CTZAR.

The Love Island Takeover

With 56% of Americans watching three or more hours of TV a day, TV personalities remain a powerful way to resonate with local audiences, especially as traditional broadcast channels look to reconnect with Gen Z via streaming and TikTok.

As a result, this NYFW was rife with Love Island contestants – the show that took over America by storm. Here’s an overview of their impact:

‘The Kids are Alright’

As sociopolitical tensions remain across the US, brands are finding ways to show the lighter side of life. Enter: the joyful innocence of childhood.

Taylen Biggs is fast becoming fashion's porte parole for Gen Alpha – at only 12 years old, Biggs’ innate charisma and confidence have seen her interview stars such as Ariana Grande and Rihanna. In New York, Biggs generated over $295K EMV per Lefty; she appeared backstage with Michael Kors, asking candid questions such as ‘would you hang a Labubu on a bag you designed?’ and uncovering how many sunglasses the designer really owns. Biggs also shared a front row moment with Anna Wintour, which went viral on socials for its softer, more human feel.

Meanwhile, i-D Magazine published a series of show reviews written by 5-year-old, ‘Yves’. Yves offered authentic insights on the Collina Strada’s SS26 runway – as well as original photographs from the fashion journalist prodigy. The charmingly honest takes highlight the joyful peculiarities of the show, offering an accessible and personable perspective on the looks.

Interested in Learning More?

Stay tuned for our upcoming Fashion Month report, where we’ll reveal the standout brand strategies of the season, alongside the most influential voices, backed by data and social media insights from our partners Karla Otto and CTZAR.