AW25 on social media: Are unfamiliar faces the future of fashion week?

The much-lamented downturn and shifting landscape of luxury spending have sent ripples through the fashion industry. This disruption is reflected not only in financial results and changes in creative leadership but has also transformed brands' approaches to fashion week and its strategic utilisation.

In contrast to the financial challenges currently facing many luxury fashion brands, Earned Media Value (EMV) for the autumn/winter 2025 season saw astonishing growth. The season generated 775.9 million dollars in EMV – a 47 percent year-over-year increase. But what contributed to this success? And how have brands leveraged the power of social media to raise their profiles? The PR and image agency Karla Otto examined these questions for the FW25 season.

For some, the key to success lay in a "less is more" approach, building on the strategy of the previous spring/summer season. This time, however, it meant achieving more with fewer resources. EMV growth occurred despite a 17 percent decline in attendance and social media postings surrounding the shows. This reinforces the idea that quality, not quantity, drives true impact.

What is effective?

While social media has historically amplified the cultural significance of Fashion Month, many brands are now increasingly focusing on perceived exclusivity. The goal is to solidify brand loyalty and increase desirability through scarcity – even regarding high-profile guests.

Yet, even as some brands scaled back influencer collaborations, new names continued to make a significant impact. Stars from the Asia-Pacific region, particularly K-Pop idols and Thai actors, remained dominant – South Korean talent comprised half of the ten most influential personalities. Simultaneously, new players emerged, including rising Turkish influencers and digitally native social media commentators, bringing a fresh perspective to Fashion Week.

While some luxury brands reduced their guest lists to enhance exclusivity, others leveraged the star power of selectively chosen talent with international fan bases. This ensured their presence remained at the centre of fashion conversations.

The deliberate selection and invitation of personalities with highly engaged followers – who not only appear en masse at venues but also actively engage with online content – significantly boosts the EMV figures of the supporting brands. This was particularly evident within the K-Pop community. This development highlights the growing recognition that strategic celebrity placements can yield substantial digital dividends, even in economically challenging times. For brands seeking to capitalise on this dynamic, the key lies in understanding which personalities hold the greatest sway over digital audiences.

In the AW25 season, rising music stars like singers Doechii and Chappell Roan also came into focus, making inroads into the fashion sphere with considerable EMV contributions. This further underscored that collaborating with emerging artists with highly engaged communities can be just as impactful as partnering with established A-listers.

Turkish actors, in turn, are gaining increasing prominence as their show appearances and private lives become national talking points – a trend that enhances their appeal for brands looking to expand into Middle Eastern and Eastern European markets. By strategically partnering with these entertainment powerhouses, fashion houses not only secure visibility but also actively shape the cultural zeitgeist in an increasingly fragmented digital landscape.

While brands that leveraged talent with hyper-engaged fan bases saw their EMV explode this season, a growing number of shows simultaneously opted for low-key casting – with names so unfamiliar they only generate buzz within niche communities.

According to Karla Otto, this approach is understandable, especially given the prediction that consumers worldwide will increasingly follow local influencers over major celebrities. Social media continues to exert a homogenising influence on popular culture, reinforcing the relevance of locally anchored personalities. But how does this strategy work for fashion brands seeking maximum exposure during Fashion Week?

Miu Miu provided a best-practice example this season by not entirely foregoing big names. Supermodel Gigi Hadid walked for the Italian label, as did actress Sarah Paulson and model/influencer Amelia Gray. Simultaneously, the Italian label showcased rising Gen-Z stars like Cortisa Star and Nettspend – names barely known outside their communities. This suggests that combining "insider knowledge" with star power could generate a new kind of buzz that resonates both within the fashion industry and beyond the regular spheres of mainstream (social) media.

Similar to the realignment of influencer strategies, brands this season divided into two distinct camps: those pushing the boundaries of show production with large, immersive experiences, and those keeping things simple to reinforce a sense of exclusivity.

Coperni, long a frontrunner in creating viral runway moments, hosted a LAN party that generated 12.1 million dollars in EMV, while Valentino chose a set reminiscent of a club restroom, reinforcing the thesis that creativity was once again the season's defining currency.

According to Guillaume Troncy, co-CEO of design studio Bureau Betak, shows are about "pushing the boundaries of creativity and immersing consumers in a dream, a vision, a story. It’s also about showcasing the convergence of fashion, entertainment, and contemporary culture.” The standout shows of this season made it clear: theatricality and emotional resonance remain important, but equally crucial is a bespoke, considered approach.

Haider Ackermann's highly anticipated debut for Tom Ford, on the other hand, was a lesson in luxury as a carefully guarded experience – a mere 200 invited guests underscored the cultivated aura of the brand's desirability. Louis Vuitton took a similar approach, whisking a select group to a secret location, while Bottega Veneta's exclusive show, hosted by musician Patti Smith, was accessible only to the brand's inner circle.

Simultaneously, a growing number of labels looked beyond the traditional confines of fashion, embedding themselves within underground cultural movements. By collaborating with party collectives – such as Fiorucci's collaboration with Milan's Gatto Verde or Avavav's partnership with the queer Latinx platform TRRRMOTO – brands demonstrated that true influence doesn't solely depend on celebrities but on capturing the pulse of authentic communities.

In a season where virality, while still a metric, wasn't the only one, these alternative strategies underscored a crucial shift: the most powerful fashion statements aren't always made in the largest arenas, but often in the most unexpected spaces – with an eclectic mix of guests.

This article was translated to English using an AI tool.

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