While the industry recalibrated after last season’s wave of creative director debuts, this Fall/Winter cycle revealed a more measured and more concentrated landscape of influence. With fewer blockbuster moments and a more crowded global fashion calendar thanks to award season, overall visibility softened, but key players continued to command outsized impact.
This season generated $755 million in earned media value (EMV), a 14% dip from SS26 and a 1.3% decrease from FW25, according to influencer marketing platform Lefty and brand agency Karla Otto. (Lefty analyses the impressions and engagement generated by Instagram posts referencing every on-schedule show from influencers with over 10,000 followers. EMV is calculated as $1 per like.)
Paris remained the most powerful city by social media reach, generating $403.6 million in EMV, despite a 19% decline from SS26 and a 20% drop year-on-year. This contraction was mirrored in activity, with 26,377 posts and 4,571 influencers — down 7% and 8%, respectively.
As in previous seasons, Dior led the pack, ranking as the top-performing show across all four cities. The house generated $88 million in EMV on Instagram and $51.6 million on Weibo, accounting for roughly 22% of total EMV. That performance was once again driven by Asian talent: Thai actor and model Kornnaphat Sethratanapong (Orm) led the season with $21 million in EMV across 17 posts, followed by Thai-Chinese actor Sirilak Kwong ($15.5 million) and Blackpink’s Jisoo ($12.5 million). Notably, all three attended only Dior yet still ranked among the most impactful influencers of the entire season.
Chanel secured second place overall, with Matthieu Blazy continuing to build momentum for the house. The brand generated $55.8 million in EMV, marking a 73% year-on-year increase. This was driven by Thai actor Norawit Titicharoenrak, who contributed $10.6 million, alongside Blackpink’s Jennie, who drove $8.8 million.
However, much of Chanel’s impact extended beyond the show itself. A significant share of EMV was fueled by the surge of editors and industry figures flocking to boutiques between shows, eager to get their hands on the freshly dropped spring ready-to-wear collectsion. As these visits played out in real time across social media, they became a key driver of conversation. “It really was the topic of conversation. We were all texting each other, telling each other which stores had what. That was literally the conversation everywhere,” says Hetty Mahlich, an editor who's covered fashion month for the past five years, who, notably, made her first-ever in-boutique Chanel purchase during the week — a pair of mint green embossed croc pumps.
Elsewhere, Milan emerged as the standout city of the season. Milan Fashion Week generated $260.2 million in EMV, up 6% from SS26 and 37% year-on-year. Gucci led the city with $54.5 million in EMV, bolstered by Thai actor and model Kanawut Traipipattanapong, who generated $6 million. The result is unsurprising given the scale of anticipation surrounding creative director Demna’s official runway debut, following an earlier film and lookbook release that had already begun building momentum. That anticipation translated into strong front-row visibility, with appearances from Emily Ratajkowski ($1 million EMV), Demi Moore ($827,000 EMV), and Georgina Rodríguez ($4.6 million).
Further down the rankings, New York Fashion Week generated $64.9 million in EMV, down 35% from SS26 but up 9% year-on-year. London Fashion Week followed, with $25.7 million in EMV, down 29% from SS26 but up 6% from the previous year.
Deeper storytelling drives momentum
Beyond the runway, brands are increasingly extending the life — and impact — of their collectsions through more intentional, long-form storytelling. At Dior, this took shape through an interview with Bella Freud’s Fashion Neurosis, where Jonathan Anderson unpacked the inspirations behind the collectsion, offering audiences a more layered entry point into the work. His personal channels alone generated $938,000 in EMV, underscoring the growing value of designer-led narrative. Chanel’s store frenzy also brought more in-depth storytelling ahead of its show, from Gabriella Karefa-Johnson sharing group chat exchanges on Substack to creators posting shopping vlogs that captured the experience of trying to find sold-out bags and shoes.
Together, these moments point to a broader shift in how fashion is being consumed. “From brands themselves through to people commentating on the shows — you can definitely feel a shift toward more considered and in-depth storytelling rather than just key takeaways,” says Mahlich.
Platforms like Substack have accelerated this appetite, enabling both brands and commentators to move beyond surface-level coverage, she adds.
“EMV remains an important benchmark; it quantifies the impact of press, influencers, and celebrity activity, and allows brands to understand what cuts through at scale. But what we’re seeing now is a shift in how that value is built,” says Jenny Tsai, founder and CEO of WeArisma. She points to time and the growing role of longer-form platforms. YouTube, while still representing a smaller share of total value, grew 184% year-on-year, with brands partnering with higher-caliber creators and publishers to produce more considered, narrative-driven content. “These formats don’t necessarily generate the same immediate spikes in EMV, but they build depth, context, credibility, and longer-term engagement,” she says.
This more engaged, informed audience is also reshaping the tone of commentary itself. “It’s not just sitting there and saying, ‘I don’t like that shoe’ or ‘that’s a terrible look.’ They have a deep understanding of fashion,” says Andrew Lister, EVP of Purple PR, pointing to a more critically literate viewer invested in process, context, and craft.
New formats are emerging in response. French influencer Lyas’s La Watch Party continued to build momentum this season, expanding into theatre-based experiences that blur the line between digital and physical. On the penultimate day of Paris Fashion Week, guests gathered to watch what appeared to be a live stream of Betsey Johnson’s debut collectsion for Uniform — only for the screen to lift and reveal the runway unfolding live on stage. The moment, which quickly ignited online conversation, encapsulated a new kind of participatory storytelling that brings audiences closer to the action while amplifying reach beyond the show itself.
Viral TV still sets the pace
Viral television continued to shape front-row strategy this season, with breakout stars from buzzy series appearing across fashion month and driving conversation both online and on the ground.
Heated Rivalry star Hudson Williams generated $1.1 million in EMV for Balenciaga, driving 30% of the total. Meanwhile, following Hulu’s Love Story, co-stars Sarah Pidgeon and Paul Anthony Kelly made appearances across the circuit — with Pidgeon attending Loewe and Anthony Kelly spotted at Dior and Tom Ford. Industry star Myha’la also sat front row at Courrèges, Alexander McQueen, Tory Burch and Burberry.
“This trend isn’t exclusive to Western audiences,” adds Anna Ross, global head of insight and trend at Karla Otto. “Brands are also responding to the growing popularity of mini-series across the APAC region. My Safe Zone, a Thai drama that finished airing in December 2025, saw its co-stars, Miu Natsha and Lena Lalina, already front row at Chanel — where they collectsively drove $7.4 million in EMV, according to Lefty data.”
Timing, in particular, has become critical. “Unlike traditional release schedules, streaming creates shorter, more intense cultural moments, so brands need to move quickly to stay relevant,” says WeArisma’s Tsai.
“We’re always looking at who’s who, what’s in production and who has films coming out,” says Lister, who helped cast Hudson Williams for his debut runway appearance at Dsquared2 earlier this year despite the show not yet airing in Italy. “From our end in New York, we were saying it would be incredible to have him there. The team there said they had no idea who he was, but they trusted our judgement.”
That early-bet strategy comes with increasing competition. “I remember when Hudson Williams opened Dsquared2, there was a bidding war for his co-star that went through the roof, and then he was locked in by Saint Laurent,” Lister adds, pointing to the growing race among luxury houses to secure breakout talent early.
Asian talent dominance meets a demand for authenticity
If previous seasons marked the rise of K-pop influence, this season signals a new phase: consolidation. Talent from Thailand, South Korea and the Philippines didn’t just feature prominently but dominated the landscape, generating $317 million in EMV, or 42% of fashion month’s total, according to Lefty data. All of the top 10 talents by EMV this season came from these markets, underscoring a shift that has been building over recent years but has now reached critical mass. Notably, even in London and New York — markets traditionally led by local talent — the top three performers were drawn from these regions.
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This has led brands to become more deliberate in how they engage talent, particularly in high-performing markets like Thailand and South Korea. “Visibility definitely plays a role, but it also has to make sense for the brand. There are also people who specialize in representing Thai talent, and they’re very careful about who those actors align with,” says Lister. “As long as they genuinely support the brand, then it makes sense. It’s not just about inviting someone because they have a lot of followers.”
“The perfect pairing strikes the right balance between the personality of the talent and the values of the brand,” agrees Ross. “Without this coupling, ambassadorships or partnerships lose their authenticity. Talent partnerships today are more than just a billboard; they are part of the layered world of brand storytelling where the talent’s tone of voice or value system becomes an integral narrative in the ecosystem of brand identity.”
As a result, brands are shifting away from simply chasing reach, placing greater emphasis on alignment and longevity. This is reflected in the return of established global figures with deep-rooted ties to the houses they represent. “One thing that felt positive was that people weren’t only looking for the newest or hottest person right out of the gate. There was also a sense of looking back and honoring people they’ve worked with for years or even decades,” Lister adds, pointing to appearances from longstanding collaborators like Madonna at Dolce & Gabbana and Demi Moore at Gucci.
