Fashion month's reset: influence shifts, authenticity rises

The afterglow of a season brimming with new creative director debuts has faded, revealing a more focused and surprisingly subdued fashion month. While the relentless churn of award season and a sprawling global calendar softened overall visibility, a few key players managed to maintain outsized influence – but the metrics tell a nuanced story.

Emv dips, but paris still reigns

Earned media value (EMV), the industry’s increasingly favored measure of impact, clocked in at $755 million this season, a 14% decrease from Spring/Summer ‘26 and a slight 1.3% dip from Fall/Winter ‘25, according to Lefty and Karla Otto. Paris, as always, commanded the lion's share, generating $403.6 million in EMV. However, even the City of Lights saw a 19% decline from last season and a 20% year-on-year drop, reflecting a broader contraction in activity – posts were down 7% and influencer participation fell by 8%.

Dior, predictably, topped the charts across all four cities, amassing $88 million in EMV on Instagram and a substantial $51.6 million on Weibo, representing roughly 22% of the total. The house’s continued dominance was fueled by its strategic deployment of Asian talent. Thai actor and model Kornnaphat Sethratanapong (Orm) led the pack with $21 million in EMV across just 17 posts, followed by Thai-Chinese actor Sirilak Kwong ($15.5 million) and Blackpink’s Jisoo ($12.5 million). The remarkable aspect? All three attended only Dior events, yet still emerged as the most impactful influencers of the entire season.

Beyond the runway: chanel's boutique buzz

Chanel secured second place overall, with Matthieu Blazy steadily building momentum for the brand. The $55.8 million EMV represents a significant 73% year-on-year increase. While Thai actor Norawit Titicharoenrak ($10.6 million) and Blackpink’s Jennie ($8.8 million) contributed substantially, much of Chanel’s impact extended far beyond the official show. The frenzy surrounding the brand’s boutiques, with editors and industry insiders clamoring for the freshly dropped spring ready-to-wear collection, created a social media phenomenon. “It really was the topic of conversation,” recalls Hetty Mahlich, fashion editor. “We were all texting each other, telling each other which stores had what. That was literally the conversation everywhere.” Mahlich’s own first-ever Chanel boutique purchase—a pair of mint green embossed croc pumps—is a testament to this shift.

Milan's moment: demna's debut drives growth

Milan Fashion Week emerged as the standout performer, generating $260.2 million in EMV – a 6% increase from SS26 and a remarkable 37% year-on-year jump. Gucci led the city with $54.5 million, boosted by Thai actor and model Kanawut Traipipattanapong, who contributed $6 million. The surge is unsurprising given the anticipation surrounding Demna’s official runway debut, following a teaser film and lookbook that had already generated significant buzz. Front-row visibility was equally strong, with appearances from Emily Ratajkowski ($1 million EMV), Demi Moore ($827,000 EMV), and Georgina Rodríguez ($4.6 million).

Storytelling takes center stage

The season underscored a growing trend: brands are extending the life—and impact—of their collections through more intentional, long-form storytelling. Dior’s interview with Bella Freud’s Fashion Neurosis, where Jonathan Anderson unpacked the collection’s inspirations, exemplifies this approach, generating $938,000 in EMV through Anderson’s personal channels alone. Chanel’s boutique frenzy also fueled deeper storytelling, from Gabriella Karefa-Johnson’s Substack exchanges to creator shopping vlogs capturing the hunt for sold-out pieces. This reflects a broader shift, as Hetty Mahlich observes: “You can definitely feel a shift toward more considered and in-depth storytelling rather than just key takeaways.”

Viral tv and the race for talent

Streaming television continues to dictate front-row strategy. Hudson Williams, star of the buzzy series Heated Rivalry, generated $1.1 million in EMV for Balenciaga, accounting for 30% of the brand’s total. The competition for these breakout stars is fierce – “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,” says Purple PR’s Andrew Lister. The rise of mini-series in the APAC region is further intensifying this trend, with Thai drama My Safe Zone’s stars, Miu Natsha and Lena Lalina, driving $7.4 million in EMV for Chanel.

Asian talent dominates, authenticity matters

What was once a rising influence of Korean pop stars has solidified into Asian talent dominance. Across the four cities, talent from Thailand, South Korea, and the Philippines accounted for $317 million in EMV – 42% of the total. As Anna Ross, global head of insight and trend at Karla Otto, explains, “Brands are becoming more deliberate in how they engage talent. Visibility plays a role, but it has to be authentic.” The emphasis is shifting away from simply chasing reach, towards alignment and longevity, a testament to a more discerning consumer.

The numbers reveal a fashion month recalibrating, prioritizing depth over spectacle and authenticity over fleeting celebrity cameos. The era of the purely viral moment is waning; the age of considered engagement has begun.