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Chopova Lowena is a buzzy fixture on the London Fashion Week schedule. But this SS25 season caused a social media storm when Ssense lead editor Alex Kessler made his runway debut alongside 75-year-old Walt Yotka, father of Ssense head of content Steff Yotka, and Dover Street Market Paris head of buying and merchandising Nick Tran.
It’s become a highly coveted call-up. “If you’ve grown up obsessed with fashion, walking the runway is a childhood dream come true. It’s a full-circle moment, from analysing collections to becoming part of the spectacle,” says Kessler, whose appearance sparked multiple social media story posts from industry insiders. With his subsequent Instagram post garnering comments from British Vogue head of editorial content Chioma Nnadi, System Magazine digital editorial director Susanna Lau and model Nassia Matsa, who called it the “highlight of LFW”.
Fashion brands, once focused solely on booking top models or the odd celebrity cameo, are now often turning to their own communities — friends, family, editors and industry insiders — to bring their designs to life on the runway.
In Kessler’s case, the idea was first floated while he was interviewing design duo Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena-Irons on an episode of Vogue’s ‘The Run-Through’ podcast last September. Fittingly, they were talking about former i-D senior fashion features editor and Vogue Runway and Vogue Business contributor Mahoro Seward walking the brand’s debut Spring/Summer 2023 runway as part of a wider conversation on the rise of community casting.
The concept is far from new. Marques’Almeida has been casting friends and family of the brand in its shows since the SS14 season. And far before that, Martin Margiela walked Jean Paul Gaultier’s AW86 runway.
Yet lately, there’s been an explosion in others following the path. For its SS24 show, Balenciaga creative director Demna featured fashion critic Cathy Horyn, editor Diane Pernet, his mother and his boyfriend on the runway. Shortly after, OpéraSport’s AW24 show spotlighted well-known fashion insiders Alice Cary of British Vogue, Eni Subair of The Face and Allyson Shiffman of Vogue Scandinavia. Miu Miu had one of the most viral moments of the AW24 season when it invited top client 70-year-old Dr Qin Huilan to walk the runway. While more recently at Copenhagen Fashion Week, Sinéad O’Dwyer cast her wife, her friends, and even her grandmother-in-law, for her SS25 show.
An increasing number of megabrands are taking notice. For the first time, Hugo Boss incorporated industry professionals into its Milan SS25 runway casting last Wednesday, including ES Magazine editor-in-chief Ben Cobb, stylist Luke Day and WWD style director Alex Badia. “We wanted to honour editors and stylists who hold a high level of relevance and credibility with our target groups,” explains Marco Falcioni, SVP of creative direction at Hugo Boss. “They represent a positive message of elegance and drive to excel in their field, which aligns with the core values of the Boss brand.”
In exchange, editors get to live out their full-circle fashion fantasies — as long as it’s the right fit. “For me, it’s important there is some sort of connection with a brand,” says Cobb on agreeing to walk the Boss runway, adding that in this case: “I know Marco the creative director and am friends with some of the other guys walking so I knew it would be fun.”
Community casting is more than just an aesthetic choice or a quick thrill for editors yearning for the spotlight from the front row. As consumers, particularly Gen Z and millennials, become increasingly savvy and sceptical of traditional advertising, brands are finding success by aligning with voices that carry credibility within niche communities. This approach also fosters deeper brand loyalty by inviting customers and insiders alike to feel as though they’re part of a genuine, shared narrative — one that emphasises authenticity and belonging over sheer celebrity or size-zero proportions.
It’s a strategy that has so far sparked interest, engagement and conversation within the fashion world. But as more brands get involved, will it turn into yet another marketing gimmick? Or is it a new frontier for meaningful brand storytelling?
The appeal of community casting
Unlike the traditional show set-up, where a nondescript model may walk multiple runways in a season, community castings are more curated and offer insight into the brand’s universe. These selections often showcase the real people who actually wear the clothes day to day, creating a bridge between fashion insiders and consumers. It’s not just about the product anymore; it’s about who embodies the ethos of the brand and how that connects to a broader narrative.
“Casting from within the community helps extend the brand story authentically without alienating their audience,” says fashion theorist Rian Phin. It’s also strategic as it carves out a distinctive brand essence — rather than capitalising on the “look” of that season’s models, she says, adding that, “they get to create these pockets of their brand no one can replicate.” If done correctly this can help bolster brand mythology while enabling fashion insiders to become immortalised in said legacy. It’s a tempting exchange. “I would walk for Shayne Oliver because I already over-identify with his work and want to externalise that feeling,” says Phin.
In the case of London-based womenswear designer O’Dwyer, she began community casting due to the lack of curve models available in the industry. With her clothes running from size 10 all the way up to size 22, she has established somewhat of a muse relationship with all of her models, many of whom have walked each of her shows. “Through this I’m able to tweak the clothing and make sure it’s actually wearable for my target audience,” says O’Dwyer. “It was a natural decision that I didn’t really think twice about, and each of them are core characters in my brand’s world.”
“While a notable supermodel or celebrity may generate buzz, that casting approach reinforces exclusivity and fantasy in fashion,” says fashion commentator Jesica Wagstaff. “Brands that opt to cast from their community always garner considerable attention and praise because it signals an awareness that the clothes are meant for real life, to be interpreted and integrated by all.”
“People respond really well to a sense of belonging — in work, in play, in life. So when it’s clear that community is integral to a brand, it gives us something to resonate with. We understand it, and we want to be a part of it,” says Sarah Small, casting director at her London-based agency Small Catch, who casted Chopova Lowena’s past few community-focused shows.
“When you have a solid rapport with a brand, it feels less like a cameo and more like a full immersion into their universe,” agrees Kessler. It can also be an opportunity for more unexpected, exciting coverage. For example, Kessler wrote about his experience for Ssense, while Vogue Runway published a piece about another community cast member at Chopova Lowena’s show, Yotka, whose daughter Steff used to be an editor at the publication.
These first-hand accounts have become an emerging format of fashion coverage that feels more dynamic than the usual backstage photo series or straightforward runway reviews. In fact, Vogue Runway and Vogue Business global director Nicole Phelps called the article on Yotka one of her favourite pieces ever published on her Instagram story, further amplifying the power of these authentic narratives.
But is this trend here to stay, or will it eventually become overdone? Small remains confident: “Each brand to their own! That’s what makes community casting so special — you can’t fake it. So when it works for a brand, it really works for them.”
Casting director Emma Matell, who was behind Sinéad O’Dwyer’s community casting, also agrees. “Although it’s at a high right now, I don’t see why people wouldn’t keep doing it as their communities expand and designers continue to get inspired by the people around them.”
Wagstaff says that although celebrities with millions of followers will always — for better or worse — have a place in fashion, a co-sign from industry insiders carries a different weight. It offers a sense of credibility and trust that resonates with a more discerning audience. Not everybody might know who these insiders are, but those who do recognise their influence and taste. And for those who don’t, it’s a welcome break from the unattainable celebrity or beauty ideals that are usually pedalled.
The real people behind their brand — people who resonate with their values and wear their clothes not just for the cameras, but for life — are far more representative of the everyday consumer, and are far more likely to encourage others to convert. At the end of the day, isn’t that what all brands want?
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