Who won fashion month AW25 on social media?

Shifting audience behaviours, event clashes and the rise of regional star power defined the Autumn/Winter 2025 season on social media. Who made the biggest impact, and what does it say about where the industry is headed?

This season generated $768 million in earned media value (EMV), a 9 per cent dip from SS25 but a substantial 46 per cent increase from AW24, 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.)

With AW25 menswear, couture week, Copenhagen and Berlin Fashion Weeks all taking place between January and February, the Autumn/Winter womenswear season often struggles to match the reach of the Spring/Summer shows in September, largely due to audience fatigue. This was evident in the decline of EMV across major cities, with Milan Fashion Week generating $190 million, down 28 per cent from SS25, and New York Fashion Week generating $59.6 million, a 55 per cent drop compared with SS25.

This season, event clashes further impacted engagement, as fashion week dates shifted back a week, overlapping with major cultural moments. The Golden Globes took place on the eve of New York, while the Super Bowl took place during Milan and the first part of Paris clashed with the Oscars, meaning a slump in the amount of A-list talent on the front row. The top influencer of SS25, Kylie Jenner, didn’t attend fashion weeks at all, as she supported her boyfriend Timothée Chalamet on the awards circuit, instead.

PFW was, as usual, the most powerful fashion week by EMV, generating $494 million, up 13 per cent from SS25 and up 57 per cent versus AW24. Once again, Dior was the top performing show in both Paris and across the big four cities, maintaining the lead it’s held since Vogue Business began reporting on post-show social media performance. The house amassed $84 million in EMV, driven by South Korean rapper and singer Mingyu, this season’s top influencer, who contributed $18.5 million through 11 posts. Mingyu was closely followed by Thai model and actor Kornnaphat Sethratanapong, widely known as Orm, ($18.3 million) and Thai Chinese actor LingLing Sirilak Kwong ($17.1 million). Notably, these three only attended the Dior show, but still ranked as the top performing influencers of the season.

Valentino secured the second spot overall with $68.6 million in EMV, driven by creative director Alessandro Michele’s sophomore ready-to-wear collection. Thai actor Sarocha ‘Freen’ Chankimha played a key role in the brand’s success, contributing $14.5 million in EMV. Meanwhile, Chanel climbed from sixth place last season to third, generating $49.8 million in EMV. This surge was largely due to Thai British actor Becca, who contributed $9.4 million in EMV, further highlighting the growing influence of Southeast Asian talent on the global fashion stage.

Pop sensations Chappell Roan and Doechii made their mark in the French capital: Roan attended Vivienne Westwood, Rick Owens, Alexander McQueen, Rabanne, Valentino, Ludovic de Saint Sernin and Yohji Yamamoto, while Doechii turned heads at Schiaparelli, Acne Studios, Tom Ford, Chloé and Louis Vuitton (and also performed at DSquared2’s mammoth 30th-anniversary show). The pair drove $7.7 million and $5.3 million in EMV, respectively, making them the ninth and 14th most influential figures at Paris Fashion Week.

A curation of niche talents

Many brands opted for more exclusive, intimate shows this season, and refined their talent strategies accordingly. “In Paris, many of the shows focused on a more intimate atmosphere,” says Rachna Shah, global CEO of communications agency KCD. She says rather than an all-out Hollywood spectacle, there was more of a niche VIP experience consisting of a carefully curated mix of talent. For instance, KCD works with Ann Demeulemeester and the brand dressed 80 talents for the show, who were each community members, rather than major celebs, Shah says. “With a brand like that, you need to bring the community together to make the impact.”

Miu Miu, which ranked sixth in Paris with $29.4 million in EMV, also exemplified this shift. Alongside actors Sarah Paulson and Laura Harrier, Miu Miu’s casting featured a broad range of subcultural icons, including 17-year-old rapper Nettspend, British singer-songwriter Towa Bird and LA-based sculptor and performer Isabelle Albuquerque. “[These talents] are only relevant in very small pockets of the internet, which is really interesting,” says Anna Ross, global head of creative insight and trends at Karla Otto.

In a recent whitepaper, PR group The Independents, which owns Lefty and Karla Otto, found that consumers are now interested in more localised content, perhaps resisting social media saturation and the homogenisation of culture. “We’re starting to see that come about in influencer and talent strategies,” Ross says, noting Acne Studios, which had niche Swedish rap group Drain Gang and UK rap icon Tricky at its show, alongside more prominent talents like Roan and Madeline Argy.

It was also reflected in London, where Burberry was once again the top show this season, driving $11.1 million in EMV. As with SS25, brand ambassador and Thai actor Vachirawit ‘Bright’ Chivaaree led the buzz, generating $1.8 million for the house across three posts. However, Burberry’s success wasn’t just about high-profile influencers, but rather the brand’s thoughtfully curated mix of talent, including the casting of iconic British actors such as Richard E Grant, Jason Isaacs and Elizabeth McGovern.

Less influencers, more EMV

With less space for error on the front row, brands focused on their heritage for AW25. Some used talents from their past to invoke nostalgia, as well as current long-term ambassadors they know and trust, rather than throwing it all at the wall, Shah says.

While it was down on the Spring/Summer season, New York’s EMV was up 39 per cent on AW24. This was partly due to the return of Calvin Klein for the first time since Raf Simons exited in 2018, under new creative director Veronica Leoni. The brand’s former campaign stars Kate Moss and Christy Turlington, sitting alongside Calvin Klein himself front row, drove buzz — the pair generated $24,200 and $20,600, respectively, in EMV. (Though its EMV was led by Korean singer and actor Rowoon, who generated more than $1 million.)

It’s a smart strategy, to hone in on your community and brand history in these times, says Shah. “From Coach to Tory [Burch] to Calvin to Michael [Kors], people are making a much more concerted effort to be consistent with their brand ambassadors,” she continues. “This is not a time where people are like, ‘Let’s just try different people and who’s new.’ Everyone is staying aware of their audience and the right talent that matches their brand.”

The relationship between creative directors and their chosen talents is also becoming increasingly vital for brand amplification. This season, Donatella Versace herself ranked among the top 10 influencers in Milan, driving $3.28 million in EMV. Her impact stems from her proactive engagement with talent before and after the show, posting an Instagram carousel of herself posing with Stray Kids singer Hyunjin, Turkish actor Hande Erçel and Irish actor Cillian Murphy, creating a continuous narrative beyond the runway.

We’ve seen similar strategies with Nicolas Ghesquière at Louis Vuitton, who consistently features Felix of Stray Kids in his content. Likewise, Jonathan Anderson at Loewe successfully built a personal connection with actors Drew Starkey and Josh O’Connor.

Commentators and the new age content

Across AW25, fashion commentators have emerged as major engagement drivers, while audiences increasingly seek honest discussions and behind-the-scenes insights into what really goes on backstage.

One of the biggest breakout names this season was French creator Lyas, who generated the highest EMV of any celebrity or influencer at Eckhaus Latta, Luar and DSquared2, marking his first appearance in the rankings. His content ranges from funny interviews backstage with models (at Versace, he wore a silly wig and asked various talents, including Pat McGrath and Ice Spice, if they liked his hair) to discussing French slang with supermodel Alex Consani as she had her hair washed backstage at Givenchy.

“I’ve built relationships over time and earned this kind of access by proving what I can do,” says Lyas. “My approach is informal and impromptu, which can be scary for brands at first. But over time, they’ve come to trust my vision. In the beginning, they had a clear idea of how they wanted to ‘use’ me. Now, they understand that giving me creative freedom is essential for the kind of reporting I do.”

For instance, Saint Laurent creative director Anthony Vaccarello gave Lyas full backstage access after the show, allowing him to film a mannequin challenge with the models — something Lyas “never thought would be possible”. The resulting video, which was a nod to a nostalgic social media trend where participants freeze in place like mannequins while a camera moves through the scene, generated nearly 40,000 likes.

“Runway shows are now a 360-degree experience — they’re multilayered, with so many different elements beyond just the clothes,” says Ross. “It’s also about what’s happening backstage, and commentator content provides a unique way in.” She adds that commentary isn’t always focused on the show itself. “Sometimes, it’s as simple as asking models about their favourite restaurant in Paris. But that kind of content gives the audience a sense of exclusivity, like they’re getting a behind-the-scenes look and getting to know the personalities that shape fashion week.”

‘Blue square’ fashion commentator @StyleNotCom was one of the top five influencers across NYFW, generating a total of $1.25 million in EMV. With him, it’s volume: the creator posted 56 blue squares about New York Fashion Week, across 18 shows. Karla Otto also noted that New York pavement interview account @ThePeopleGallery_ was in New York and London Fashion Week this season. “It’s been interesting to see these interviewers and storytellers rise up,” Ross says.

“After Covid, it was all about visibility,” says Eva Schmidt, PR and communications specialist at CTZAR agency. “Now, it’s all about exclusivity, but brands are pushing desirability with backstage access, model content and smaller creators, accessible to a very few, but watched by many.”

The next phase of K-pop fandom

As with previous seasons, K-pop stars were key drivers of EMV for AW25, causing ever-growing levels of frenzy outside shows. Perhaps it adds a level of chaos, but it’s worth the fuss; in the global top 10 influencer ranking, half of the talents were K-pop stars, while the rest were Thai and Filipino actors. There’s also new kids on the block when it comes to global talents, including J-pop (Japanese pop) stars and Turkish actors, Lefty data reveals.

One example is Türkiye’s Erçel at Balmain and Versace. She was the 21st most impactful influencer in Milan, generating $1.25 million in EMV through just one post. One J-Pop band that climbed the rankings was &Team who attended Prada, generating $811,400 in EMV over six posts. “It’s similar to K-pop — lots of people are paparazzi, posting about them, [and] there’s fan accounts. All of those components are adding to the noise of that particular fandom,” says Ross.

“I’m really interested to see which names evolve in the next season. There’s now a kind of ‘legendary’ tier in the K-pop and Asian celebrity space, but at the same time, we’re seeing new talent emerging. Just a year ago, Thai talent really came into play, and I remember thinking, ‘Where did this come from?’” says Shah. “It’s fascinating to watch which markets and talent categories gain influence — whether it’s singers, musicians, actors, or more influencer-driven personalities.”

For Shah, finding ambassadors who genuinely connect with consumers in different markets is essential. “Not everyone is going to have global relevance in the same way, and that’s where this niche community approach comes in. Today, you might see a K-pop star next to a Hollywood A-lister, alongside an underground British musician. The mix is more important than just stacking high end, high end, high end.”

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