AW24 in social media: Between fashion fatigue, K-pop dominance and ‘tradition’

When the autumn/winter season for women begins following men's fashion week and couture, there is often a certain fashion fatigue in the air. Social media has already been inundated with a flood of content for weeks, so the question arises as to what a brand can do to stand out from the crowd. Last year, the key to this was concentrated star power from Hollywood, designer debuts and viral gimmickry, but for autumn/winter 2024, the industry has - in a way - gone back to basics.

In a report, PR and image agency Karla Otto has now analysed the extent to which this gradual change has affected the appeal of fashion houses on social media.

K-pop dominance

According to the influencer marketing platform Lefty, which Karla Otto worked with for the report, autumn/winter 2024 generated an earned media value (EMV) of more than 527.5 million dollars. This corresponds to a year-on-year increase of 26 percent, but with around 30 percent less EMV, it is still significantly lower than the spring/summer season, which generated EMV of more than 829 million dollars.

However, the EMV was not the most noticeable difference between the seasons, as there were also drastic changes in the front rows, on the catwalks and in the chosen communication.

While the previous season was still characterised by the influence of Hollywood, mainly due to the then ongoing SAG-AFTRA strikes, the EMV performance of the brands had been driven primarily by the fascination with K-Pop. While the report notes that the participation of K-pop musicians in fashion shows has evolved from an innovative talent strategy to an industry standard, it is undeniable that the choice continues to more than pay off.

The K-pop stars alone generated an EMV of 123 million dollars this season. This means that South Korean celebrities accounted for around 23 percent of the total EMV for the period, 103 percent higher than the previous year. Even though K-Pop is currently at the top, the influence of the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region cannot be attributed to South Korea’s music genre alone.

Based on the top 200 influencers from the AW24 shows, no region generated more EMV than those from the Asia-Pacific. While the importance of guests from Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the US declined sharply, the APAC region was responsible for 64 percent of EMV and, at 164 million dollars, recorded an increase of 24 percent compared to the previous season.

Only Latin America recorded a greater increase compared to the previous season, with EMV growing by 77.9 percent to 23.13 million dollars. The main reason for this was Georgina Rodríguez, Argentinian influencer and partner of footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, who strutted down the catwalk for fashion label Vetements. With this appearance, Rodríguez made it to fourth place among the top influencers of the season and achieved an EMV of 8.2 million dollars.

Return of 'traditional media'

The geographical shift in EMV was not the only noticeable change this season. In recent years, the fashion industry has developed into a kind of entertainment machine, with influencers acting as market ‘criers’ and drawing attention to the respective brands. References and expertise often only played a limited role and so traditional media gradually disappeared from the scene.

However, autumn/winter 2024 has seen a resurgence of "traditional institutions", with the social media profiles of the most important media publications accounting for the largest

share of voice

Share of Voice (SOV) is a measure of a company's visibility in online marketing.

(31.1 percent) across all categories of "influencers".

Karla Otto explains the resurgence of traditional media, albeit on social platforms, not necessarily just with their authority, but above all with access to all areas of the industry, which according to the report is a "perfect formula for social success".

As an example of this perfect formula, the report cited industry magazine Business of Fashion's 'Backstage Pass' video series, which offered viewers behind-the-scenes insights into major fashion shows such as designer Sean McGirr's debut at Alexander McQueen, as well as Miu Miu's collaboration with Julia Hobb, acting fashion features director of British Vogue. Hobbs filmed a series of TikTok videos featuring the models from the Miu Miu show, generating a total of 9.16 million views, helping to increase the brand's media value by 79 percent year-on-year.

Can luxury really be quiet?

An attempt to turn back time and bring the "good old days" back to the here and now was also made elsewhere. The Row decided to simply ban all forms of social media at its autumn/winter show, confiscating mobile phones and equipping the guests in attendance with a pad and pen instead.

The result? As anticipation for the release and possible leaking of images grew, online searches for the US brand increased by 138 percent. While it's unlikely that many brands will adopt a strategy as strict as The Row, there's no denying that the brand's slightly controversial approach got people - and the internet - talking for days, proving that, as the report put it, there's no such thing as quiet luxury on the bottom line.

This article originally appeared on FashionUnited.DE. Translation and edit by: Rachel Douglass.