Top-tier fashion brands, celebrities, and creators came together for Milan Fashion Week 2023, held in February. Ready to strut the runway, models debuted Fall/Winter collections in the fashion capital of the world. It’s clear that any brand that received a golden invite to the exclusive event is noteworthy, but some brands stood out from the rest. Let’s take a look at which fashion brands led the charge at the global event, thanks to savvy leveraging of their creator communities.
Coming in hot as the No. 1 fashion brand in February, Prada enjoyed a 12% month-over-month EMV boost, totaling $31.4M. Of this haul, $9.3M (30%) derived from powerhouse brand partners, indicating an increased investment in this influential community tier. Through a paid partnership with the brand, 18-year-old TikTok superstar Charli D’Amelio (@charlidamelio) made an appearance at Milan Fashion Week, decked out in head-to-toe Prada, alongside boyfriend Landon Barker (@landonbarkerr). Charli promoted her presence via 11 social posts shared with her 198.5M total followers across Instagram and TikTok, ultimately garnering $1.3M EMV. Meanwhile, actress Emma Roberts (@emmaroberts) also shared her love for the brand, reeling in $755.4K EMV. In all, hashtags pertaining to Milan Fashion Week generated $2.3M EMV.
With an impressive 78% EMV growth in February (totaling $17.3M), iconic fashion house Dolce & Gabbana served as a prime example for how brands can expand their viral footprints by leveraging a loyal creator community. With a 73% increase in its community size, the luxury fashion brand was able to amplify its new line, which debuted at the event.
Leading the charge was reality TV superstar Kim Kardashian (@kimkardashian), who generated a healthy $2.4M EMV across 19 posts shared with her whopping 349M Instagram followers, landing her as the brand’s top EMV-driver by a long shot. Kardashian’s family members—sisters Khloe Kardashian (@khloekardashian) and Kylie Jenner (@kyliejenner), as well as mother Kris Jenner (@krisjenner)—advocated for the brand as well. Additionally, German content creator Leonie Hanne (@leoniehanne) sported dazzling Italian glam at the show, mentioning the brand 32 times during February and generating $923.2K EMV. Ultimately, #MilanFashionWeek and #MFW inspired $837.1k and $619.4k EMV, respectively.
Lastly, a brand that calls Milan home—Bottega Veneta—made a splash at the industry-leading event. Designer Matthieu Blazy’s (@matthieu_blazy) newest collection drew substantial attention from creators, with media brands proving to be the brand’s most valuable ambassadors. In all, Bottega Veneta’s brand partners increased EMV generation by 28% MoM (totaling $8.7M). Through 28 posts, British media brand i-D (@i_D) collected a significant $476.7k EMV, a 133k% MoM growth.
Additionally, many posts mentioning the brand featured BTS leader RM’s (@rkive) presence at the show, leading fans to speculate whether a brand deal is on the way. In fact, the top six EMV-driving posts for the brand all featured the rapper turning heads at Milan Fashion Week.
Today, traditional marketing and event attendance only accounts for a fraction of a brand’s impact and revenue. In order to stay relevant, and amplify other marketing programs, luxury fashion brands need to leverage the power of creators to connect with their audience.