Under new direction: SS26 sets new standards in social media

The true success of a designer’s debut can often only be measured in the third season, namely when the first collection has arrived in the boutiques. But even before that, subtle signs can be seen as to whether a fashion house has hit the nerve of the times with its choice of new creative director. And rarely has the tension been as great as this season.

The Spring/Summer 2026 collections undoubtedly marked a historic moment. Numerous renowned houses presented their visions for the first time under new creative management. The result? A season that has proven to be one of the most influential in recent years, at least when considering its response on social media.

With a record amount of 881.2 million US dollars (around 757.8 million euros) in earned media value (EMV), the reach of the fashion weeks grew by five percent compared to the previous year. This growth was driven by a 23 percent increase in published content, a 22 percent increase in influencer presence, and an increase in audience engagement of six percent.

These figures impressively show that the decision for a new creative handwriting can have not only an aesthetic but also a measurable communicative effect. But which brands were particularly adept at using the power of social media for themselves? The PR and image agency Karla Otto investigated exactly this question in its analysis of the spring/summer 2026 season.

Debuts vs. long-running favorites

Paris and Milan were particularly visible, leading the way with fifty-seven and twenty-eight percent of total earned media value, respectively. Within this powerful duo, Dior – not technically a classic debut, but Jonathan Anderson’s first womenswear collection for the house – dominated with $90.6 million EMV, up 46 percent year-over-year. This means that the brand not only overshadows the remaining debuts, but also all other shows of the season.

By comparison, Chanel, which generated high expectations with new creative leadership, achieved slightly less than half that at $42.8 million in EMV and increased its visibility by thirty-three percent. Additionally, Karla Otto credits Chanel with the “outstanding viral moment,” thanks to a social-first staging and a soundtrack designed specifically for viral effects.

The three other brands that made it into the top five highest-ranking houses of the season – Prada, Louis Vuitton and Maison Valentino – continued their successful communication strategy without any new personnel. Their success was based primarily on carefully selected influencers and prominent guests. Prada in particular benefited from the presence of the South Korean pop band Enhypen, which alone contributed $18.3 million to the brand’s earned media value.

Prada’s continued success in collaborating with K-pop stars is particularly notable. Since the Fall/Winter 2023 season, Karla Otto and Lefty’s insights teams have also observed a significant rise of Thai actors in the digital influence rankings.

In the spring/summer 2026 season, two Thai stars took the top positions of the most influential personalities for the first time, overtaking the otherwise ubiquitous K-pop icons. Nevertheless, the latter retain their dominance in public discourse. K-pop stars generated an impressive 63.2 percent of the total media share of the vote, evidence of their continued cultural clout, as the example of Enhypen underlines.

Fashion presents itself as a film

As brands reorganize their creative pipelines, the audience’s focus is increasingly shifting behind the scenes. With the growing attention the Fashion Month season receives on social media, viewers are increasingly interested in the personalities that work beyond the runway – the people who shape the emotion and energy of the industry behind the scenes.

In London, for example, Mac’s creative director and make-up artist Dominic Skinner was one of the most influential personalities of the week. With just two behind-the-scenes posts from the Richard Quinn Show, he achieved almost $900,000 in earned media value and took third place in the ranking of the highest-reach profiles. In Paris, a video of Chanel atelier tailors putting the finishing touches to a final look went viral – an intimate moment that put the house’s craftsmanship in the spotlight.

The major fashion houses are responding to this with a new awareness of visibility behind the scenes. Many are investing specifically in live streams, backstage content or collaborations with creators who authentically capture these new perspectives. Boss, for example, combined his show broadcast with a celebrity Q&A moderated by Queer Eye star Antoni Porowski. Ralph Lauren worked with creator Isabelle Allain on a backstage series, while Fendi and Dior collaborated with fashion filmmaker Loïc Prigent to strengthen the documentary dimension of their brand worlds. Prigent’s TikTok video, which showed an emotional Jonathan Anderson behind the scenes at the Dior show, has been viewed 4.6 million times to date.

At the same time, the industry is increasingly relying on filmic narrative forms to convey its messages. Brands are drawing on cinematic storytelling strategies to emotionally engage their audiences and add a digital narrative to the physical runway show. Dior presented a retrospective documentary directed by Adam Curtis, while Gucci focused on cinematic entertainment with The Tiger, a short film by Spike Jonze and Halina Reijn.

But actors are also important ambassadors for brands away from the screen. They represented a third of the total talent roster and generated $217.8 million in EMV – an increase of 25.8 percent compared to the previous year. Dolce & Gabbana staged the moment particularly impressively when Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci and Simone Ashley appeared at the show for the filming of the film The Devil Wears Prada 2 and together raised $8.2 million in EMV.

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