Michael Kors once again came in first place in social engagement during New York Fashion Week, followed by Tory Burch, Tommy Hilfiger, Coach and Carolina Herrera, respectively, according to ListenFirst, the social analytics firm.
Engagement score is a measure of the conscious click-based actions (likes, reactions, shares and comments) taken either in direct response to a brand’s owned social accounts or by way of organic conversation, including new fans and engagements across social media as well as conversation volume on Twitter and Reddit. The period of time surveyed was Feb. 9 to Feb. 15, and the comparison is against the spring 2024 shows that were tracked from Sept. 8 to Sept. 14, 2023.
Kors landed an engagement score of 4.9 million, showing a 114 percent increase from last season. In second place was Tory Burch, who scored 1.9 million, up 39 percent from last season. Tommy Hilfiger had a social engagement score of 1.6 million, up 48 percent from last season; Coach had a score of 222,428, up 11 percent from last September, while Carolina Herrera tallied 214,298, off 10 percent from last season.
Video formats appear to have been a winning formula.
“For the [fall] season, innovative fashion marketers adeptly dismantled the barriers of exclusivity, opting for accessibility through digital art storytelling that immerses viewers in the luxury experience,” said Michelle Hammond, chief strategist at ListenFirst. “While traditional images and gallery formats reliably capture memorable moments, user preference dictates that video format emerged as the primary driver of engagement, constituting a commanding 54 percent of total engagements for the season, following by gallery format (34 percent) and still images (12 percent),” she said.
With a first-place score of 4.9 million, Kors had a standout social moment with a gallery post highlighting their global brand ambassador Dahyun, a member of the South Korean global musical group Twice, who was named Kors’ global brand ambassador last July.
She posted in front of the former Barneys’ spiral staircase, earning 626,000 engagements. The second-highest performing post featured Blake Lively and generated 440,000 engagements. In a Kors video, Lively was seen posing in a giraffe print balmacaan coat and matching miniskirt on her way to the front row.
Additional high-performing content showcased influencers such as Bretman Rock, Mew Suppasit, and Tul Pakom.
According to ListenFirst, Tory Burch’s influencer strategy remains a cornerstone, capitalizing on content that caters to viewers’ desire for deeper access to behind-the-scenes content, resulting in a 39 percent season-over-season increase. Burch’s social media success can be attributed to its interview-based video posts, amassing 887,000 engagements, featuring blooper takes (412,000) and 30-second interview with influencer Nara Smith (222,000), fashion dos and don’ts and hot take trends with Davis Burleson and Delaney Rowe (235,000).
Another key driver was the partnerships with creators and talents that boosted overall social engagement for its show that took place at the New York Public Library. Influencers such as Barbara (Sprouse) Plavin, Pritika Swarup, and Yesly Dimante all added to the brand’s overall narrative this season.
Hilfiger returned to NYFW this season after a two-year hiatus. The Grand Central Oyster Bar was the backdrop for its runway show, accompanied by a soundtrack by Questlove. Contributing to the third-highest overall engagement score of 1.6 million was a gallery featuring Nayeon that emerged as the top-performing post with 65,000 engagements. Other guests were Noah Beck, Lee Jun-ho, Shay Mitchell, Becky G, among others, as seem in a video that generated 62,000 engagements. Kelly Rutherford and Sofia Richie Graine also pulled in sizable interactions, appearing in the third-best post with 33,000 engagements.
Coach, whose show took place at the James B. Duke House on the Upper East Side, came in fourth place this season. The brand’s presentation strategically targeted Gen Z stars such as Camila Mendes, KoKi, Tommy Dorfman, Sophie Thatcher and other rising talents who were seated in the front row and generated social media buzz.
Herrera, whose score was 204,000, featured two videos showcasing numerous runway looks, which amassed 15,000 and 10,900 engagements, respectively. Model Anouk Smits wearing high-waisted trousers and a cropped metallic blazer claimed the second spot with 11,000 engagements. Guests who attended the show included Demi Moore, Becky G, Steph Hui, Dara Allen, Valeria Mazza and Kelsey Merritt, which was shared by the brand in a gallery post and earned 6,000 engagement.
Rounding out the top 10 were Ludovic de Saint Sernin, in sixth pace, which had 149,664 engagements, up 112 percent from last season. Sandy Liang came in seventh place with 116,910 engagements, flat to last September. Helmut Lang, which showed its second collection by Peter Do, came in eighth place with 92,945 in social engagement, down 2.7 percent versus last season. Anna Sui came in ninth place, wth an engagement score of 49,336, down 18 percent from last season, while Luar, who landed Beyoncé as a front row guest, came in 10th place, with 45,713 in social engagement, up 969 percent.
