Who won fashion month SS26 on social media?

"While editors were preoccupied with designer debuts this season, for audiences at home, big-name celebrities continue to drive the bulk of social engagement from the Spring/Summer 2026 shows. This season demonstrated that brands of all sizes are tapping talent trends, prioritising the ever-growing influence of Thai actors, of-the-moment TV stars like The Summer I Turned Pretty 's Christopher Briney, and long-term brand ambassadors from Hollywood and K-pop, to drive global reach and high engagement."

"SS26 generated $881.2 million in total earned media value (EMV), up 15 per cent from AW25 and a 5.6 per cent increase from SS25, 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.) Paris was, as usual, the most powerful fashion week by EMV, generating $500.3 million."

""It raises an interesting question: does the end consumer really know or care who the designer actually is, as long as the product and the collection are good?" says Andrew Lister, executive VP at Purple PR. "From more of an outsider perspective, I don't think they're as hooked on that as maybe we are in the industry. They just want to see the new collection and the celebrities wearing them, which they're likely more tuned into than who's newly arrived at a house.""

Editors focused on creative director debuts while audiences engaged most with celebrity appearances and fandom-driven cultural crossovers during Spring/Summer 2026. Brands leveraged talent trends including Thai actors, breakout TV stars such as Christopher Briney, and long-term Hollywood and K-pop ambassadors to increase global reach and engagement. SS26 produced $881.2 million in total earned media value (EMV), a 15% rise from AW25 and 5.6% from SS25, measured by Lefty and Karla Otto. Lefty analyses Instagram impressions and engagement from influencers with over 10,000 followers and values EMV at $1 per like. Paris generated $500.3 million in EMV, and Dior was the top-performing show.

Read at Vogue Business