For Set, the most effective guest list of the summer was no guest list at all.
On August 14, the Los Angeles-based activewear brand took over the Clam Bar in Amagansett, New York for the launch of its Coastline collection. Rather than limiting the event to influencers and industry insiders, Set opened it to customers, vacationers and anyone else who stopped by. Hundreds attended for complimentary food, games, limited-edition merchandise and early access to the collection. Some drove or flew in specifically for the event.
The following day, Coastline generated $3.5 million online in 24 hours, according to the company. It became the highest-grossing limited-edition drop in Set’s eight-year history. Carter attributed the performance, in part, to the online conversation surrounding the activation, amplified by an expanded group of around 15 “Set Insiders” who received early products and behind-the-scenes content. She said the collection itself also generated unusual interest thanks to new styles, including gingham activewear and fold-over leggings. Set did not provide social reach or engagement figures specific to the Coastline launch, but 41% of customers who preordered at the activation were new to the brand.
The Coastline collection was not available to take home at the activation. Instead, attendees could preorder pieces ahead of the official launch, while limited-edition event merchandise was available on-site. When the collection officially debuted online and at the brand’s New York City flagship the following day, a five-hour line formed outside the store. Fifty-one percent of store shoppers were first-time customers, and the drop attracted 13% more new customers than Set’s previous collection launch.
The experiment comes as the cultural value of being an “influencer” is being reassessed. In July, Nantucket’s Four Winds Craft Guild went viral after hanging a “No Influencers” sign. It sparked an argument with American fashion brand Dairy Boy founder Paige Lorenze and other creators over whether influencers have become intrusive or are being unfairly dismissed. The Atlantic connected the episode to wider fatigue with aspirational content. Meanwhile, a 2026 Sprout Social study found that just 17% of consumers consider follower count before deciding whether to engage with a creator’s content.
Set is not abandoning influencer marketing. Instead, it is reconsidering who gets to count as influential by giving customers the products, information and access traditionally reserved for professional creators.
“Our priority this year, and as we move into 2027, is that our community is our influencer,” Set founder and CEO Lindsey Carter told Glossy. “Our community is more influential in terms of conversion when it comes to gifting product.”
Set distinguishes community members from traditional influencers based on their relationship with the brand, rather than a strict follower threshold. Community members are existing customers selected for their purchasing history and regular engagement with Set’s content; traditional influencers are professional creators recruited primarily for their established audiences. Some of its community members have since built larger followings and become micro-influencers through the Insider program. Carter said these customer-creators now rank among Set’s top-performing ShopMy partners. The company continues to work with established influencers and divides its gifting budget between the two groups, but increasingly prioritizes existing customers when conversion is the objective.
Earlier this year, Set introduced the Set Insiders program. It began with two existing customers the brand identified through consistent engagement with its social content and enthusiasm for its products. They received free products and behind-the-scenes information about upcoming launches. Set did not say whether purchasing frequency or overall spending influenced their selection.
“We told them to act like insiders and detectives, and we would send them free product,” Carter said.
Set has since established a dedicated team to manage the program. For the Coastline launch, it added around 15 Insiders. Rather than distributing the same brief to everyone, the company gave participants different products, previews and pieces of information, allowing each to reveal something distinct to their followers.
Most Insiders are enrolled in ShopMy’s entry-level or ambassador tiers, allowing Set to track their sales. For customers without affiliate storefronts, it monitors views and engagement. Carter said one participant’s TikTok videos ordinarily receive around 300 views, while her Set Insider posts generate thousands.
The strategy also extends offline. In June, Set spent about $500,000 on a 500-person Cowboy Carnival to accompany its Austin pop-up opening. The event included a Ferris wheel, games, food and early access to the State Fair collection, which launched online five days later.
Set intended the carnival as a marketing investment rather than a profitable standalone event. It generated more than 300 organic posts, 1 million impressions and over 40,000 engagements across Instagram and TikTok.
The commercial results provide a more concrete measure. The Austin store finished June at 146% of its sales plan, with an average order value of $150-$200. New customers represented approximately 60% of shoppers, and Set acquired more than 2,800 new customers through retail that month.
From May to June, the number of new online customers doubled both in Austin and across Texas. Set said the Austin pop-up has attracted a higher percentage of new customers than any of its previous retail openings.
“Fewer followers means more attainable, which means higher conversion and influence,” Carter said. “Brands need to be looking to their most loyal customers.”
The next test will come in Chicago, where Set is opening a permanent flagship in the West Loop and planning a community activation connected to a Cubs game. For Carter, those physical relationships will become more important as AI-generated content and shopping recommendations occupy more of consumers’ digital lives.
“The more brands can keep the tangible aspect of being IRL and meet customers where they are, the better,” she said.
Week in Review
- Gen-Z skin-care brand Topicals has appointed former Fenty Beauty executive Sukiana Chancy as CEO. Founder Olamide Olowe is stepping down from the role but will remain involved in the company’s day-to-day operations and become chair. Chancy previously served as general manager of Fenty Beauty’s skin-care, hair-care and fragrance divisions, and has also held roles at Cay Skin, DevaCurl and the Estée Lauder Companies. The appointment comes as Topicals prepares to accelerate its expansion in Europe and enter the Middle East and Africa. Olowe said the six-year-old brand has grown revenue twelvefold in five years, achieved double-digit profitability and sold more than 10 million eye masks. Read more.
- Tommy Hilfiger enlisted Travis Kelce and his dog for its star-packed fall 2026 campaign. Shot at New York’s Plaza Hotel, where Hilfiger previously lived, “Only in New York” also features Gigi Hadid, Jisoo, Peggy Gou, Frances Tiafoe and Carmelo Anthony. The campaign is the latest step in Kelce’s relationship with the brand, which will include a co-designed collection arriving in spring 2027. Read more.
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