Working in the Los Angeles luxury home real estate market comes with a few challenges. Among them: selling multimillion-dollar properties, accommodating clients’ sophisticated preferences and, of course, dressing the part.
For five seasons, the 12 cast members of “Selling Sunset” have proven that office attire doesn’t have to be boring. On Instagram alone, they have 19.5 million followers among them, with Chrishell Stause (3.6 million), Christine Quinn (3.1 million) and Heather Rae El Moussa (2.8 million) earning the largest followings. That’s thanks, in part, to their posts wearing designer looks. Fashion brands have taken notice, too.
Brands like Made by Mary and Lulu Simon Studio have gifted the stars with various fashions and accessories to secure more media exposure. “Mary [Fitzgerald] and Amanza [Smith] have both been spotted wearing their Jude and Hera chain [necklaces] in Instagram posts, as well as in Instagram Stories,” said Mary Moody, founder of 9-year-old jewelry brand Made by Mary. “Chrishell Stause [was gifted and] has been wearing our Poppy Choker and 50mm hoops. And Mary and Amanza were seen in Stella Magazine wearing the Jude and Hera chains, as well.”
Moody added, “It’s fun to see how [the ‘Selling Sunset’ stars] style and integrate our pieces. Their unique and classic fashion finds worn on the show are influencing real life viewers and boss babes all the same.”
According to Lindsay Johnson, founder and CEO of Lulu Simon Studio, “One of the best parts of ‘Selling Sunset’ is the outfits. The [cast members] are not only successful, but fashionable, as well. It’s empowering for women to go all out, if they want to. And it’s fun to see their confidence shine through, especially in their field of work.”
Both Made by Mary and Lulu Simon Studio typically partner with traditional celebrities, including TV stars and famous actors. For her part, Moody said she’s accustomed to seeing sales fluctuations in items spotted on celebrities, especially during sale times or holidays. The brands do not pay publications for image placement, yet published paparazzi photos featuring the brands’ styles lead to boosts in website traffic and sales. Both founders declined to provide specific figures.
Beyond receiving gifted products, Christine Quinn, the villain of the series, is currently working with ShoeDazzle on an ongoing brand collaboration featuring her designs and with Glam Seamless Hair Extensions via sponsored posts on her Instagram. In September 2020, Quinn launched a limited edition collection with clothing retailer Pretty Little Thing. Mary Fitzgerald and Chrishell Stause have partnered with brands including Revolve via paid posts, and Stause has teamed with Lipsy London on a clothing collection.
The cast of “Selling Sunset” helps drive Gen Z and millennial fashion trends, while also speaking to a diverse audience. “I love that the cast varies in age, culture, style and backgrounds, empowering different demographics. They speak to a larger variation of our audience,” said Moody.
The cast’s numerous appearances in over-the-top, dramatic outfits have made a quantifiable mark. According to fashion and beauty data cloud Launchmetrics, “sequins” was the leading trend stemming from “Selling Sunset” season 5, in terms of media impact value with nearly $200,000 in MIV. That was followed by “suit set” ($193,000), “tweed” ($43,000) and “mini bag” ($34,000). El Moussa frequently wears sequin tops and dresses. For home showings, various cast members have sported tweed matching sets. To Quinn’s first house visit of season 5, she accessorized her denim and pink tweed dress by Balmain with a Judith Leiber-inspired mini french-fry “purse” that was impractical yet well-suited to her outrageous style.
Launchmetrics data noted that the top 10 brands that have generated MIV from the show have all been luxury brands, with the top three being Chanel, Fendi and Gucci. Chanel leather handbags appeared in several episodes of the series, with Chanel’s signature flap bag making the most appearances. Quinn sported a Fendi stretch-knit midi dress in season 4, and El Moussa wore a long-sleeve monogrammed Fendi sweater in episode 3 of season 5. Also on season 5, Quinn accessorized an outfit with black Gucci lace gloves, to elevate her signature “Gothic Barbie” style.
Further data from Searchspring determined that searches from customer databases pertaining to the following key terms have all increased. “Sequins” leads with over 2.1 million searches, followed by “matching suit” (211,000), “mini bag” (11,000) and “suit set” (5,000).
Season 5 of “Selling Sunset” revealed that “a luxury wardrobe is the accessory that accentuates the ambition and success of the cast,” said Jill McDermott, co-founder of Michele Marie PR. “Say what you want about reality TV, but the significance of successful professionals expressing themselves through fashion and style can be fun to watch and empowering, now more than ever as we return to the office.”
