In this week’s Luxury Briefing, I look at what the data is telling us about social media attention during Paris Fashion Week with insights from agency Karla Otto and data platform Lefty, as well as interviews with teams and industry experts. Also, Cucinelli and LVMH earnings insights, and executive moves at Alexander McQueen, Calvin Klein, Saint Laurent and Chanel. For tips or comments, email me at zofia@glossy.co.
Paris Fashion Week had plenty to celebrate on Instagram this season. Whether individual brands had much to celebrate was another question. Dior alone accounted for 91% of the year-on-year growth in earned media value, according to figures Lefty shared with Glossy. More than half the brands in its comparable sample lost ground.
Paris generated $795.8 million in EMV for spring 2027, up 59% year over year, according to data via Lefty x Karla Otto. Without Dior, growth drops to 6.3%, said Lefty’s Laura Rocha. Among 62 brands tracked across spring 2026 and spring 2027, EMV grew for 28 and declined for 34. The median change was a decline of 11%.
Dior’s $360 million put it well ahead of Schiaparelli’s $63.5 million and Chanel’s $56.7 million. Miu Miu followed at $46.1 million, then Louis Vuitton at $37.5 million.
Those dollar figures estimate the advertising value of exposure, rather than sales. Lefty tracked Instagram in-feed content mentioning brands from accounts with more than 10,000 followers between September 28 and October 7, applying a $100 cost per thousand impressions. The results cover one part of fashion week’s audience, rather than every platform or channel.
Much of Dior’s attention came from two guests. Thai actresses Orm Kornnaphat and Lingling Kwong together generated 56% of the house’s EMV. Their coverage began well before they took their seats: departures from Thailand, fittings and time in Paris all provided material, Rocha said.
They didn’t simply post more. Lefty attributed 20 posts to Orm, down from 26 the previous spring season, and 16 to Lingling, down from 24. Their beauty teams helped extend the coverage through collaborative posts, which Lefty credits to whichever account initiates them.
“They co-posted with their beauty squad, which drove engagements for those profiles which we do not normally see in the rankings,” Rocha said.
Makeup artist Homeless Makeup ranked third among profiles across Paris, with content associated with Dior, Chanel and Schiaparelli. Hairstylist Sarawut Lapa ranked fourth. The people getting stars ready for their appearances had become significant publishers themselves.
“There’s a whole ecosystem now that happens around the show,” Karla Otto’s Anna Ross told Glossy, pointing to fittings, backstage interviews and celebrity interactions. “People are really interested in fashion beyond the runway itself.”
That coverage can happen between room service and the car ride to the show. Photographer Emma Beiles Howie, who photographed the band HAIM around Louis Vuitton’s show, said they spent about five minutes shooting glam, then 30 minutes eating and chatting before photographing their finished looks for the final 15 minutes. “Oftentimes, glam runs long, and we’ll end up only shooting for five minutes!” she said. Howie shoots film and aims to deliver images by the following afternoon, giving the appearance another round of content after the show.
There are signs of appetite for the products, too. Fashionphile’s 2026 resale report recorded a 133% year-on-year increase in searches for Dior Book Totes when Jonathan Anderson’s versions arrived in stores in January. Bloomingdale’s fashion director David Thielebeule told Glossy last week that Anderson’s accessories were generating “tremendous curiosity,” particularly his interpretations of the Lady Dior and Saddle bags.
Chanel’s much smaller EMV total also sits alongside strong demand for Blazy’s designs. Fashionphile ranked Chanel as its most-searched brand and reported paying sellers above retail for several bags: 15% above for the Urban Essential and 13% for both the Souplissimo and Archetype Tote. Those figures describe Fashionphile’s acquisition prices, rather than what shoppers subsequently paid.
“It’s truly been a frenzy,” Thielebeule said of the response to Blazy’s Chanel in stores.
These are signals from products already available, rather than sales attributable to the latest shows. But they give brands something more tangible to assess alongside the fashion-week rankings: which pieces customers seek out and which command a premium.
For brands planning how to use their fashion-week content, Ashley Muench, founder and CEO of growth agency Scène Studios, sees opportunities beyond the initial burst of attention.
At L’Agence’s presentation in the Ritz Paris courtyard, she observed models standing on platforms as guests moved around them, similar to a re-see. The setup gave attendees time to photograph full silhouettes, fabrics and details from multiple angles.
Muench said she would use those images in product-focused ads, while wider footage of the event could introduce the collection. That was her proposed approach, rather than a report of campaign results for L’Agence.
“Sometimes the most beautiful editorial image isn’t the one that converts,” she said.
For one unnamed client, her team repeatedly uses a simple, often faceless pose because it has outperformed other compositions in its tests. She argues that brands should bring that knowledge into their event planning, capturing material they can use after guests leave.
“If a brand already has a strong paid-media strategy, it should know which creative formats, angles and product presentations are converting before the event even begins,” she said. “The team can arrive with a clear shot list and capture proven formats alongside the more editorial, atmospheric content.”
Earnings
Brunello Cucinelli and LVMH both reported earnings this week, and neither is keen on making luxury cheaper. Cucinelli dismissed the idea of selling an $18,000 coat alongside a $400 entry-level item on Thursday, while LVMH rejected price cuts at Louis Vuitton on Monday. But it’s easier to hold that line when shoppers are buying: Cucinelli’s nine-month sales rose 13.3% at constant exchange rates, while LVMH’s fashion and leather goods sales fell 2% organically. Vuitton still has to recruit customers across price points, something Cucinelli seems far less interested in doing.
Executive moves
- Veronica Leoni is leaving Calvin Klein after four seasons, following her appointment in May 2024 to bring Collection back to the runway. The brand said Collection remains part of its long-term strategy and will announce new creative leadership in due course.
- Seán McGirr is leaving McQueen after three years, with Kering announcing his departure on October 15. CEO Luca de Meo said the group wants a new direction for the house; a successor has yet to be named.
- Anthony Vaccarello is leaving Saint Laurent after 10 years, as Kering looks to grow the house’s daywear, menswear, high-end leather goods and business in Asia. WWD reports that Chloé’s Chemena Kamali is expected to take over, although an appointment has not been confirmed.
- Bruno Pavlovsky has stepped down from Chanel Limited’s board but remains president of fashion and president of Chanel SAS. Chanel said the change completes its move toward a board of independent directors alongside chairman Alain Wertheimer and CEO Leena Nair.
- Dsquared2 confirmed the departure of general manager Chiara Baravalle, who joined in February, and said it is working on a new organizational structure. WWD also reported that talks for longtime manufacturing partner OTB to take control of the brand fell through after the summer.
News to know
- Frasers Group raised its Burberry stake to 7.42%, from 6.32%, its second increase in a week. The move follows the launch of its luxury division, bringing together retailers including Flannels and Harvey Nichols with investments in brands including Burberry, Mulberry and Hugo Boss.
- Harvey Nichols’ new owner is cutting back its store network: Dublin has closed, Birmingham will shut on January 3, and Bristol and Leeds will reportedly become Flannels stores. London, Edinburgh and Manchester are expected to retain the Harvey Nichols name.
- Kim Jones is returning to his own label, with clothing and accessories launching online in mid-2027 and a Hong Kong store following that October. Production will be predominantly in Japan, with leather goods made in Italy and further stores planned across Asia.
- Some of Lugano’s longtime customers are now its owners, joining Middle West Partners to buy the jeweler out of bankruptcy. The business is restarting as Lugano Jewelry, while former CEO Mordechai Ferder contests SEC allegations of fraud involving more than $1 billion in fictitious revenue.
- Serena Ventures-backed Trace launched on October 15, letting shoppers find someone to rent or buy an item before they purchase it themselves. The app, which raised $3 million in seed funding, is testing whether lining up the next customer can make the initial price easier to justify.
Stat of the week
Saint Laurent’s Mombasa bag is enjoying a lucrative second act. Its average sale price on Fashionphile rose 291% year over year from January 2026–July 2026, while the number sold tripled. The resale platform credits Anthony Vaccarello’s runway revival with renewing demand for Tom Ford’s horn-handled 2001 design.
Listen in
On the latest Glossy Podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi, international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff discuss Paris Fashion Week across designers that made an impact, standout products and wider fashion trends. Listen here.
Read on Glossy
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