With influencers far from the front row, what's the fashion psychology behind a fizzling show?

fashion houses are feeling IT

But what’s the psychology behind the impact influencers have at fashion shows?

“Bloggers who change head-to-toe paid to change outfits every hour: Please stop, find another business, you are heralding the death of style” So said Sally Singer, Vogue’s creative digital director as she signed off her Milan fashion show review in 2016.

Fast forward 4 years the fashion show format has changed consequent to the COVID-19 pandemic; Milan’s fashion week in July went digital and articles just like “Copenhagen Fashion Week fizzled without influencers” are being published on Vogue Business.

Maybe no-one could have predicted the pandemic, but we now need to come to terms with living in a socially distanced world.

A world in which those creative directors who are going ahead with their fashion shows can’t invite hundreds of guests, select influencers to grace the front row and then read ravishing reviews published instantly in magazines applauding their shows’ amazing ambience.

But fewer in-person shows and fewer attendees mean less content and a smaller buzz being created around the show, and Copenhagen fashion week was a true victim. According to stats from Traackr, compared to last season there were 55% fewer influencers and 73% fewer influencer-generated posts this season which resulted in 87% less engagement, accumulating a 16-36% lesser decreased value of earned media.

In 2016 Vogue writer Sarah Mower, described the street-style stars as “desperate … risking accidents, in hopes of being snapped”. Whilst Nicole Phelps, criticised brands who participate and encourage such behaviour of bloggers; “women who preen for the cameras in borrowed clothes”, but it seems that now the value from those “snaps” is being recognised.

"Historically the primary content that was created about brands during fashion week was the outfits that people wore to the show as Conor Begley, co-founder of Tribe Dynamics supports, “but now that people aren't getting dressed up for the shows, there is much less opportunity to talk about brands”.

Does this mean that… a Smaller presence on social media will equal fewer buyers?

the fashion psychology reviews…

DURING THE SHOW- THE VALUE OF THE INFLUENCER

The additional value of influencers during a fashion show is their instant impact, as is shown by the stats mentioned above. Influencers became even more valuable beyond 2016 as more brands moved towards the “See Now - Buy Now” business model. Where runway styles became instantly available for purchase, closing the gap between the visibility of the fashion show and the moment of purchase. Although this went against “effective frequency” where a potential customer must be exposed to the new styles enough before making the decision to buy, social media influencers made it possible for fashion houses to get enough exposure in a short period of time, enough to trigger their followers to purchase.

This is because, fashion social media influencers who connect with mass consumers, are invited to fashion shows, pre-emptively parading the newest pieces. Not only comfortably carrying off the real wearable mass-produced fashion items themselves but are also active enthusiasts of fashion brands, live streaming, sharing and posting everything that goes into a fashion show, simultaneously connecting with their audience being the fashion brand’s prospective customers.

BEYOND THE SHOW - THE VALUE OF THE INFLUENCER

Influencers are opinion leaders, for most, influencers can be relatable, their street-style replicable and their recommendations reliable. They have the power to impact their follower’s decision -making when it comes to which trends to follow and which brands to purchase. Followers look to influencers to compare what they’re doing to make sure they’re doing the right thing, maintaining their social identity; Social Comparison Theory. This is particularly true when it comes to trends, confirming which fashion pieces they should own and how they should dress.

Above all, influencers are content creators, they create content which not only represents the brand but moreover resonates with their followers. Creating a constant stream of content which is being shared with their followers continuously. Based on the Mere Exposure Theory, the more their followers are being exposed to the new trends, the more they will like them, and in turn, conform by following the trend.

PHYGITAL - A DIGITAL ALTERNATIVE TO THE PHYSICAL PRESENCE OF THE INFLUENCER

Milan recently revealed their “phygital calendar”, splitting the season’s calendar into 28 physical shows with 24 digital ones.

THE PHYSICAL

Brands are having to select a smaller number of influencers to attend their physical shows, but this doesn’t mean that they won’t be able to succeed in their sales. The majority illusion supports that something can appear to be much more popular than it is, and by choosing the right influencers brands can achieve just that. By targeting a handful of influencers who not only have a large following but share similar followers, brands can create an illusion of popularity. This way the same follower is seeing multiple influencers they follow at the show. Due to the basic human desire to belong in a social group, it won’t be long before their audiences consume the new trends.

THE DIGITAL

So from Influencers initially being marginalised, collectively they have become an influential institution intrinsic to the fashion industry’s commercial potential. With nearly half of the shows going digital and comprehending the importance of influencer’s presence at a fashion show, it’s now important for brands to come up with a new strategy. A digital alternative to the physical absence of the influencer.