Influencer marketing platform Lefty, full-service brand-building agency Karla Otto and social intelligence agency CTZAR have released their AW26 Womenswear Roundup, offering a data-driven breakdown of the brands, talent and strategies that defined fashion month this season.

Combining Karla Otto's cultural and communications expertise, Lefty's proprietary influencer marketing data, and CTZAR's social-first audience insight, the report delivers a 360° view of what shaped the global fashion conversation across New York, London, Milan and Paris.

AW26 By Numbers:

• Total AW26 EMV: $754.5M
• Paris Fashion Week retained the largest Share of Voice at 54%, with Milan at 34%, NYFW at 9% and LFW at 3%
• Milan was the fastest-growing city, with +21% SoS EMV growth year on year
• #1 brand on Instagram: Dior, $88M EMV
• #1 brand on Weibo: Prada, $73M

Top Influencers by Category:

• Actors - 43.5%
• Musicians - 28.6%
• Influencers - 10.3%

APAC & Weibo:

• For the first time, Thai Drama stars surpassed K-Pop as fashion month's biggest media drivers, generating $317M in total EMV - with Thailand accounting for 47% SoV versus Korea's 41%
• Breakout names this season included Lena Lalina and Miu Natsha, co-stars in Thai miniseries 'My Safe Zone', who together generated $7.4M EMV

Talent Strategy: Niche Casting Becomes the New Norm

As the internet fractures into subcultures, brands leaned into stunt casting this season, enlisting cult digital figures to drive conversation over raw reach.

• Elena Velez cast online 'looksmaxxer' Clavicular (Braden Eric Peters) for her NYFW show
• Matières Fécales invited biohacker and tech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson to walk their Paris runway
• Demna's Gucci debut featured underground rappers Nettspend and Fakemink walking between supermodels - Fakemink alone generated $167.6K EMV with a 26.17% engagement rate
• Musician Rhian Teasdale of Wet Leg walked for Ann Demeulemeester in Paris

Talent Strategy: The Pop Culture Snapshot

• Actors generated $257M in total EMV - up +18% SoS
• Musicians generated $168.9M in total EMV
• Brands tapped talent from recent streaming hits: Hudson Williams (Heated Rivalry) at Balenciaga ($1.1M EMV, 30.08% ER); Sarah Pidgeon (Love Story) at Prada; Odessa A'Zion (Marty Supreme) at Coach ($290.6K EMV, 13.58% ER); and Tyrio Withers (Tell Me Lies) at Burberry

Communications Strategy: Going Deep with Long-Form

Brands this season moved beyond momentary star power, investing in podcasts, book clubs, video essays and literary figures to build sustained cultural authority.

• Coach brought a book club to its FROW via Penguin Random House mini-book bag charms, attended by #BookTok influencers including @kimmybookss
• Givenchy invited novelist Constance Debré to walk its runway
• Dior staged a pre-show interview with Bella Freud, known for her Fashion Neurosis series - the content generated $649K EMV at a 2.14% ER and reached 5.52M people
• Substackers were increasingly spotted front row, with brands such as Tory Burch hosting Liv Perez (Let's Get Dressed) and Michael Kors hosting Ro Brahmand (Fixated)

Social Trends: How AW26 Manifested Online

• The Return of Vlogs - 'Spend a day with me' content surged across LFW, reframing high-fashion access through everyday storytelling. Chanel's 'Come Buy My Dream Bag With Me' content strategically amplified hype around the AW26 show.
• Humanising Designers - For Cult Gaia's NYFW debut, designer Jasmin Hekmat shared an intimate family moment that fuelled admiration online. After Dior, Jonathan Anderson's father was captured in a wholesome post-show moment that resonated widely.
• Social-First Sets - AVAVAV subverted expectations by having attendees walk the runway between models, turning the show into a shareable moment. Burberry transformed Tower Bridge into a rain-slicked visual narrative built instantly for social.
• Decentralising Shows - The LA Watch Party filled the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, platforming smaller designers via Lyas' growing community. Demna's Gucci debut sparked a viral 'Gucci Walk' trend, with audiences filming themselves imitating runway struts across cities.

For the full report, visit lefty.io.