The trend: Major events like New York Fashion Week (NYFW) are increasingly focusing on major social media activations, as evidenced by NYFW parent N4XT Experiences naming global social-first agency Viral Nation its exclusive social partner across its entire lineup, which includes NYFW, LA Fashion Week, and BEAUTYDAYS.

• Viral Nation’s roster of 900 creators played a central role during NYFW by capturing content in real time and amplifying it through their followings. Viral Nation also ran NYFW’s digital presence and created content before, during, and after the shows.
• The move reflects a clear shift: The value of these tentpole events now depends less on who attends in person and more on how the moments are shared across social feeds worldwide.

In an EMARKETER interview, Viral Nation chief commercial officer Nicholas Spiro pointed out the rise of “hyphenates”—figures who are simultaneously models, influencers, and entrepreneurs—who bring new energy and attention to fashion weeks. Their presence ensures that NYFW functions less as an isolated event and more as a cultural engine, producing moments designed to be clipped, shared, and remixed across platforms.

Why it matters: For decades, NYFW and similar events were defined by industry and insider exclusivity. Recent years’ focus on influencers shows that model has been reimagined.

• During New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2025, influencer voices contributed approximately 23% of the “voice mix” (share of media impact), per Launchmetrics—just slightly less than half that of traditional media (51%).
• “Creators are the front row,” Spiro explained, noting that their coverage shapes culture far beyond the runway.
• Where fashion shows once targeted insiders and celebrities, the focus is now on making them accessible to millions through creator-driven content and social-first storytelling. The effect mirrors how audiences consume sports today—not only at events but through highlights, clips, and commentary that dominate social platforms.
• Fashion ranks number one among categories where creators influence purchases, and more than half of creator-driven purchases now happen directly through platforms like TikTok Shop, per our forecast (see chart).

Our take: Fashion weeks are increasingly about how the experience is broadcast and reinterpreted through social media—just like how sports is increasingly experienced through short clips. Viral Nation and N4XT’s bet is that by prioritizing accessibility, interactivity, and data-driven insights, events like NYFW will expand their influence well beyond Manhattan’s runways—turning once-exclusive gatherings into cultural movements that anyone, anywhere, can participate in.