WeArisma data shows APAC celebrity strategy, press dominance, and owned-channel storytelling drove divergent paths to the top of the FW26 brand rankings; TikTok and YouTube posted the fastest year-over-year growth of any platforms tracked.
New York Fashion Week’s Fall/Winter 2026 season generated $275 million in total media value across earned and owned channels, a 73% increase from the prior year, according to a report published by WeArisma, an AI-powered creator and social intelligence platform.
Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, and Michael Kors collectively captured 71% of that total, each reaching top-three status through measurably different strategies.
Calvin Klein led all brands with $81.3 million in combined media value and 86% year-over-year growth, compared to a category average of 66%. Ralph Lauren ranked second at $58.4 million, up 53%, while Michael Kors placed third at $56.7 million, up 55%. Tory Burch posted the highest year-over-year growth rate in the top half of the ranking at 180%, reaching $23.1 million.
Three Distinct Strategies at the Top
WeArisma’s analysis attributed Calvin Klein’s performance to a concentrated investment in celebrity talent in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. Celebrity voices generated 40% of the brand’s earned media value, compared with an 8% category average, with nearly half of that impact originating from APAC talent. Thai celebrity Milk Pansa alone produced $12.8 million in earned media value for the brand, ranking first among all individual voices tracked across the event. South Korean artist Jennie Kim ranked second with $5 million.
Beyond celebrity, Calvin Klein’s owned channels contributed 34% of total media value, compared with a 13% category average, and Instagram generated 63% of its earned media value, compared with a 45% benchmark. The report noted limited activation on TikTok and YouTube, with remaining growth potential.
Ralph Lauren’s performance centered on press authority, with press voices accounting for 83% of earned media value, compared with a 74% category average. The brand’s celebrity lineup included Lana Del Rey, Anne Hathaway, and Gigi Hadid on the runway. Earned media value was concentrated in North America at $24 million and EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) at $18 million. TikTok contributed 32% of Ralph Lauren’s total earned media value, above the 27% average.
Michael Kors differentiated through owned channel storytelling around its 45th anniversary and a comparatively large TikTok presence. The platform generated 40% of the brand’s earned media value, compared to the 27% average.
TikTok and YouTube Post Fastest Platform Growth
Instagram remained the largest single platform by media value share, generating 42% of the total. However, TikTok recorded 192% year-over-year growth, reaching a 24% share, while YouTube grew 184% to a 2% share. The report attributed TikTok and YouTube’s growth to runway analysis, press commentary, and content formats that extend brand visibility past the immediate show window.
Tory Burch derived 42% of its earned media value from TikTok, and Coach derived 54%, both significantly above the 27% average. WeArisma attributed their TikTok performance to press-style coverage, behind-the-scenes access, front-row content, creator get-ready-with-me videos, and real-time show content.
7 For All Mankind, the lowest-ranked brand by total media value at $2.5 million, generated 10% of its earned media value from YouTube, versus a 3% average, through long-form runway commentary from creators including HauteLeMode.
EMEA Surges; APAC and China Rise Sharply
By region, North America and EMEA together accounted for 81% of the total media value. EMEA recorded the largest year-over-year increase at 205%, reaching $69.6 million, driven by European press coverage and celebrity activity. North America grew 38% to $154.9 million.
APAC grew 140% year-over-year to $38.1 million. China rose 111% to $5.8 million. WeArisma cited Milk Pansa of Thailand and Jennie Kim of South Korea as the primary amplification drivers in APAC, noting that their cross-market fanbases extended reach beyond their home audiences. Within China, Weibo grew 110% year over year.
Geographic concentration varied sharply by brand. Coach generated 52% of its earned media value in EMEA, compared with a 31% average. Altuzarra generated 75% of earned media value from North America, and 7 For All Mankind generated 79%, compared to a 50% average across all brands.
Search Interest and Voice Composition
Marc Jacobs led all brands in post-show search interest on Google Trends, which WeArisma attributed to the brand’s high-visibility opening show position and creative direction. Coach and Tory Burch also ranked among the top performers for search interest. The report noted a correlation between sustained press-driven visibility and measurable increases in consumer search activity.
In earned media by voice type, Calvin Klein led the celebrity segment, accounting for 40% of the earned media value from celebrities. 7 For All Mankind led the influencer segment with 44% of earned media value from influencer accounts, above a 19% benchmark. Proenza Schouler and Coach each generated 86% of their earned media value from press, compared to a 74% average.
Among the top five influencers tracked across the event, Meridith Duxbury ranked first at $689,200 in earned media value, followed by Germany-based Tingting Lai at $612,800, Jake Shane at $539,600, Ashtin Earle at $337,900, and Molly Dickson at $335,200.
Casting Trend: Legacy Models Paired With Digital Talent
WeArisma’s report identified a casting pattern across multiple shows in which brands paired established runway figures with digitally native talent.
Khaite, Marc Jacobs, and Michael Kors featured models including Raquel Zimmermann and Christy Turlington, alongside Alex Consani, who walked for five brands during the week: Calvin Klein, Khaite, Michael Kors, Tory Burch, and Marc Jacobs.
The report described this approach as a strategy in which legacy figures provide brand credibility while digitally native talent drives audience reach and earned amplification beyond the physical show.
Methodology: WeArisma analyzed a five-day window for each brand, from two days before the show to two days after. The platform uses AI visual detection to capture brand content in posts where a brand is not tagged or mentioned. Media Value measures earned and owned activity; Earned Media Value covers only earned activity. Sentiment analysis was based on approximately 2,000 comments per brand. Search Interest data came from Google Trends comparisons of pre-show and post-show search averages.
Cecilia Carloni, Interview Manager at Influence Weekly and writer for NetInfluencer. Coming from beautiful Argentina, Ceci has spent years chatting with big names in the influencer world, making friends and learning insider info along the way. When she’s not deep in interviews or writing, she's enjoying life with her two daughters. Ceci’s stories give a peek behind the curtain of influencer life, sharing the real and interesting tales from her many conversations with movers and shakers in the space.
WeArisma data shows APAC celebrity strategy, press dominance, and owned-channel storytelling drove divergent paths to the top of the FW26 brand rankings; TikTok and YouTube posted the fastest year-over-year growth of any platforms tracked.
New York Fashion Week’s Fall/Winter 2026 season generated $275 million in total media value across earned and owned channels, a 73% increase from the prior year, according to a report published by WeArisma, an AI-powered creator and social intelligence platform.
Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, and Michael Kors collectively captured 71% of that total, each reaching top-three status through measurably different strategies.
Calvin Klein led all brands with $81.3 million in combined media value and 86% year-over-year growth, compared to a category average of 66%. Ralph Lauren ranked second at $58.4 million, up 53%, while Michael Kors placed third at $56.7 million, up 55%. Tory Burch posted the highest year-over-year growth rate in the top half of the ranking at 180%, reaching $23.1 million.
Three Distinct Strategies at the Top
WeArisma’s analysis attributed Calvin Klein’s performance to a concentrated investment in celebrity talent in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. Celebrity voices generated 40% of the brand’s earned media value, compared with an 8% category average, with nearly half of that impact originating from APAC talent. Thai celebrity Milk Pansa alone produced $12.8 million in earned media value for the brand, ranking first among all individual voices tracked across the event. South Korean artist Jennie Kim ranked second with $5 million.
Beyond celebrity, Calvin Klein’s owned channels contributed 34% of total media value, compared with a 13% category average, and Instagram generated 63% of its earned media value, compared with a 45% benchmark. The report noted limited activation on TikTok and YouTube, with remaining growth potential.
Ralph Lauren’s performance centered on press authority, with press voices accounting for 83% of earned media value, compared with a 74% category average. The brand’s celebrity lineup included Lana Del Rey, Anne Hathaway, and Gigi Hadid on the runway. Earned media value was concentrated in North America at $24 million and EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) at $18 million. TikTok contributed 32% of Ralph Lauren’s total earned media value, above the 27% average.
Michael Kors differentiated through owned channel storytelling around its 45th anniversary and a comparatively large TikTok presence. The platform generated 40% of the brand’s earned media value, compared to the 27% average.
TikTok and YouTube Post Fastest Platform Growth
Instagram remained the largest single platform by media value share, generating 42% of the total. However, TikTok recorded 192% year-over-year growth, reaching a 24% share, while YouTube grew 184% to a 2% share. The report attributed TikTok and YouTube’s growth to runway analysis, press commentary, and content formats that extend brand visibility past the immediate show window.
Tory Burch derived 42% of its earned media value from TikTok, and Coach derived 54%, both significantly above the 27% average. WeArisma attributed their TikTok performance to press-style coverage, behind-the-scenes access, front-row content, creator get-ready-with-me videos, and real-time show content.
7 For All Mankind, the lowest-ranked brand by total media value at $2.5 million, generated 10% of its earned media value from YouTube, versus a 3% average, through long-form runway commentary from creators including HauteLeMode.
EMEA Surges; APAC and China Rise Sharply
By region, North America and EMEA together accounted for 81% of the total media value. EMEA recorded the largest year-over-year increase at 205%, reaching $69.6 million, driven by European press coverage and celebrity activity. North America grew 38% to $154.9 million.
APAC grew 140% year-over-year to $38.1 million. China rose 111% to $5.8 million. WeArisma cited Milk Pansa of Thailand and Jennie Kim of South Korea as the primary amplification drivers in APAC, noting that their cross-market fanbases extended reach beyond their home audiences. Within China, Weibo grew 110% year over year.
Geographic concentration varied sharply by brand. Coach generated 52% of its earned media value in EMEA, compared with a 31% average. Altuzarra generated 75% of earned media value from North America, and 7 For All Mankind generated 79%, compared to a 50% average across all brands.
Search Interest and Voice Composition
Marc Jacobs led all brands in post-show search interest on Google Trends, which WeArisma attributed to the brand’s high-visibility opening show position and creative direction. Coach and Tory Burch also ranked among the top performers for search interest. The report noted a correlation between sustained press-driven visibility and measurable increases in consumer search activity.
In earned media by voice type, Calvin Klein led the celebrity segment, accounting for 40% of the earned media value from celebrities. 7 For All Mankind led the influencer segment with 44% of earned media value from influencer accounts, above a 19% benchmark. Proenza Schouler and Coach each generated 86% of their earned media value from press, compared to a 74% average.
Among the top five influencers tracked across the event, Meridith Duxbury ranked first at $689,200 in earned media value, followed by Germany-based Tingting Lai at $612,800, Jake Shane at $539,600, Ashtin Earle at $337,900, and Molly Dickson at $335,200.
Casting Trend: Legacy Models Paired With Digital Talent
WeArisma’s report identified a casting pattern across multiple shows in which brands paired established runway figures with digitally native talent.
Khaite, Marc Jacobs, and Michael Kors featured models including Raquel Zimmermann and Christy Turlington, alongside Alex Consani, who walked for five brands during the week: Calvin Klein, Khaite, Michael Kors, Tory Burch, and Marc Jacobs.
The report described this approach as a strategy in which legacy figures provide brand credibility while digitally native talent drives audience reach and earned amplification beyond the physical show.
Methodology: WeArisma analyzed a five-day window for each brand, from two days before the show to two days after. The platform uses AI visual detection to capture brand content in posts where a brand is not tagged or mentioned. Media Value measures earned and owned activity; Earned Media Value covers only earned activity. Sentiment analysis was based on approximately 2,000 comments per brand. Search Interest data came from Google Trends comparisons of pre-show and post-show search averages.
Image source: WeArisma
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