The Milan Fashion Week Men’s Debrief

Between Italian fashion greats and new talent, the SS25 shows at Milan Fashion Week Men’s generated a total $75.9M EMV (Earned Media Value) — a 59% growth year on year — according to Lefty data. This significant increase was seen despite a -25% drop in the number of influencers activated, which implies that brands are strategically rethinking their talent budget, favouring quality over quantity.

What key moments contributed to this growth?

Prada Group continues to lead the way, accumulating $29.3M EMV as per Lefty data, which is more than double the #2 brand’s media value ( Fendi , $13.9M EMV). The brand invited a diverse guestlist from across the worlds of cinema, sports and art, cleverly engaging various audiences. The #1 KOL at the show — and overall for Milan — was South Korean actor Byeon Woo-seok, the lead in new Korean drama Lovely Runner, which finished airing at the end of May 2024. He alone contributed $5.5M EMV for Prada and boasts an impressive engagement rate of 29.64%, proving how effective working with rising talent is for brands. The brand’s strong influencer strategy supported a highly creative collection which also resonated online. From trompe l’oeil details and fake layering to landscape-printed sunglasses, videos showing close-ups of the clothes went viral on social media.

Korean actor Byeon Woo-seok in the #1 spot signifies APAC celebrities continue to reign supreme in Milan. In fact, all of the KOLs in the top 10 were from Asia. Hot on his heels were a team of Thai Drama stars who’ve been spotted rising the ranks for several seasons. While Metawin Opas-iamkajorn stayed loyal to Prada Group , Nattawat Jirochtikul, AKA Fourth, and Norawit Titicharoenrak, AKA Gemini, who both starred in the BL series My School President and Moonlight Chicken, were seen on the Zegna FROW for the second season in a row. Fourth and Gemini both jumped two spots in the rankings, boosting Zegna 's media value who landed in the top #3 brands with $10M EMV, a stellar 636% growth year on year, according to Lefty data. This showcases how building long-standing relationships with rising talent can help propel your brand’s visibility and build loyalty with these stars’ audiences. 

Elsewhere, some brands who opted for presentations over full-scale shows still adopted strong influencer strategies to drive noise. Lefty data shows TOD'S earned $1.7M EMV thanks to inviting the likes of K-Pop band NCT’s singer Jungwoo and actor Matt Bomer. This presents a clever alternative for brands looking to strategically budget around their fashion week slots.

Finally, SWAROVSKI leveraged the fashion week moment, taking advantage of the A-list on the ground. After a successful launch in Shanghai last autumn, the brand took its ‘Masters of Light’ immersive exhibition to Milan, with a launch party starring actresses Madelaine Petsch, Barbie Ferreira, Jessica Alba and Gwyneth Paltrow, who all contributed to the brand’s impressive $3.6M EMV. This VIP approach was paired with a content that attracted attention, showcasing pieces from Karl Lagerfeld’s CHANEL , TOM FORD , Alexander McQueen and BALENCIAGA , alongside show costumes worn by Beyoncé. 

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