Last season we named LaQuan Smith the media winner of NYFW FW26. This season the leaderboard looks completely different. We measured media impact value, critics' best-of lists and a new metric brands should be watching: visibility in AI search. Every figure is sourced below.
The week, by the numbers
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Media impact value (MIV), whole week | $463M | Launchmetrics via Fashionista |
| Share of MIV from social media | 90% | Fashionista |
| Tommy Hilfiger's MIV (No. 1) | $58M | Fashionista |
| Runway shows and presentations | ~70 | CFDA |
| Brands new to the schedule | 10 | CFDA |
| People livestreaming Kai Cenat's Vivet debut | 180,000+ | Dazed |
The Media Landscape: Who won the attention?
| Rank | Brand | MIV |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tommy Hilfiger | $58M |
| 2 | Calvin Klein | $47M |
| 3 | Carolina Herrera | $20M |
| 4 | Tory Burch | $19M |
| 5 | Michael Kors | $16M |
| 6 | Cos | $14M |
| 7 | Thom Browne | $10M |
| 8 | Christian Siriano | $8.3M |
| 9 | Khaite | $6.9M |
| 10 | Conner Ives | $5.6M |
Source: Launchmetrics via Fashionista.
Media & Buzz WinnerTommy Hilfiger
Hilfiger returned to the official calendar (CFDA) with a show at The Plaza, opened by Gigi Hadid, with Kate Moss, Camila Cabello and Jisoo in the front row and Slayyyter performing (Arab News, Complex). It led the week with $58M in media impact value, ahead of Calvin Klein at $47M (Fashionista).
Critical DarlingTory Burch
We counted brand appearances across nine published best-of-NYFW roundups (sources below). Tory Burch appeared in 6 of 9, more than any other brand, and took No. 1 in The Impression's New York Top 10 (The Impression). It also ranked No. 4 in media value at $19M (Fashionista), one of the few brands near the top of both. Khaite, Thom Browne, Altuzarra and Conner Ives followed, at 5 of 9 each.
Breakout StarConner Ives
Ives showed at NYFW for the first time on September 12 (Dazed), made 5 of 9 roundups, and finished No. 10 in media value at $5.6M, the only first-time brand in the top 10 (Fashionista).
The AI WinnerDiane von Furstenberg
Henry Zankov opened the official week with his DVF debut (CFDA). It ranked only No. 17 in media value, but led every brand in AI-visibility share at 9.9%, ahead of Proenza Schouler (7.1%) and Tory Burch (5.8%) (Launchmetrics via Fashionista).
The Runway Analysis: The faces of the season
No New York-only booking tally has been published this season. The Impression ranks the season's most-booked models across all four cities (The Impression).
| Rank | Model | Shows (all cities) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saar Mansvelt Beck | 35 |
| 2 | Agel Akol | 33 |
| 3 | Alaina Rae | 32 |
| 4 | Athiec Geng | 32 |
| 5 | Awar Odhiang | 30 |
Openers and closers: Gigi Hadid opened Tommy Hilfiger (Arab News), Kaia Gerber opened Khaite, her first time walking for the brand (Who What Wear), and Alton Mason closed Kai Cenat's Vivet (Dazed).
The Business: Who carries the value
Launchmetrics breaks the week's media value down by who created it (Fashionista).
| Rank | Voice | Share of MIV |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Media | 50% |
| 2 | Influencers | 28% |
| 3 | Celebrities | 10% |
| 4 | Owned (brand channels) | 7% |
| 5 | Partners | 5% |
The Digital Ecosystem: The moments that traveled
The livestream: More than 180,000 people watched Kai Cenat's Vivet debut live, and the reaction online was sharply split (Dazed).
The surprise: At KidSuper, Wyclef Jean brought out Lauryn Hill for "Ready or Not" (The FADER).
The front row: Calvin Klein's guests included Rosalía, Teyana Taylor, Pamela Anderson and Tate McRae (The Impression), and Katie Holmes made her fashion week debut as a couple with Jason Bard Yarmosky at Cult Gaia (The Zoe Report).
Creator Ad Value (CAV)
New York's numbers say it plainly: 93% of the value came from voices other than the brand's own. CAV measures each of those posts in dollars, so a brand knows which faces actually paid off.
Marc Jacobs showed its SS27 collection off-calendar at the New York Public Library in June (Fashion Week Daily). See our separate Marc Jacobs SS27 report.
Celebrity share of voice
Lingling Kwong, attending Calvin Klein, held 40.29% of all celebrity social share across 181 names measured (Onclusive).
| Rank | Talent | Celebrity social share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lingling Kwong | 40.29% |
| 2 | Thomas Teetut | 8.74% |
| 3 | Gemini Norawit | 8.55% |
| 4 | Fourth Nattawat | 5.75% |
| 5 | Love Pattranite | 4.31% |
Where the numbers come from
Roundups counted: The Impression · W · Wallpaper* · Marie Claire · Hypebae · SheerLuxe · Fashionista · RUSSH · Dazed
Data and reporting: Launchmetrics via Fashionista · CFDA · FashionUnited · The Impression, Top 20 Models · Dazed (Conner Ives) · Dazed (Vivet) · Arab News · Complex · Who What Wear · The FADER · The Impression (Calvin Klein front row) · The Zoe Report
New York's story is a story of data.
So, who won New York Fashion Week SS27?
- Tommy Hilfiger won the media war, with $58M in MIV.
- Tory Burch won the critics, in 6 of 9 best-of lists, and No. 1 at The Impression.
- Conner Ives won the debut.
- Diane von Furstenberg won AI search, with the top AI-visibility share.
Different metrics, different winners. The brands that track all of them see the whole picture.