In an age where fashion and the internet go hand in hand, there is one word that comes up very frequently; influence. Fashion influencers can be traditional journalists, designers, or models, but more often than not, the people making waves in fashion (and, subsequently, driving sales and traffic) are quite simply people with great taste and an internet presence. Some retailers will continue to funnel millions of dollars into print and television ads, but the retailers that are currently thriving ahead of the curve are doing business with internet influencers who have amassed followings within said brand’s target demographic. The model is simple; consumers log on to Instagram and Youtube to be inspired by those whose taste, wardrobe, and lifestyle they look up to. When a brand that the influencer already loves pairs up with a retailer, the retailer pays the influencer to create content for them using pieces they love in exchange for exposure to the influencer’s audience. It’s a symbiotic relationship in which nearly everyone benefits.

This partner-driven content is exemplified in blogger and Youtuber sunbeamsjess‘s Summer 2017 lookbook, in which she partners with Urban Outfitters. She picked what she liked from the Urban Outfitters website, they sent it to her for free, and she credited them in the video. A viewer who likes Jess’s style will watch the video, like something they see, and easily be able to obtain a link from the description to purchase the item they like, driving sales to Urban Outfitters. This video also helps promote the Urban Outfitters lifestyle, with the vacation-ready vibe, laid-back music, and beautiful cinematography. I think videos like these are about to be much more common because more and more retailers are catching on to the importance of influencers. More out-of-touch marketing teams are often quick to dismiss the power of influencers since it’s a relatively new way of going about things, but especially for the millennial and generation Z age ranges, influencers are incredibly powerful.

Trunk shows are a great way for labels to give their customers some inside information about what’s to come without really breaking the bank on presentation and venue. The clothes speak for themselves, and really can be inspected and appreciated. While browsing one of my favorite fashion sites, Moda Operandi, I stumbled across designer Jennifer Zuccarini’s ready-to-wear line Fleur du Mal. The collection seemed very contemporary, paring menswear elements with delicate and feminine materials. This combination of masculine pieces with lingerie-esque textiles feels very accessible to the modern young woman.

Upon first glance, I adored what I thought was a really adorable plaid minidress, but when I went to see more photos, I found out that it was actually a skirt and a top. I love this coordinate trend, especially with pieces that could be worn just as well together or separate. This mix of a traditionally masculine suiting material with a bustier and paper bag belted skirt is the exact play on gender dynamics in fashion that I think is very appealing and exciting to a millennial shopper.

Fleur du Mal is also known for their usage of lingerie and sleepwear outside of the bedroom, and I think the styling of this outfit hits the nail on the head. The intricate bralette and the silken pants may suggest a more intimate feel, but with a bright, dressy shoe, these pajamas are suddenly ready for cocktail hour. Although this is a ready-to-wear line, this look feels a bit less wearable than the aforementioned bustier and skirt set, but it seems as though Fleur du Mal’s target audience knows what they’re doing when styling an outfit for a night out on the town. The collection is structured and chic while being just racy and sexy enough to really cater to the young, stylish city girl.

The runway presentation, colloquially known as the fashion show, is an art form that is a decades-long work in progress. It is one thing to design an astonishing collection, but it is an entirely different challenge to present said designs in a compelling manner.  When the presentation and collection are equally as strong, it generates conversation and skyrockets the collection to commercial success and critical praise. This was very much the case for Alexander McQueen in the early-to-mid 1990’s as his innovative aesthetic and conceptual shows rocked the fashion world. McQueen’s collections were racy, edgy, and often scandalous, but remained credible due to his stunning design sense and wealth of intelligent references. Every collection had a clear theme based on a set of references, which showed through in the clothing but was further elaborated upon in the aesthetic of the presentation. While many designers relied on the clothes to speak for themselves on a stark white runway, McQueen executed a full immersive experience, utilizing sound, light, set design, and venue to tell a complete story.

To choose one of McQueen’s presentations above the rest would be nearly impossible, but a show that I feel exhibits his balance of shock value and beauty is his 1996 A/W collection “Dante”, inspired by fourteenth-century Florentine author and poet Dante Alighieri. Alighieri’s subject matter of life, death, heaven, hell, and purgatory with heavy Christian undertones. “Dante” was presented in the decrepit Christ Church of East London, to the soundtrack of ominous organs peppered with gunfire. A cruciform runway was lit by flickering candles, as luxurious Victorian-inspired corsets and skirts were styled with tough shirts printed with war scenes. Front row, a skeleton was seated next to prominent British fashion critic Suzy Menkes. Menswear and womenswear were treated with the same attention to detail, with menswear pieces being shown in an unusually romantic fashion and womenswear incorporating decidedly masculine elements. So many different textiles, silhouettes, and prints were utilized, yet somehow the show was cohesive and true to theme.

Such complexity of design left the audience feeling as though they had just witnessed something incredible and truly put McQueen in the favor of the general public. Alexander McQueen was not well-liked by all; his rebellious nature and heavy usage of shock factor concerned the reserved British fashion scene, but his clear attention to detail and loving reference to Victorian elements made it clear that McQueen was not only a clever showman, but an incredible craftsman, a reputation that has cemented him as one of the most brilliant fashion designers of the twentieth century.

The Saks 5th Avenue flagship store is, and has always been, a sight to be seen. The luxury retail mecca invests deeply in their window displays, enticing all shoppers into entering the store, regardless of if they can afford the big-ticket items or not. While passing the storefront a few weeks ago, I noticed Saks’ incredible promotion of the Louis Vuitton x Jeff Koons Masters collection, a series of limited edition handbags and accessories featuring iconic works by the great painting masters like Monet, Van Gogh, and Da Vinci.

I was completely in love with the window display, and thought it was a really inventive, cool visual for the collection itself. If you told me what the name and theme of the collection was, I would completely expect larger versions of the paintings to be somehow incorporated in the display. Instead, they chose to pull the rich teals, airy purples, and deep oranges and reds from the paintings and create mylar balloon-type fixtures in the classic LV print. I believe the shapes were in a coated plastic or metal, but they looked just like balloons and the metallic finish drew the eye while still letting the bags speak for themselves. Since this display was at Saks and not Louis Vuitton, there needs to be a certain level of brand recognition in order for the consumer to know where to find such a bag. The signature LV print in the back is so iconic that it communicates that information to the consumer at once. It may not be as obvious at first that these are Louis Vuitton bags, but upon seeing this display, anyone could go inside and request to see something from this line. I was not able to snap a photo from a distance to get the whole idea of the window since the street was so crowded, but up close and through the glass you can see how imaginative and beautiful the display really is.