Why fashion’s love affair with TV is big business

Cult TV shows like Gossip Girl, Squid Game and Bridgerton can launch trends overnight. Fashion brands want more of the action.
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From the gilded halls of Bridgerton to the dystopian rituals of Squid Game, TV drama series have transported millions of viewers to worlds beyond reach during 2021, launching fashion and lifestyle trends overnight.

The Regencycore trend, coined by shopping platform Lyst to reflect a surge in Bridgerton-style corsets and finery, hit 11.5 million views on TikTok this year. HBO Max’s Gossip Girl reboot ushered in the “dark academia” preppy trend, causing a surge in search for varsity jackets (+53 per cent), plaid vests (+47 per cent) and high-collared shirts (+34 per cent) following its release in July. Ridley Scott’s latest film, House of Gucci, saw searches for Gucci products spike in November, while TV hits Squid Game and Emily in Paris have created micro-trends ranging from green tracksuits and pink boiler suits to Kangol bucket hats.

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Luxury brands have longer production cycles than ultra-fast fashion players such as Asos, which originally built its business model on replicating looks “As Seen On Screen”. This means luxury brands are not structured to respond to flash-in-the-pan trends if a show goes viral. Instead, brands are now going straight to the source, working with streaming platforms such as Netflix and HBO Max to produce fashion collaborations that go live with the show or film.

Balmain is leading the way. In November, creative director Olivier Rousteing launched a capsule collection with Netflix Western, The Harder They Fall, after being approached to design costumes and falling in love with the production, particularly for its championing of Black representation in Westerns. The capsule collection, featuring Western-inspired fringed jackets and suede skirts and available on Farfetch and the Netflix Shop, has had a “very positive” response, according to Balmain CMO Txampi Diz. “For us, partnerships between fashion and entertainment are something that's very obvious,” he says. “I mean, we're all obsessed with content. Content is the key. Storytelling is the key.” Separately, in August, Balmain also launched with TV mini-series Fracture on the UK’s Channel 4, which pulled in 6 million views, well beyond initial projections, according to the brand. In China, Balmain partnered with Tencent to broadcast Fracture, reaching 120 million views.

How collabs work best

Brands have traditionally used collaborations as a way to infuse culture into their products, says Josh Simon, VP of consumer products at Netflix, which collaborated on a streetwear drop for Squid Game. “For Netflix, what's great is we're already starting from that point. I think a lot of our shows are at the centre of cultural conversation... It's only natural that we’re starting to see how Netflix influences and interplays with the world of fashion.”

For the second season of Emily in Paris, premiering in December, Viacom CBS brokered a series of IRL product partnerships to be sold on the Netflix Shop and Saks.com. Partners include Pierre Hermé macaroons, AZ Factory, Chanel Métiers d’Art brands Maison Michel, Goossens Paris and Barrie and luxury resort brand My Beachy Side.

Mission-driven luxury resortwear brand My Beachy Side collaborated with Emily in Paris Part 2 via ViacomCBS for its Resort 2022 collection.

My Beachy Side

“For Emily in Paris, there's a very much a luxury feel to the series,” says Jose Castro, SVP of licensing collaborations and specialty retail in the consumer products division of Viacom CBS. “We wanted to make sure that what we did had that same sort of connection… We want to make it so that people can take a piece of what they love home.”

Fashion collaborations can help streamers boost their reach with Gen Z, says Kristin Moss, VP of marketing at streamer HBO Max, which produced hit shows such as the Gossip Girl reboot, The White Lotus and Sex and the City spin-off And Just Like That. “Aligning with trending fashion brands allows us to expand our relevance and culture,” she says. “Our original streaming series drive so much social buzz with their fresh take on storytelling. I think fashion brands see a value in that alignment to HBO Max as well.”

Partnering with fashion brands can extend the reach and exposure of hit shows through tangible, real-world products or experiences, Moss adds. That allows audiences to engage with TV series in “a more emotional and connected way”.

For Netflix, fashion partnerships can be revenue drivers, but that’s not the only measure of success, says Simon of Netflix. “Revenue is... not the only way we look at fan love — [It’s about] the conversation that it's driving and ultimately the level of authenticity and excellence that comes from the products we're creating.”

For fashion brands, entertainment partnerships are currently more of a marketing play. “For a small brand like us, it’s hard to be noticed. The Emily in Paris partnership gives us a voice and gets the word out there,” says Gamze Ates, founder of luxury resort brand My Beachy Side, which employs and re-skills Turkish female artisans who have faced hardship.

When Balmain announced the Fracture deal, the brand saw an immediate surge in site traffic, says Diz. The Balmain presence is low-key. “It’s not product placement,” Diz says. Balmain shot content and campaigns on the show set and produced products in line with it. A second season with Balmain’s involvement is now planned.

From Instagram to Depop

For shows like Emily in Paris and Gossip Girl, social media is an important component on and off screen. The characters (not the actors) have dedicated social media accounts to connect with fans. Fashion partnerships strengthen this approach.

For And Just Like That, HBOMax created an Instagram just focused on the show costumes, created by Molly Rogers and Danny Santiago. This account has more engagement than the show’s main Instagram, Moss says.

HBO Max partnered with Gen Z resale platform Depop for its Part 2 series launch of Gossip Girl. It found four existing Depop sellers with aesthetics that aligned with Gossip Girl characters Julien, Max, Aki and Monet, creating a Depop shop for each. Each seller had a 30-minute meeting with Gossip Girl costume designer Eric Daman to establish the character’s style before curating the shop.

Jordan Alexander, who plays Julien in the Gossip Girl reboot, in costume on the set of the show.

James Devaney/Getty Images

Depop saw a 200 per cent spike in searches for “Gossip Girl” the week of launch, according to the company. “We see these Depop sellers as another iteration of aligning with emergent talent and influencers and in marketing overall,” says Moss. “[They’re] part of that broader strategy of driving culture forward.”

Depop picked Gossip Girl because of its popularity with Gen Z and long alignment with fashion, says Steve Dool, Depop head of brand partnerships. “This was the first time that we worked with a streaming service [or] television property. So, I think from our perspective, it's been a great success,” he says. “We primarily look at it in terms of metrics of success, reach and engagement and [whether it’s] obviously good for our sellers. We're really happy with all three of those.”

TV series collaborations come in all shapes and forms. Beauty unicorn Glossier enlisted Gossip Girl cast members Savannah Lee Smith, and Zión Moreno for its 2021 holiday campaign. This wasn’t arranged through HBO Max, but by casting the actors together, the campaign evoked the show.

“To us, Gossip Girl perfectly embodies celebratory and glamorous energy,” says Glossier’s VP creative director Marie Suter, who had previously sent products to the set. “We loved seeing cast members engage with Glossier both on camera and in their own routines, and were excited to work with Zion, Evan and Savannah to bring all those moments together.”

Glossier cast members Evan Mock, Zion Moreno and Savannah Lee Smith starred in Glossier’s 2021 holiday campaign together.

Glossier

Where to sell entertainment fashion?

For now, retail strategies around TV or movie-inspired fashion are inconsistent across partnerships. Most products are sold DTC but Balmain enlisted Farfetch to sell The Harder They Fall collaboration, while other fashion collaboration items, including from Emily in Paris, are available on Netflix’s shop.

New platform Seek Shop aims to simplify the process for entertainment fans. Currently in beta, the site aggregates both official TV/film fashion collaborations and products seen on screen available in retailers. Users can shop their favourite looks from shows such as Bridgerton, Insecure and Euphoria, or films ranging from House of Gucci to Dune. Founder Sara Klausing has ambitions to create a one-stop shop for entertainment fashion, spotlighting the hard work of costume designers and makeup artists as well as collaborations.

Shoppable entertainment is next up but for now won’t replace retail partners, experts agree. “Shoppable content is definitely on everyone's mind,” says Castro. “We’re already doing it to an extent and I think that that will continue to evolve, but retail is still an important partner. Being able to shop directly on the content you're watching is just an extension of what we do and certainly will be an additional layer.”

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