‘Reduced capacity’: Who gets a seat when brands stage smaller shows?

And as brands seek to be more exclusive and intimate with their show formats, they are having to re-evaluate the proportion of editors, buyers, influencers, celebrities and friends of the brand they accommodate, to get the best ROI.

“It’s been a fight to get tickets for the team this season,” says one editor, who wishes to remain anonymous, but is in a senior role. “In a lot of cases, for shows I usually sit front row at, I’ve been either not invited at all or bumped back to the second row this season, which makes it challenging to write about the show or to capture content for the [publication’s] socials.” The picture is similar for many editors and buyers this season, they add, where brands often give just one ticket, which goes to editors-in-chiefs or CEOs who typically aren’t reporting on or capturing content for the publication or store’s social media.

Economically, perhaps it makes sense that brands are toning things down a little. The luxury slowdown continues to weigh on the majority of the industry. And while LVMH sales have stabilised slightly, down just 1 per cent from 2023 to 2024, Kering revenues fell 12 per cent during the same period. When major, high-capacity fashion shows can cost hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of euros, perhaps it’s smart to trim budgets. Instead, brands are getting smarter about their guest lists, and prioritising quality over quantity, to ensure the best press, commercial performance and social media amplification.

“Watching costs extend not only to the shows but to the invites. There are fewer, less elaborate physical invitations this season, more via email and QR,” says Richard Johnson, Mytheresa chief commercial and sustainability officer. The same held true in Milan, according to Hélène Guillaume, editor-in-chief of fashion at Le Figaro.

From Coperni’s many viral outings to Louis Vuitton’s Western-inspired Pharrell Williams debut, post-pandemic, fashion shows were about spectacle and social shareability, as brands shot for the Gen Z customer and fought for views and likes amid the rise of TikTok. But as the younger, aspirational luxury consumers continue to pull back spending, brands are aiming for an older, high-spending shopper, who cares less about celebrity, influencers and social media and more about craftsmanship and heritage.

Exclusivity and intimacy

Younger generations have hit social media saturation, often interested in brands that gatekeep a little. More intimate shows can help brands create exclusivity and desirability, as more and more brands look to the approach of houses like Hermès and The Row, who are each performing strongly even amid the slowdown, because they’re hyper-exclusive and aloof.