How Beauty Brands At New York Fashion Week Are Running Winning Marketing Strategies

New York Fashion Week is, arguably, the event of the fashion season. 

Brands, influencers, and marketers from all over the world flock to New York to catch a glimpse of the fantastical new designs for the upcoming year. Yet, fashion brands are no longer the only people winning big at New York Fashion Week. 

Moving beyond simple sponsorship, beauty brands at New York Fashion Week are beginning to take, with skillful product placement, viral makeup looks on the runway, and unique gifting suites. 

What is the key to beauty brands at New York Fashion Week  succeeding and why is beauty so fond of the event? Read on to find out more. 

BEAUTY BRANDS AT NEW YORK FASHION WEEK 

For beauty brands, sneaking into fashion week can be difficult. 

Beauty brands at New York Fashion Week have typically found it hard to naturally integrate themselves into the event, traditionally leaning on show sponsorships as their only option. 

Whilst sponsorships typically cost thousands of dollars, sponsoring a fashion show allows beauty brands to show off their expertise and generate conversation. Many beauty brands at New York Fashion Week  use this opportunity to launch new products, showing them in action on the runway. 

@linoya_friedman

Here we go again! Nothing like the energies of this city during New York Fashion Week 💫 so happy to be here and bring you the best of this incredible week’s fashion ✨ #whatpeoplearewearing #nyfw #newyorkfashionweek

♬ Sympathy For The Devil – 50th Anniversary Edition – The Rolling Stones

For beauty brands at New York Fashion Week, sponsorships can also be a fantastic way to win over the makeup artist community. Each fashion show employs a large team of makeup artists to ensure the models look their best. By sponsoring a show, beauty brands can get their products right into the kits of dozens of working artists. 

Finally, fashion shows famously have elite guest lists. As such, sponsoring a show allows beauty brands to gift influencers and celebrities in attendance with their products. These recipients often go on to post about the show and the gift bags organically, which is fantastic for brand image. 

When done correctly, a fashion show sponsorship can help a beauty brand stay fresh and relevant to both consumers and the fashion industry. However, when done poorly, it can lead to disappointment and a hefty bill at the end of the week. 

Unfortunately, the latter is becoming a reality for more and more beauty brands. Who is to blame? Consumers of course. 

@kaatelynlo

What it’s really like to go to New York Fashion Week! #nyfw #nyc #nycfashion #fashionindustry #newyorkfashionweek #carolinaherrera #fashionweek #NYFW

♬ Sex and the City (Main Theme) – TV Sounds Unlimited

Tired of traditional marketing tactics and armed with an unprecedented level of media literacy, consumers are no longer enamoured by simple beauty sponsorships. 

These sponsorships are becoming overdone and frankly, boring. Consumers expect beauty brands to show up in new and exciting ways on the runway, rather than merely paying to have their products touted out. 

Still, some brands manage to make this simple system work. Pat McGrath famously reached overnight fame with the brand’s gorgeous doll-skin. The look caused shockwaves across social media, which had users everywhere immediately trying to recreate it. 

However, most brands are not this lucky, having to turn to other avenues to generate buzz online.

Small and emerging beauty brands at New York Fashion Week have been making waves in particular, with activations such as unique gifting suites and out-of-the box social content. 

What alternative activations have been especially successful? 

ALTERNATIVE ACTIVATIONS FOR BEAUTY BRANDS AT NEW YORK FASHION WEEK

Air Milkshake 

The key to successful marketing for beauty brands at New York Fashion Week? Air Milkshake. 

Established in 2021 by Marta Freedman, Air Milkshake is an American based gifting suite. It may not sound revolutionary, but Freedman’s suite has thousands of brands big and small clamouring to get an invite. 

Your average gifting suites have slowly gone out of fashion with consumers, as they are viewed as disingenuous and transactional. In these traditional suites influencers, editors, and celebrities are invited to the event where they receive free products and create a half-hearted social post in response. 

Consumers can spot these posts from a mile away, and thus they have become largely ineffective. 

@jordynnwynn

@air milkshake gifting suite haul 😮‍💨 what product do you think is the most interesting? #unboxing #unboxinghaul #influencersbelike

♬ original sound – Jordynn Wynn

Air Milkshake, however, puts a spin on your basic gifting suites. 

Influencer and earned media mastermind Freedman put together Air Milkshake using her knowledge of the industry, seeking to revolutionise the dying art of gifting suites. The key to the suite’s success is, ultimately, Freedman’s name and curating skills. 

Rather than featuring a hodge podge number of brands flung together to produce the most profit, Freedman carefully invites each and every brand that is shown at Air Milkshake. This makes the suite feel far more purposeful and exclusive; this feeling is emphasised by Freedman’s status as a modern taste-maker. 

@faithhitch

The one and only @air milkshake unboxing, so many people ask me about this giftbag so here u goooo #airmilkshake #unboxing

♬ original sound – Faith Hitchon

As a result, Air Milkshake is viewed as a must-attend event, rather than a meeting that can be skipped. For indie brands the suite is a make-or-break party, placing their products right into the hands of the biggest influencers of the moment. 

Ultimately, Air Milkshake allows beauty brands to get involved with fashion week in a unique, modern manner. The event is a perfect example of the creative new ways beauty brands are marketing during fashion week, reaching new, younger consumers successfully. 

Social Activations

One cannot talk about modern marketing tactics without mentioning social media. 

Social media has become a major part of fashion weeks around the world, with influencers replacing typical celebrities as the new front row. Naturally, beauty brands have been quick to get their foot in the door, sponsoring influencers and their reporting from the event. 

Whilst this system is effective, it is not exactly breaking the mould. 

@christiansiriano

WE NEED MAKEUP ARTISTS FOR FASHION WEEK!! Come join us backstage this season as we are looking for anyone from any city that has a dream of doing makeup at nyfw. So come help us bring our beauty look to life this season. Watch this video and email us at Info@christiansiriano.com for more info! #happymonday #beauty

♬ Mode Silence – Muet, Mode Silencieux, Calme, Chut Pour Iphone – Sonnerie Silencieux

That is, until fashion designer Siriano took things to the next level when he put out a plea for help on TikTok. 

After Siriano’s makeup artist pulled out of working his show at the last second, the designer was left scrambling for a replacement. Naturally, he took to TikTok to voice his woes. Who was to answer but mega-brand Revlon, who quickly snapped up the opportunity to work with such a promising designer. The partnership was massive for Siriano, but also Revlon, who has not participated in NYFW in 10 years. Makeup artist Vincent Oquendo led the initiative, inviting 20 indie makeup artists to work the show. 

What took this partnership to the next level was its social presence. Siriano’s TikTok post garnered just under 500 thousand views, which boosted Revlon’s own profile. The collaboration quickly became one of the most famous at the event, generating press coverage and plenty of organic engagement. 

Whilst it may not have been planned, the Revlon x Siriano collaboration stood out from the rest of NYFW as a result of its social media focus.

@revlon

POV: you’re on the social team & get to experience @Christian Siriano’s SS25 #nyfw show! MUA, @Vincent Oquendo brought my Moonlit Smokeshow dreams to life! STILL FEELS LIKE A DREAM 😍

♬ Stuck in the moment – Official Sound Studio

BEAUTY BRANDS AT NEW YORK FASHION WEEK: LOOKING FORWARD

The presence of beauty brands at NYFW has far surpassed its humble beginnings. 

Whilst a handful of brands still stick to stock-standard fashion show sponsorships, many have branched beyond this template. Gifting suites and social media activations are becoming particularly popular, as they allow beauty brands to connect with consumers on a unique, more personal level. 

All in all, beauty brands looking to join in on the fashion week fun must think creatively. Sponsorships, whilst tried and true, can often bore consumers, and run the risk of not being cost effective. 

Consumers want to see new and exciting activations, so be creative and strut your stuff. 

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