Fashion Week's Beauty Takeover: The Runway's Evolving Landscape

Fashion week has long been a platform for showcasing the latest trends in clothing and accessories, but in recent years, the beauty industry has been making its mark on the runway. From models carrying brand-new perfume bottles and intricate makeup palettes to the introduction of innovative beauty products, the intersection of fashion and beauty has become a powerful marketing strategy for cosmetic brands.

Unleashing the Power of Beauty on the Runway

The Rise of Beauty Brands on the Catwalk

The fashion industry has become a lucrative stage for beauty brands to showcase their latest offerings. Two years ago, beauty generated .6M (£32M) in media impact value across the four major fashion weeks, and this figure is expected to have grown even higher. Fashion week has evolved from a mere platform for creative artistry to a veritable marketing strategy, with beauty brands seizing the opportunity to captivate audiences and drive social media buzz.One of the most memorable moments in recent fashion history was the viral porcelain doll makeup look created by Pat McGrath at the Maison Margiela show. The striking beauty look sparked a social media frenzy, with fans eagerly attempting to recreate the look. The brand's Divine Skin: Rose 001 The Essence, Sublime Perfection Foundation, and Divine Blush: Legendary Glow Colour Balm gained significant momentum, and the talk of a new glass skin glaze went viral.

The Formula for Success: Aligning Beauty and Fashion

The success of a beauty launch at fashion week lies in its ability to shift the social conversation away from the clothes on the runway and onto the beauty look or a new product drop. When executed correctly, it can become a cultural moment that transcends the traditional boundaries of beauty and fashion.Brands are now making fashion week their moment to market their latest innovations. This past spring/summer 25 season, MAC unveiled a new clear lip MACximal Sleek Satin Lipstick at Richard Quinn's London Fashion Week show, K-beauty brand Kaja Beauty showcased a number of exciting innovations at the LoveShackFancy presentation, and Patrick Ta debuted its first-ever liquid foundation at the Monse show. Even Dyson's professional-only Supersonic hairdryer made an appearance backstage during Harris Reed's London Fashion Week show.

The Importance of Aligning with the Right Fashion Label

While simply showing up backstage with a new beauty product is not enough to guarantee success, the formula for getting it right has evolved. Brands need to carefully consider their target audience and whether fashion week aligns with their demographic, priorities, and positioning.Merit, for example, saw great results from using Fashion Week as a launch stage, particularly with the Signature Lip satin lipsticks on the Proenza Schouler runway in 2022. However, the brand's chief marketing officer, Aila Morin, emphasizes that this doesn't mean fashion week makes sense for most brands. "We know our customer is very tuned into fashion and follows fashion week closely – depending on a brand's demographic, priorities, and positioning, it may not be the right fit for others."

The Importance of Social Media Amplification

With the abundance of creativity and inspiration available online, backstage beauty has taken a bit of a backseat. Brands are now more likely to launch new products on platforms like TikTok rather than during fashion week. However, when a beauty brand aligns with the right fashion label, the runway launch and social media strategy can work in harmony.The key is to remember that brands are not only introducing products to highly sought-after hairstylists and makeup artists but also generating standout social content that can be used to align the brand with a unique and creative fashion moment. Pat McGrath's use of the Divine Skin Priming Liquid at the Margiela show, where the bottle was blurred out to generate anticipation and frenzy over its eventual reveal, is a prime example of this strategy.

Leveraging the Fashion Week Experience

For brands with built-in beauty lines, fashion week presents an opportunity to tell a cohesive brand story. As Katia Beauchamp, CEO of Victoria Beckham Beauty, notes, "fashion week is a whole brand experience," and leveraging the storytelling moment across all elements can amplify the message even further.By using the fashion week stage to its fullest potential, beauty brands can create cultural moments that resonate with their target audience. Whether it's a viral makeup look, the introduction of a groundbreaking new product, or a seamless integration of the brand's story, the intersection of fashion and beauty on the runway has become a powerful marketing tool that continues to evolve and captivate audiences worldwide.