K-Pop Meets Couture: How Asian Stars Revolutionized NYFW 2025’s Media Impact

As the fashion world winds down from the vibrant runways of Berlin, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and Tokyo this summer, all eyes turned to the Big 4 capitals. Kicking things off is New York Fashion Week (NYFW), the pulsating heart of American style that ran from September 11 to 16, 2025. This year’s edition wasn’t just about bold silhouettes and innovative designs—it was a digital and traditional media phenomenon. In this article, we’ll dive into the numbers of the NYFW media impact, spotlight the brands, influencers, and hashtags that dominated conversations, and explore what these trends reveal about the evolving fashion landscape.

Table of contents:

Key Takeaways from NYFW 2025

I. NYFW in Figures: A Surge Across Platforms
II. The Social Media Spotlight: Top Fashion Brands Stealing the Show
III. Star Power Unleashed: Influencers and Celebrities Driving the Narrative
IV. Hashtag Heatmap: Brand-Celebrity Partnerships Dominate
V. The Influencer Effect: How Calvin Klein and COS Dominated the Conversation
VI. What It All Means: Lessons from NYFW’s Media Impact Mastery

Key Takeaways from NYFW 2025

1. Influencer-Driven Visibility: The dramatic success of Calvin Klein and COS demonstrates that strategic influencer partnerships now outweigh traditional fashion industry factors in generating media impact.
2. Asian Influence: The dominance of K-pop and Thai celebrities signals a shift in fashion influence from traditional Western stars to Asian entertainment powerhouses.
3. Targeted Regional Strategies: COS’s focus on Southeast Asian markets through Thai celebrities proves that region-specific influencer strategies can generate global visibility.
4. Fan Mobilization: The power of dedicated fan communities—particularly in K-pop—created organic amplification that traditional marketing couldn’t achieve.
5. Hashtag Ecosystem: Successful brands created complete hashtag ecosystems that connected celebrities to brands in multiple configurations, maximizing discoverability.

I. New York Fashion Week in Figures: A Surge Across Platforms

From September 10 to 16, NYFW sparked an incredible wave of engagement. On social media, the event generated 2.71 million mentions from 1.59 million unique authors, achieving a staggering total reach of 151.7 million users. The undisputed highlight? The Calvin Klein fashion show on September 12, which catapulted mentions to their peak, underscoring how a single powerhouse presentation can ignite global buzz.

Meanwhile, traditional media didn’t lag behind. Over the same period, 17,927 articles and stories across print, digital outlets, TV, and radio dissected every stitch and strut of NYFW. This data, powered by Onclusive’s cutting-edge monitoring tools—Onclusive 360 for traditional coverage and Onclusive Social for social media conversation—paints a picture of an event that’s as much a media juggernaut as it is a style showcase.

New York Fashion Week 2025 Media Impact by the Numbers: mentions and reach

These figures highlight a key shift: While legacy media provides depth and analysis, social platforms amplify immediacy and virality, creating a symbiotic ecosystem where trends spread like wildfire.

II. The Social Media Spotlight: Top Fashion Brands Stealing the Show

In the hyper-competitive arena of fashion, share of voice (SOV) is king—measuring how much a brand dominates conversations relative to its peers. Among 71 brands buzzing during NYFW, here’s the elite Top 15, ranked by their SOV percentage:

The 15 most prominent fashion brands at NYFW, ranked by share of voice (SOV)

Calvin Klein‘s near-monopoly on mentions (almost 70%!) speaks volumes about its strategic prowess—likely fueled by high-profile collaborations and show-stopping reveals. COS, a more accessible luxury contender, carved out a solid second place, proving that inclusivity and innovation resonate deeply online. Veterans like Ralph Lauren and Michael Kors held steady, while emerging names like Theophilio and Luar signaled fresh energy bubbling up from diverse voices.

This ranking isn’t just vanity metrics; it reflects consumer pulse. Brands at the top are those mastering the art of cultural relevance, blending heritage with hype to stay top-of-mind.

III. Star Power Unleashed: Influencers and Celebrities Driving the Narrative

Fashion weeks thrive on star wattage, and NYFW 2025 was no exception. Out of 150 influencers and celebrities analyzed, these 15 commanded the lion’s share of quotes and shoutouts on social media, ranked by SOV:

The Top 15 Most Mentioned Influencers in Social Media During New York Fashion Week

BTS’s Jung Kook emerged as the supernova of NYFW, his endorsements eclipsing all others and tying directly into Calvin Klein’s dominance. Thai stars Zee Pruk and Milk Pansa followed, highlighting Asia’s growing sway in global fashion discourse—perhaps a nod to cross-cultural campaigns. Western icons like Cardi B and Solange Knowles added edge and elegance, while unexpected gems like Martha Stewart reminded us that timeless appeal still cuts through the noise.

These figures underscore a democratization of influence: It’s no longer just about A-listers; niche creators and international sensations are reshaping who holds the mic.

IV. Hashtag Heatmap: Brand-Celebrity Partnerships Dominate

Hashtags are the digital DNA of social trends, and NYFW’s were a masterclass in brand-influencer synergy. Here’s the Top 15 by usage volume, revealing how conversations clustered around key moments:

Top hashtags by volume of mentions posted during NYFW from September 11 to 16

The evergreen #nyfw led the pack, but branded hybrids like #jungkookxcalvinklein exploded, blending celebrity fandom with fashion fandom.  The most popular hashtags reveal the strategic importance of brand-celebrity partnerships: Seven of the top 15 hashtags directly reference the Jung Kook and Calvin Klein partnership, while another four highlight the COS collaboration with Thai celebrities Zee Pruk and Milk Pansa.

V. The Influencer Effect: How Calvin Klein and COS Dominated the Conversation

The extraordinary visibility of Calvin Klein and COS—collectively capturing nearly 90% of all brand mentions—is a direct result of their strategic influencer partnerships. This wasn’t merely coincidental but rather a carefully orchestrated approach to maximize the NYFW media impact.

Calvin Klein’s partnership with BTS member Jung Kook proved to be the single most powerful media driver of NYFW 2025. The global K-pop star’s appearance generated multiple viral moments, with hashtags like #jungkookxcalvinklein accumulating nearly half a million mentions. The strategy perfectly leveraged Jung Kook’s massive fanbase, which mobilized across platforms to celebrate his runway appearance and campaign visuals.

Similarly, COS achieved unprecedented visibility through its strategic collaboration with Thai stars Zee Pruk and Milk Pansa. Their “COS AW25” campaign specifically targeted Southeast Asian markets, generating dedicated hashtags like #cosaw2025xzee that garnered over 328,000 mentions. This regional targeting strategy paid off tremendously, elevating COS from a mid-tier player to the second most discussed brand of NYFW.

These strategic influencer partnerships transformed what would have been standard runway shows into global media events, demonstrating that the right celebrity partnership can generate more impact than traditional fashion coverage or even the designs themselves.

VI. What It All Means: Lessons from NYFW’s Media Impact Mastery

NYFW 2025’s media footprint—blending explosive social metrics with robust traditional coverage—affirms its status as a cultural colossus. Calvin Klein’s overwhelming SOV and Jung Kook’s gravitational pull exemplify how strategic partnerships can eclipse competitors. Yet, the rise of international talents like Zee Pruk and Milk Pansa signals a borderless future, where K-pop, Thai drama, and New York grit converge.

For brands, the takeaway is clear: Authenticity and collaboration trump isolation. Amplify diverse voices, leverage live moments for real-time engagement, and let data guide your narrative. As fashion hurtles toward London, Milan and Paris, NYFW sets the bar: In 2025, impact isn’t measured in yards of fabric, but in millions of voices echoing worldwide.

Ready to take your social media listening and media monitoring to the next level? Contact us today to learn how Onclusive’s platform can help you track, analyse, and respond to broadcast coverage with precision and ease.