Trends in Luxury Fashion Marketing

Key trends dominating luxury fashion marketing in 2024

Ciara Garcha

August 20, 2024

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6 minutes

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Digital messaging and visuals deliberately mirrors the elegance and ease of the in-person shopping experience (source).
The emphasis is on achieving an impact through simplicity, as opposed to crude and verbose marketing and images (source).
This mirrors the greater emphasis on establishing a personal connection; consumers increasingly value feeling a personal connection, rather than loud and crude logos (source).

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The digital realm is an increasingly for engaging and retaining a broader spectrum of customers, (source) particularly younger consumers.
Short-form videos, of less than a minute, continue to be some of the most engaging forms of content (source), in the context of shortening attention spans (source).
Luxury brands have effectively used TikTok microtrends to increase their sales; luxury makeup brand Rhode coined the trend of ‘Strawberry girl makeup’. It then released products through which consumers could achieve this look (source).
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Luxury brands embracing TikTok include Loewe, which produces videos focused on its content and responding to contemporary microtrends and memes on social media (source; Loewe’s TikTok)

Customers are keenly aware of the environmental impact the fashion industry has and are more mindful of how their purchases impact the planet (source).
Public sustainability targets and campaigns focused on environmental responsibility has been an effective way to ensure the confidence of more discerning and conscious consumers (see: Dolce and Gabbana’s Science-Based Climate Target Campaign, July 2024).
This is particularly important in reaching younger clients. Younger consumers are more likely to do a lot of research before investing in luxury goods to ensure their purchases are environmentally and ethically conscious (source).^‍

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Users are increasingly mindful of the artificial nature of much social media and are increasingly seeking something ‘authentic’ (source). Authenticity can be demonstrated through establishing a genuine emotional connection with consumers.
Brands such as Chanel have used storytelling to communicate their journey; most importantly, the consumer is located as part of this journey (See: Chanel’s Inside Chanel campaign).
Drawing on a brand’s history and what lies at its heart is particularly important in ‘reinventing’ a brand for a younger generation of consumers who may be less concerned by a brand’s existing prestige.
Customers are less interested in celebrity endorsements; they want to know why a brand should be important and personal to them (source).
Increasing emphasis on experiences, as opposed to things, have driven attempts to create memorable shopping experiences like, Chanel’s perfume-themed dinner and Jacquemus’ handbag vending machines (source).

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In times of financial and geopolitical uncertainty, there has been a shift towards marketing luxury fashion and luxury items as investment pieces.
Luxury items are marketed as representing stability and certainty, and as having an enduring, timeless quality, in contrast to political and economic uncertainty (source).
In contrast to fast fashion, the emphasis is on investing in a few high-quality pieces, which can be re-used and re-styled (see: capsule wardrobe trend).
Younger consumers in particular, are doing more research before investing in a brand and want to ensure that the products they purchase are long-term investments (source).

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Shift towards using Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality (VR and AR) to allow customers to interact with and immerse themselves in the brand and its products.
Successful examples of this have included interactive fashion shows, (see: Prada’s virtual reality fashion show) and reaching customers through the Metaverse (see: Adidas’ Metaverse fashion show).

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AI can also be used to create striking and memorable advertisements, which stay with customers for far longer (see: Jacquemus sending handbags down the streets of Paris, using AI).

Trend and aesthetic that highlights understated, classic and minimalist fashions.
Links to the idea of luxury goods as investment - the quiet luxury aesthetic emphasises investing in a few high-quality, timeless and classy goods for an understated and classic look (source).
Quiet luxury aesthetic is mirrored in marketing and is key in communicating that a brand can give consumers this aesthetic.
Marketing is elegant and understated, mainly in neutral colours (source). The emphasis is on the product and its elegant and sophisticated nature, as opposed to solely on the brand and label (source).
Quiet luxury also ties into personalisation and marketing foregrounding the personal connection.

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Gen Z globally have $360 billion in disposable income (source) and, along with millennials, are projected to account for up to 70% of luxury sales by 2030 (source).
Gen Z prioritise inclusivity, as opposed to exclusivity. This poses a challenge for luxury brands, who have built their reputation on exclusivity (source).
Luxury brands can appeal to Gen Z consumers by ensuring accessibility through sizing and product type, offering personalisation services, and committing their brand to having a positive social, cultural and environmental impact.
Gen Z and young consumers also drive their own trends, for example ‘quiet luxury’, the renewed social media hype around Birkin Bags, and the rise of luxury streetwear (source), which brands need to be in touch with.