How NZ fashion designers are leveraging social media to grow brand awareness and boost revenue.
Nathalie Owen investigates.
In FashioNZ’s first instalment of our Battle of the Insta-Brands series, we investigate the impact social media has on the business of fashion and how Caitlin Crisp and Oosterom’s customer-led design methods are the future of social commerce.
Scrolling through my Instagram feed this past week, the insurmountable power social media has on our daily lives is all too apparent. It’s the first thing we look at when we wake up, how we consume our daily news, educate ourselves on what’s cool, keep tabs on friends and what our Insta-girl crushes are wearing next, so we too can emulate their effortless ‘cool-girl’ aesthetic. Case in point: NZ It-girl Rosalie Burns, who looks so dreamy in her gold BARE jewellery that I’m adding it to my cart and it’s not even 8am yet.
The algorithm knows me too well and Paris Georgia’s Instagram ads for their new collection are already convincing me to make a dent in my next pay cheque. However, no matter how many times I refreshed TikTok this past week, it was Kylie Jenner closing the Coperni show at Disneyland Paris that dominated my feed. So, it came as no surprise when the popular fashion account DataButMakeItFashion confirmed the French brand grew 151% in popularity after PFW. Now that’s real power.
@coperni Coperni Spring Summer 25 at @Disneyland Paris ✨ By Sebastien meyer & Arnaud Vaillant Thank you @Kylie Jenner for closing the show ✨ Styling @helenatejedor Creative Direction @kevintekinel @charleslevai Casting @samuel_ellis Hair @duffy_duffy Hair products @lorealparis Make up @patmcgrathreal Make up products @patmcgrathlabs Skincare @isclinical Production @lamodeenimages Show Film @fantastic____studio Music @u.r.trax @ultrarare_studio Post Production @everest_studio Choreographer @ericvonchristison Press @lucienpagescommunication
Social Media is big business for fashion brands and is the first port of call for many customers, especially millennials and Gen Z. The latter which have the fastest-growing spending power which is expected to reach US $12 Trillion by 2030, according to Nielsen IQ. Within seconds consumers can instantly gauge a brand’s aesthetic on Instagram and if the Grid pops, they’ll keep scrolling. If they see a celebrity or local cool girl repping the label, instant brownie points and recognition that this designer not only fits their vibe but is trusted and if influencer Mari Jasmine can look that chic in a Kowtow trench coat, then maybe they can too.
“With only a few seconds to capture someone’s attention, a brand’s messaging needs to be sharp, engaging, and straightforward,” says Christine Kearney, Partner and CEO of performance marketing agency, PH Digital.
“Whether you’re talking about organic or paid marketing, creative that fails to communicate its message simply doesn’t perform,” Kearney says. “But that’s the beauty of performance marketing; it allows brands to constantly analyse performance metrics to see what audiences are engaging with and refine their approach in real-time.”
With an impressive roster of fashion clients, including Deadly Ponies, Caitlin Crisp, Moochi, Muse Boutique, REBE, Ruby and Superette, PH Digital has become a leader in strategic performance marketing, helping brands build meaningful connections with their audiences while smashing revenue targets that will enable them to scale their businesses sustainably.
“Compelling creative is of course key to making sales and scaling a business” says Kearney, who suggests that brands start by sharing authentic content that engages their audience and fosters a sense of community; building brand love through relatable storytelling and genuine interaction.
A skill which designer Caitlin Crisp has mastered, by balancing beautiful campaign imagery with user-generated and behind-the-scenes content and paid social advertising.
Customers feel personally invested in the designer’s life, from her wedding and trips abroad to daily BTS updates from her Ponsonby store, Crisp takes audiences along for every step of the ride.
“Our social media strategy is something we’re constantly talking about and playing around with,” the designer says. “Of course it’s about the clothes and that’s the main goal, but when we post campaign imagery it doesn’t perform anywhere near as well as when we tell the story behind it or show it on myself.”
From Instagram Stories featuring Caitlin and the CC staff showcasing the brand’s latest designs to answering customer Q&A’s or asking followers for feedback via Polls, Crisp has fostered a genuine and authentic
relationship with her CC community; which is as special for the designer as it is for the women wearing her namesake brand.
“Having met so many of our customers, they know me and trust me and know my size, meaning if they see me in a piece they may be able to gauge what size they should order, it’s relatable and everyone loves a glimpse behind the scenes,” Crisp says.
Customer feedback via Instagram Stories regularly informs Crisp’s designs. From asking followers what pieces they want to return next season, to just this week seeing videos of Crisp promoting left-over fabrics that customers could pre-order in her best-selling Little Darling Blouse.
If you’re dying to get your hands on the label’s viral pink stripe fabric, think again, as within less than 24 hours, the colourway sold out (the White Linen is still available). Impressive considering the design was only promoted on Instagram Stories, proving the impact a loyal customer base and strong social media presence can have on brand sales.
Limited releases create a sense of urgency. Offering customers a rare product, they can proudly say is a “one off” and wear as a badge of honour is, quite simply put, genius. Especially in an age where consumers have unlimited access. FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) is an extremely lucrative sales tactic, not to mention the fact it helps designers control stock levels, limits fabric waste and fosters a strong sense of community.
It’s the future of e-commerce and a niche market, which designer Nicole Hadfield is tapping into with her latest offerings for her slow fashion label Oosterom. Whilst the brand traditionally releases collections every six months through a made-to-order model, Hadfield is now testing the market with a customer-led design method.
“Rather than creating a full collection, I’ll design one piece at a time and get immediate feedback from customers via Instagram and TikTok,” she says.
@oosteromofficial Follow for awkward dance moves. #fashion #monochromelook #layeringoutfits
This will help slow down the rate of production, which Hadfield manages as a sole designer from her home studio in Te Atatu Peninsula and allow consumers to focus on one product at a time. “It can take a while for customers to digest an entire 15-piece collection and with slow fashion in particular people take time considering each garment before purchasing,” she says, “so this way I’m sharing my designs in real-time.”
Social media has forced many designers to step in front of the camera and while some relish the spotlight, Hadfield, who got her start at Ingrid Starnes, Taylor and French83, has had a slower uptake. “I’m definitely more of an introverted person, so it’s quite tricky to just pretend that I am talking to a customer than thousands of people,” she says. “But the process has helped me feel more comfortable sharing the realities of running a small fashion label.”
“Previously, I was self-conscious showing my workroom as it is based in my garage,” the designer says, who has now overcome the notion that everything needs to look glamorous and beautiful. “This is the reality,” Hadfield says. “It’s a hard job making clothes.”
The designer recently started sharing her design process on TikTok and the gamble to be front and centre has paid off, with Posts featuring Hadfield becoming Oosterom’s highest-performing content. Whilst the brand’s campaign imagery also performs well, it’s Nicole the maker, hand-crafting made-to-order pieces or testing out new designs in the workroom that resonates most with audiences.
Follower polls have now also become an integral part of her design strategy, after gaining feedback on a shirt she is releasing this summer. “In my head everyone wanted a short sleeve, but it turned out everyone wanted long sleeves,” she says, “so now I’ve started asking people what they actually want.”
Testing the waters with her customer-led design model, Hadfield has just dropped the satin bias-cut Petra Top in three hues, which is now available for pre-order. Receiving instant responses from customers and tracking the excitement online before the launch was all the confirmation the designer needed that her new venture
was the right path. While she will still offer Oosterom’s core made-to-order collection, Hadfield’s next product drop is a chic summer shirt that will be available for pre-order in November 2024.
The shift from entire collections or brands to individual products highlights how social media is significantly shaping consumers’ shopping habits. “This change has streamlined the purchasing process, allowing consumers to move from awareness to purchase more quickly,” Kearney says, “and as a result, brands are now emphasising specific products instead.”
With audiences growing in Australia and Meta, Google and TikTok Ads proving fruitful, it is clear Oosterom is on the rise. “Sometimes I will ask a customer how they heard about me and they will say through TikTok or from a local Influencer’s Instagram page,” she says. Tapping the likes of Jessie Kirk, Brooklyn Nellis, Chloe C Hill and Rosalie Burns to rep the brand. “I love seeing how local Kiwi girls style things,” she says. “It’s not fake or manicured and real content always has a much higher audience engagement rate.”
User-generated content showcasing bespoke pieces or custom wedding dresses also receives a lot of traction, thanks to the user’s friends and family genuinely commenting on posts, organically boosting engagement. Although Hadfield admits the influencer game is a slow burn, “it definitely helps and is a great way to build the brand and grow awareness”.
With her first solo product drop launching to fever pitch, the art of slowing down and returning to the joy of designing pieces she simply loves suits the designer. Being an Oosterom customer is a very personal experience, with each garment being carefully crafted by Hadfield, feeling as though it has been sprinkled with a little bit of magic and a whole lot of love.
It’s this connection with her customers, from VIPS she regularly creates bespoke pieces for, to new audiences discovering the brand through TikTok, that is bearing the most fruit. The women Hadfield designs for are the heart of her business and with her finger firmly on the pulse and an expansion into Instagram and TikTok Shop in the works, Oosterom’s future looks exceptionally bright.
With Hadfield, Crisp and several other designers all turning to customers for direct feedback to inform their next collections, it’s clear that the landscape of social commerce is vastly evolving. With the customer’s wants and needs now being front and centre thanks to social media, this new design method is significantly shaping the future of fashion design. As to what consumers want next? Designers – check your DM’s.
NEXT ON BATTLE OF THE INSTA-BRANDS:
In our next instalment of our Battle of the Insta-Brands Series, we talk to two designers who are dominating the social media game and leveraging the power of influence: New kids of the block OHEN and sustainable fashion favourite Kowtow.