Q&A Viral Nation takes us behind the scenes at New York Fashion Week Fashion weeks have always felt like an insider-exercise, an experience for buyers, celebrities and select media. But N4XT Experiences, the company behind New York Fashion Week and LA Fashion Week, is changing that equation by partnering with Viral Nation to bring these iconic events into the social era and giving us access like never before.
I spoke with Nicholas Spiro, Chief Commercial Officer at Viral Nation, about their strategy to democratize fashion through social-first content and cool creator partnerships. On the vision behind social-first fashion: "A lot of what N4XT is trying to achieve is democratization of fashion. In the old days, it was very heavily gatekept. Imad [Izemrane, CEO of N4XT] wants to spread it around the city in more venues so more consumers can see it. Fashion has always been one of the origins of the influencer and model category, yet at the same time, it's very old guard and gatekept. Any amount of knocking down those walls, I think, would be compelling." On their four-pillar partnership approach: “ We're providing four different aspects: - Social strategy for how designers communicate and what trends they're jumping on.
- Content production where we're making social-first content for them.
- Viral Nation talent is at events taking pictures and getting engagement.
- Analysis where we're building reports tracking mentions and insights like what colors were most common.
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On standout moments from this year's NYFW: "Public School and Off-White are some of the designers that have excited me with the footage we've been able to capture. Public School coming back is really powerful — they were away for six years, so them bringing the party back to the show was a highlight." Behind the Scenes at Off-White Runway Show  | Maxwell Osborne, Jordan Clarkson, Devin Booker at Public School — Jason Sean Weiss/BFA.com |
On the unique NYFW experience: "They have showrooms where you actually can get one-on-one time with a designer. The majority of other Fashion Week events are elbow to elbow. This one's really an open layout. The showrooms are unique and pushing the boundaries of fashion." On fashion embracing creators: "Fashion is an interesting industry to Viral Nation because it is one of the origins of the influencer category. The industry is very old - old guard, gatekept. And so any amount of knocking down the walls is crucial for the future of fashion. At a future fashion show, we'd even imagine Viral Nation Talent wearing the designer. You saw other Creators breaking into fashion — for example, with Emma Chamberlain at the Met." On platform strategy: "Instagram and TikTok are the main platforms we focus on for fashion content." On their comprehensive social services: "Our ethos is social transformation, meaning a lot of what we do isn't just influencer marketing. We can take over brand handles, do community management, make social first content, and a variety of other Social first service lines. For Elf Cosmetics, we ran an amazing campaign with Mikayla. When Mikayla Nogueira speaks, her audience listens. Her authenticity and charm have made her a trusted voice in the beauty world. So, we asked ourselves: what if Mikayla didn’t just represent the lip kit — what if she led the brand? Our team brainstormed bold concepts to make the restock unforgettable. Among them, one idea rose to the top: appoint Mikayla as “CEO for a Day.” It was an idea that captured her connection to the e.l.f. community while amplifying the excitement around the product’s return." | 
