Influencers have taken over fashion week – what I saw shocked me

If they’re not fighting for position and pushing models out of the way, they’re trying to get hold of freebies (and don’t even mention the selfies). Lauren Bulla watched it all unfold from the front row

I enter a starchy space full of people gingerly sipping their complimentary champagne and get a serious bout of imposter syndrome – as I do whenever I enter a catwalk. Despite years of experience covering fashion week in New York Paris and London, the initial fear never seems to go away.

Still, I know that if I hold out, I will find fellow enthusiasts who have a genuine passion for what they do. And they are often extremely nice people. That was exactly the case this past SS25 season – and, true to form, while speaking to a seamstress, I felt my initial anxiety and nervousness dissipate. I remembered what I love about these annual events; why I pursued this career in the first place.

But then suddenly the energy shifted in the room: the influencers had arrived. And nothing could prepare me for what I was about to witness.

The first thing that struck me was the special kind of desperation that seems to accompany getting that front row spot. Wearing the most grandiose and sometimes ridiculous outfits (some were giving archival Forever 21 – and I’m only half-joking), they were clearly more interested in getting papped than they were in the designers.

Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I was decked out in the latest season (my outfits mostly consisted of thrifted Ralph Lauren button-downs, monochrome and slightly scuffed platform Docs). But I was there to work – and more focused on the models on the runway than those in the frow.

When I did get an opportunity to interview some of them and the other attendees at the Helen Anthony show in London, they all but seized up; completely refusing to engage with me. A younger me would have taken this as a personal affront, but to be honest, it was just a bit... embarrassing. They genuinely thought they were too good to talk to a lowly journalist like myself (“How dare I speak to Little Miss 200k”)! Was it my Docs?

If the battle for the front row wasn’t enough, I then saw gaggles of influencers chomping at the bit to see what they could get their hands on. At events like these, it becomes clear very early on who is there to work and develop meaningful ties; and who is there for the freebies – to suss out what’s in it for them. Height of fashion? Not likely. It all felt a bit... undignified. Uncouth, even.

Then there are the fashion influencers who bring personal photographers to shows – which was another thing altogether (particularly given I was there with a professional: my friend, the photographer Kiera Simpson). This one particularly irks me, because there’s not only an abundance of pro snappers already at the event doing exactly this, but because their photographers end up getting in the way of those hired to capture the runway.

But for me the eye-watering behaviour of some of the so-called “influential” guests peaked at the Bloni show in Paris.

I was agog, watching influencers walk through the direct path of some of the models, during a circular style presentation. They then fingered through garments like they were browsing at H&M – even though they were clearly on display in the style of an exhibition, not standard clothing racks in a showroom. One even left their personal belongings near a central beam in the room as they stepped to the side to get more selfies – disrupting the flow of the event and getting in the way of the photographer...

I actually found it not only cringey, but upsetting. To top it all off, someone backed into a light switch as the performance was taking place, throwing off the flow of the models and reflecting just how “in their own worlds” some of these people can be!

I’m not completely against influencers. I get it. It’s just part of today’s culture – some of my closest friends are full-time social media stars. Nor is this a particularly “hot take”, I know – celebrities and event organisers have grumbled for years about the issues caused by these digital vultures.

But what I am against is being rude and having no sense of how to behave at prestigious events like these (or an ounce of gratitude). It is particularly galling for those like me, who have worked hard to gain access to such events – who have a genuine appreciation of (and fascination with) fashion. Don’t they realise how lucky they are to be there? Some of us have wanted to do this our whole lives...

And even though I understand why influencers are invited; how they make their money and their desire to create a “brand”, I’m left thinking one thing: they’re ruining fashion week. I can only hope that next season, they’re more considerate of those around them – and at least fake an interest in what they are there to do. Or it’s not worth going – you might as well just stay at home and watch it on Insta...