Over the past few years, the beauty industry has been experiencing a significant change as the launches of more and more brands are setting the industry by storm. With an estimated value of $532 billion, (1) the beauty industry is expected to continue on this rising path. Makeup artists and beauty influencers play an important role in defining the next big beauty trends. Subsequently, cosmetic and skin-care brands will continue to benefit from their influence. 

Furthermore, a great deal of beauty content creators with a hefty online following don’t shy away from posting fashion content. As François Nars, Makeup Artist and Founder of NARS Cosmetics, once said: “Makeup is an accessory to fashion. You buy a bag, you buy shoes, you put on eyeliner, you buy a lipstick, makeup compliments the clothes.” (2) 

So, how can fashion brands collaborate with beauty content creators to expand their reach and impact? To answer that, we have interviewed Christina Kassi, a Houston based lifestyle blogger who creates both beauty and fashion related content, and Marie Thomsen, a professional makeup artist based in Copenhagen who has worked with the likes of GANNI, Stine Goya, By Malene Birger, and ELLE magazine.

While celebrity fashion icons, such as Rihanna and Lady Gaga, have successfully launched their own beauty brands, makeup artists are also rapidly gaining strong interest on social platforms. Notably, this increasing digital momentum is evident in the work of veteran makeup artist Pat McGrath and her work with Maison Margiela, Givenchy, Louis Vuitton and Valentino.

We’re also seeing that fashion enthusiasts have a great interest in what is going on behind the scenes of global fashion weeks, and magazines like VOGUE, ELLE, and Marie-Claire are now reporting what’s going on backstage. Pat McGrath herself confirms that there’s a definite interest for backstage interviews from the general public. (3)

Steven Kolb, the Executive Director of Fashion Designers for America, explains in an article for Consumer News and Business Channel that: “When you look at a designer and their collection, the styling and the presentation of that collection is so dependent on the complete look. To have the right makeup and hair, that is an extension of the collection or that aesthetic, is really important.” (4)

With that mind, fashion brands should use the increasing interest in beauty content to give extra, added value to the collections that they have created:

Christina Kassi: “Most major fashion houses have their own beauty lines, so there’s always that intimate connection between the current collection of RTW and beauty products released for that same season. Beauty content creators can help give ideas on how to make these looks wearable and how to incorporate beauty to dress up/down an outfit and give ideas on where it’s appropriate.”

Marie Thomsen: “Beauty makes the product final and compliments a fashion collection. It gives an extra signal of what kind women would wear it. For example, for the last Stine Goya SS20 runway show, we wanted to magnify the play-fullness and the vibrant colors of the collection. We translated that onto the makeup, with bold colored lips to create a funky and funny look to accentuate the colors of the clothes. For By Malene Birger, we wanted to emphasize the strong silhouettes with strong red lips and super slick tight hair to represent a powerful boss woman.”

Ines is the French Fashion and Design Researcher at VOCAST. After spending most of her life on the beautiful African continent she has chosen Copenhagen as her home-base. A self proclaimed “beauty addict”, she previously worked in the beauty industry and is now exploring her passion for digital marketing, fashion PR and design.

Fashion trends are constantly changing. At least, that is how it usually is. Athleisure is not a usual fashion trend. Wearing casual but stylish outfits for nearly every occasion and implementing a sporty lifestyle is not only a common practice but a continuously growing market segment of the fashion industry today.

In 2019, athleisure wear has achieved a global revenue of 414 billion US dollars – and it is expected to increase rapidly in the up-coming decade. We give you an insight in the fast-growing and diverse world of athleisure, and tell you why it is important for your brand to consider influencer marketing in this industry.

The style on the streets has changed. Women are wearing leggings, crop tops and sports bras, men are spotted in sweatpants, hoodies and sneakers. Everyone looks like having just finished a work-out in the gym, while grabbing a cappuccino in a coffee shop, meeting friends for brunch or heading to the city center for a shopping trip.

This established lifestyle emphazises one thing: People have the need for comfortable clothing. Embodying an athletic and casual leisure time, that is what athleisure is all about. And there is no doubt that this segment of the fashion market is on the rise.

Source: Global Data

According to the findings of the market research company Global Data, the revenue of athleisure worldwide has increased by 34 billion US dollars in only one year, from 2018 to 2019. And it will continue to skyrocket. Within five years, the global revenue of athleisure wear is expected to achieve a growth of 49.9% – a promising development for the fashion industry in the future.

By introducing sports and athleisure ranges, retailers and brands have maximized opportunities to profit from this growing trend. In fact, a fifth of the total clothing and footwear market is consisting of athleisure wear today. But what makes this fast-growing fashion trend so popular?

“One of the major trends driving the athleisure market is the desire for a multifunctional wardrobe,” Honor Strachan says. “The demand for comfort, style and performance in clothing and footwear has encouraged consumers to include activewear in their core wardrobe – pairing items with denim, dresses or formalwear,” she continues.

To analyze the athleisure market in all its aspects, we spoke with the retail expert from Global Data in a Q & A session: 

What is athleisure?

Strachan: “It is sports performance clothing and footwear that has some kind of fashion design influence as well as sports technical features, such as the isolation of sweat working. Athleisure can be worn for sports, exercise or training, but also for casual wear. It is about this casual aspect of activewear. The end use of the product may be different from what it was specifically designed for.“

Where does athleisure originate from?

Strachan: “In the US, athleisure has been around for a long time. The Americans have created that kind of coffee culture; going out for coffee after the gym in athleisure wear. So, it definitely started in the US and hit Europe around five years ago. It has grown since then and it continues to outperform overall clothing. There are still lots of markets overseas, where athleisure wear is relatively new. In China, it has just started to become a big trend. There is still a lot of opportunity for brands operating overseas, particularly in the Asian-Pac region.” 

Who is wearing athleisure? 

Strachan: “The most active wearers of athleisure are between 16 and 30 years old; people who are feeling younger and are also dressing younger. Fitness is becoming more important, so we are seeing a slightly older age group that is still wearing athleisure. They either want to buy sportswear or the athleisure look. Especially for women, it has become more of a fashion statement. The fastest growth has been seen in the women segment of athleisure.”

How do brands market athleisure wear? 

Strachan: “The brands that have been most successful in leveraging the athleisure trend and building their sales are those that can display their products to multiple audiences. A lot of marketing comes down to the in-store and online experience; how to present the items. To make a pair of running leggings look like casual wear would be to pair it with baseball caps, a bag, a belt, a more casual jacket or a hoodie – and automatically, it transforms a performance-led product into an athleisure look.”

Will the athleisure trend ever fade away?

Strachan: “No, athleisure is not a fad or short-term trend. As we are becoming far more conscious of health and well-being, it is one of those product areas that will continue to become part of the consumers’ wardrobe. So, the market is on the rise. People like to buy brands, they are buying into quality as well as function and innovation. They tend to be very loyal to their brands.”

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Honor Strachan is the lead retail analyst at the UK-based data analytics and consulting company Global Data. She observes and analyses market sizes and trends within the retail and fashion industry. “Athleisure is one of the fastest growing clothing categories there is,” she says. 

@roxisecke

Roxi’s Ecke is a lifestyle and fitness blog by Roxana Strasser, which offers workouts, sport inspiration and motivation, healthy recipes, travel advice and lifestyle topics in general.

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Website: roxi.rocks
137k Instagram followers

@magic_fox

Daniel Fuchs embodies a sporty and casual but fashionable lifestyle. Today, he is one of the most popular male influencers in Germany.

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Website: danielfox.de
2M Instagram followers

@bentheliem

Benthe Marlene Mey Liem is a Dutch influencer and YouTuber, living in Amsterdam. She launched her own clothing line @bybentheliem back in 2018.

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YouTube: Benthe Liem
161k Instagram followers

Imagine a late Sunday morning, a table with fresh flowers, the paper and with amazing sunlight highlighting the beautiful wooden surface. Served, are two perfect lattes, where the latte art almost makes you chill out of pure perfection.

The plates that follow have food straight from heaven loaded on them. Rye bread with avocado sliced in symmetric pieces, greek yogurt with fresh berries and homemade granola. Oh, the granola. Scrambled eggs, bacon and a plate of pancakes in a symphony with all that is wonderful and sweet. The glasses, cups, and china awake the appetite and transfers you right to the set table.

The only thing a sane person would want to do at this point is to dig in and enjoy the masterpiece that is set before them. But, it is just an image in the feed. 

Instagram opened the door for a new kind of art to be added to the daily feed. The art of food. Styled and combined with beautiful china in a setting that gives the plate a story. Presenting kitchen utensils with a narrative brings out the flavor and taste through the screen which lets it resonates with its engaged audience. Kitchen accounts attract and invite everyone to be a part of the experience. Which also makes the products in the photo easy to connect with and more desirable. 

The food styling genre was an obvious self-made category to blossom when SoMe became a bigger part of our lives. What should we post if not our food? Since everyone can relate to the experience. It’s a big part of who we are and for a brand, it’s a golden opportunity to showcase personality and invite your followers to the table with you to share your brand story.

For a foodie (a serious food enthusiast) it’s a given to not just buy new porcelain from watching a raw product image. It needs something more. Because brands today don’t just wanna have customers buying products, they want a loyal relationship with their users and storytelling is one efficient way to do so.

After scanning through the web and reading several blog posts about culinary styling we have boiled it all down to three things to think about when you to tell your brand story on the table. Factors you, as a brand, can think about when it comes to using your products combined with food.

People need context to be able to relate to the image you are serving them. Trigger an emotional connection so they want to be a part of your dinner party. Using different surfaces can help determine where the tray with pizza is eaten. The props you use will reveal what season we are in and the usage of lighting tells the audience if we’re having pancakes for breakfast or dinner. This will indicate in what context the products can be used.

Who do you want to share your new collection of glasses with? That will determine what story to build up a set for. If you want to communicate to a family with kids, adding some chaos to the image with spilled milk on the table or show that your cutlery can stand a toddler by photographing a child’s hands holding the spoon can contribute to those personality features. 

In 2019 we also focus a lot on imperfection, so don’t be afraid to let the creative process and the work of getting there be a part of the finished product. It gives a sense of authenticity and also welcomes the viewer into the kitchen and not just to a perfect dining-room. The table cloth doesn’t have to be perfectly ironed. Show details of items being used where life happens.

A brand can think of the combination of food and products like an invitation. You want your audience to come and share a meal with you. And when they do, they will most likely wanna use your products.

@nourish_atelier

Nina Olsson is a plant-based chef and author of the best selling cookbook “Bowls of Goodness”. She regularly contributes to food and travel magazines and creates recipes for books and clients. Nina is an award-winning creative and photographer, developing content, and consulting for eco-conscious and plant based businesses. 

@signebay

Signe Bay is a stylist, photographer and creative director and oftentimes described as a ‘visual storyteller’ and ‘atmosphere magician’. Her strong aesthetic sense has a certain Nordic feel to it—using both the warmth and the cold of the Scandinavian light to create atmospheres ranging from happiness and joy to a certain melancholy and reflection on life itself.