When Fashion Goes Viral

Model photographed by Azeezah Oyeleke

Going viral is one thing every fashion brand or designer wants. Who wouldn’t love the spotlight, especially in an industry where virality can be life-changing? Think ‘Oh Polly’. This brand has mastered TikTok and Instagram, going viral through user-generated content and innovative marketing strategies. 

But how does virality actually shape fashion success stories, and why do some brands crash and burn after their big moment? More importantly, should fashion brands even seek to go viral? 

The best success stories rarely happen in the dark. It’s visibility that transforms a brand or designer into a phenomenon. Without virality, many of today’s well-known labels wouldn’t have gained the popularity they enjoy. 

Take Kai Collective, for instance. Its founder, Fisayo Longe, relied on Instagram to sell her pieces because she didn’t have a large marketing budget. According to Forbes, she first went viral with a photo of her wearing a Kai dress at a BAFTA party. Soon after, her Gaia dress went viral in April 2020, selling out almost immediately and repeatedly. That single dress catapulted her into the pages of major fashion publications. Recently, she's been running a TikTok campaign to style the Kai Collective tank top every day until the brand hits $1 million in revenue. 

Oriré is another brand that went viral not too long ago. In 2024, when Meghan Markle visited Nigeria, she wore the brand’s Dire dress. Within hours, everyone wanted to know the designer behind the look, and just like that, Oriré became the name on everyone’s lips. 

So virality isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it’s something that every brand should appreciate when it happens. But the consequences of the spotlight are that it doesn’t fade when things go wrong. It just magnifies the flaws. 

Let’s talk about why some brands crash and burn. The most obvious reason is that they can’t meet the sudden surge in demand. This leads to delayed orders or worse, subpar quality. 

Another reason is that brands become so focused on reheating their nachos that they forget the reason why they exist in the first place. They lose sight of  their mission, their loyal audience, and start chasing the spotlight for its own sake. 

And then there are the stunts. In pursuit of attention, some brands cross the line and alienate their audience. Think Balenciaga’s 2022 campaign featuring children holding fetishized teddy bears. This controversy cost the brand both credibility and trust. 

So if virality can make or break a brand, should brands/designers actively chase it? 

In my opinion, the pursuit of vitality is one that designers and brands should avoid. Instead, brands should focus on connection. The aim should be to build strong marketing strategies that genuinely resonate with their audience. If those efforts happen to make them go viral, that’s great, but it shouldn’t be the goal. 

For instance, if a brand typically makes 30 pieces of a design per month and needs 200 pieces after going viral. Then, creating a waitlist is a smart solution. This allows them to manage demand without sacrificing quality. At the same time, they can highlight other available designs while customers wait for the sold-out piece to be restocked. 

Ultimately, virality is a double-edged sword. It can open doors or expose cracks. What determines the outcome isn’t the viral moment itself, but what the brand does outwardly. The real success lies in not chasing the next viral trend but in using the attention to build something lasting, which is a brand that thrives long after the internet has moved on.