The fashion industry has undergone a shift towards influencer-owned fashion brands.

Influencers are now becoming brand owners, launching their own fashion lines that deeply appeal to their audiences. Brands such as Paige Lorenze (Dairy Boy), Matilda Djerf (Djerf Avenue), and Chelsea Parke (Parke) send the internet into frenzy with each of their latest releases. They have each created their own clothing lines, which reflect their own personal aesthetics and personalities that have been wildly successful, often selling out in mere minutes.

But what’s driving this success? At the core of this is a sense of trust, authenticity, and reliability between the creator and the consumer, making shoppers more inclined to purchase from their brands over traditional corporate clothing brands. These emerging influencer brands are not just selling clothes; they’re selling an exclusive lifestyle and community that consumers want to be a part of. By releasing limited stock, these brands create scarcity, causing consumers to sell out their latest products, furthering demand for these brands. This is a pivotal moment in the fashion world as the boundaries between brands and influencers blur.

I asked our PR experts: How can small up-and-coming brands create a sense of authenticity and identity that resonates with today’s consumers, and how should they go about crafting a meaningful brand story? How can smaller brands and creators without a major following or celebrity backing still create a media buzz? How can smaller brands use PR tools such as scarcity and exclusivity be successfully replicated?

Here are the experts' insights.

• Imbue your brand with heaps of personality
• Make the connection between the founder's story and the product itself
• Create content that builds a relationship with the viewer
• Make your tribe feel like VIPs
• Focus on the emotional resonance
• Handle early drops as insider drops
• The influencer-led fashion model works because it feels personal
• Join everyday consumer actions

Imbue your brand with heaps of personality

Emily Reynolds-Bergh, Owner at R Public Relations

"Ditch vague values and trend-focused branding; if you want to curate a brand narrative that captures audiences as well as an influencer, you need to imbue your brand with heaps of personality! While you may alienate some of your audience, the ones who your brand resonates with will likely be more loyal than you could imagine. I recommend creating a customer personal for your ideal shopper. Outline where they like to shop, their favorite activities, their favorite colors, and even their favorite places to eat. Then, develop content that speaks directly to that person."

Make the connection between the founder's story and the product itself

Rameez Ghayas Usmani, Director of Link Building at HAROServices.com

"Smaller brands that want to be seen as real should start by making the connection between the founder's story and the product itself. People are more likely to connect with a brand when they feel like they're getting into a real experience.

One strategy that has worked for us is writing down the behind-the-scenes journey right from the start, from finding fabrics to the problems with shipping. When people are that open and honest, trust grows quickly on TikToks and Reels.

To make the news, you don't need millions of fans; you just need moments. Anchoring launches to something personal or culturally timely can help smaller brands get a lot of attention from the media. We once helped a small fashion company build its launch around using old South Asian embroidery on streetwear again. The story behind it was so interesting that it got a lot of attention.

Scarcity is powerful when it feels genuine. Instead of faking demand, smaller brands can limit drops and lean into pre-orders, showing customers they’re part of something growing (instead of mass-produced). Pair that with micro-influencer gifting and exclusivity-driven email campaigns, and you start replicating the virality of creator-led fashion houses in your own orbit.

If I've to say in a few words, don’t just sell the product. Make people feel like they're early supporters of a brand that actually stands for something."

Create content that builds a relationship with the viewer

Danyon Togia, Founder at Expert SEO

"Lots of it comes down to the relationship between the consumer and the content creator. They could be selling a bag of peanuts; if there's a strong enough relationship between the two, it'll work (to a certain degree obviously).

I think rather than trying to create/force a sense of authenticity, it's something that happens naturally and people are naturally attracted to it.

Crafting a meaningful backstory is the same - you don't always have to have a Steve Jobs up-and-coming story, the truth is strong enough to stand on its own.

Ultimately, I believe it comes down to creating content that builds a relationship with the viewer (could be things like vlogs, day in the life videos, etc) and using that connection to launch a clothing brand."

Make your tribe feel like VIPs

Latif Hamilton, Co-Founder at SpiritHoods

"If you're a tiny brand that wishes to play big, it starts with authenticity. People can smell the fake from a mile away. Share your story, your weirdness, your behind-the-scenes mess—that's where trust happens. We doubled down on what made us unique (faux fur animal headpieces? Yes!) and combined it with purpose: 10% of profits donated to wildlife organizations. People didn't purchase a hoodie; they joined a movement.

No celebrity? No issue. Make small drops with a large attitude. Name your things. Share little stories. Make your customers feel like they're in on something special. Scarcity isn't about being unattainable—it's about making your tribe feel like VIPs. Keep it strange, keep it authentic, and the correct people will arrive (and betray you)."

Focus on the emotional resonance

David Li, Owner at Mountain View

"Small fashion brands do not need to focus on the aesthetics but on the emotional resonance. It is not only clothes that people purchase, but also values, tone, and identity that are being purchased. Begin with a brand persona that speaks, acts, and posts like a real human being. On platforms such as TikTok and Instagram Stories, employ lo-fi storytelling: e.g., unedited fitting-room videos, voiceovers discussing the design decisions, or day-in-the-life content building the collection.

Forget mass media, go after meme pages, style curators, or subculture feeds with active but off-the-radar followers. They are contemporary cultural gatekeepers. Give exclusive discount codes as social currency to propel organic amplification.

Get rid of items that are event-based, such as the idea of finals week fits or the eclipse capsule. Scarcity and the cultural presence in the market add urgency and can make even small stocks seem monumental. Scarcity turns into storytelling rather than just stock control."

Handle early drops as insider drops

Erik Wright, Founder & CEO at New Horizon Home Buyers

"Small brands must try to replicate the success of awesome brands in the past and start embracing real storytelling. People these days don't want polish, they want personality. If you're a creator, your face, voice, and story are your biggest strengths. Use social media to reveal not only products, but processes, failures, and "why" behind your business. People don't buy logos, they buy people.

You don't need a million fans to create buzz; you need an emotional connection. Some of the most viral brands I've ever seen used micro-stories to make a connection: handwritten thank-you letters, behind-the-scenes packaging videos, or unedited footage of the founder talking about what the brand is to them. These moments are virality-worthy because they are human.

Scarcity only works if it's paired with a brand that customers believe in. Tiny brands must handle early drops as insider drops: small quantities, email release only, and honest feedback from their earliest supporters. Exclusivity isn't gatekeeping, it's making your earliest supporters feel like they're part of something special.

You don't need mass appeal, you need cult appeal. Build for 100 die-hard devotees, not 10,000 lukewarm admirers."

The influencer-led fashion model works because it feels personal

Joel Lim, Co-Founder at Becoin.Net

"The influencer-led fashion model works because it feels personal, but any small brand can do this with a coherent visual aesthetic, use of strong values, and layman language from customers, not marketing.

You do not need to have millions of followers.

You just need to stay legitimate across Instagram, TikTok, and your e-commerce site.

The music even at times is from voiceovers of a day-in-the-life, set with a vibe that emotionally hooks users.

To gain authenticity, I tell brands to show all the hard work going on in the early days and months: packing orders, sourcing materials, even the stress—in a way that builds shared growth with the audience.

Smaller brands can create exclusivity without lying about it.

Instead of pretending to be limited, name your drop, create a "waitlist" page, give them glimpses of product sketches, and tease the story via your email list.

This takes casual viewers and turns them into invested followers who want to be part of your build.

For media buzz, I suggest working with aligned micro-influencers, not just for reach but to do content in their aligned style and tone.

Finally, a real scarcity only exists where trust is.

Make a product worthy of trust, then tell that trust story in such a way that people want to believe it matters."

Join everyday consumer actions

Derek Emery, CEO at Cash For Cars Los Angeles

"For small up-and-coming brands, building true authenticity means discovering their core brand character, which should feel like a relatable personality.

Every interaction a brand has, from an email to a product note, will then deeply reflect this special identity.

Creating media buzz without a large following asks brands to join everyday consumer actions, turning common moments into something truly shareable.

Cleverly, transforming regular experiences like opening a package into a unique brand moment can organically generate lots of excitement.

Replicating scarcity successfully involves planning specific release windows, making a product launch an exciting event people look forward to.

This focused approach can immediately drive intense demand and importantly build a dedicated, eager community."

#PRontheGO