The best of fashion and beauty on Social Media this week

Of all the social media platforms, it’s Instagram that best lends itself to the world of fashion and beauty – being as visual as it is. However, despite the obvious potential that it has to offer, the Insta feeds of many fashion brands do tend to look a bit samey.

There seems to be a fashion and beauty formula for success on Insta: post mainly product images and editorial photos – and throw in a little bit of lifestyle for good measure. To be fair, it usually does the trick and when it’s done well (as it often is) there should be no real cause to moan.

But, when brands do things a bit differently it’s always worth taking notice – and, of course, people do. As fashion and beauty goes, one such brand is Gucci.

Gucci – The Artist is Present 

Gucci have always stood out with their eye-catching Instagram brand strategy. Yes, they post glossy images from high-fashion shoots which have an editorial flavour. But, alongside these, the brand often uses illustrators to bring stories to life, related to a new collections or a product.

Essentially, you never quite know what to expect with Gucci, and they’ve been at it again this week. ‘The Artist is Present’ is an exhibition curated by Maurizio Cattelan. It borrows its name from artist Marina Abramović’s 2010 show. It explores the influence of copying in contemporary culture. Apt in the fashion world, as styles always copy and take strong influences from what has gone before. All this week, pictures of guests arriving at the exhibition in Shanghai wearing Gucci have been posted on Insta – alongside others, such as the #GucciArtWall.

Boohoo – A social media masterclass

Any fashion or beauty brand wanting to learn how ‘to do’ social media successfully would do well to take a look at Boohoo. The brand are established masters at tapping into what matters to its audience and what people are talking about. They often stray into non-fashion news but are always totally on point with their target market.

So, this week has seen Boohoo posts featuring fashion and beauty bloggers and influencers, such as Sarah Ashcroft and Ellie Joslin showing off #myBOOHOOstyle. Elsewhere, the Boohoo feeds have been full of motivational messages – “You were born to be real, not perfect!” A celebration of the arrival of the weekend – “Save Water: Drink Champagne”; and a call to ‘ALL LONDON BABES’: “Wanna be in our next TV ad?”

All so simple, but so effective: Boohoo really are a social media marketing masterclass!

River Island – #ImWearingRI

River Island were one of the first brands to utilise the Insta shopping update that finally allowed businesses in the UK to sell products in posts. The brand continues to stand out as a good example of how to create a seamless social media shopping experience.

Their posts highlight outfits that will appeal to their audience. This week they showed off an A-line skirt and jumper combo that will be “your go-to this season.” Notably, in this post using the popular #ImWearingRI, the model chosen is star of ‘First Dates’, Sarah Dransfield, who lost a leg to cancer.