LUXONOMY Report: Influencers vs. Brand Owners – A Question of Credibility

In the past decade, influencer marketing became a pillar of digital strategy, at times outperforming traditional ads. Surveys found that 92% of consumers trust recommendations from influencers more than traditional advertisements or even celebrity endorsements. Brands eagerly invested, seeing an average return of $5.78 for every $1 spent on influencer campaigns. However, the landscape has started to shift. Overexposure and sponsored content saturation, along with instances of fake followers and manipulated engagement, have eroded audience trust in some influencers. Consumers today prize authenticity and consistency, and many have grown skeptical of posts that feel like paid promotions. This credibility gap has opened the door to a new trend: brand owners and designers stepping forward as their own influencers.

Increasingly, fashion founders and creative directors are leveraging personal social media presence to champion their brands’ message. In what can be seen as an evolution of brand communication, the “face” of the brand is often the person who created it, rather than a paid influencer. This report analyzes the rise of that trend – exploring its origins, showcasing notable examples, comparing credibility and engagement outcomes, and weighing the benefits and risks. We also discuss strategic implications for both up-and-coming labels and established fashion houses. Ultimately, it’s a deep dive into whether a founder’s personal storytelling offers more credibility and connection than traditional influencer endorsements, and what that means for the future of fashion marketing.

Origin and Evolution of the Trend

In the early 2010s, social media influencers emerged as powerful intermediaries between brands and consumers. They offered relatability and niche authority, helping luxury and fashion brands reach younger, digital-native audiences. Consumer trust in influencers was initially extremely high – for example, a Nielsen report noted that around 92% of people trusted influencer or peer recommendations over brand advertisements. Influencers’ content felt like word-of-mouth, lending credibility that overt corporate marketing often lacked. Each positive review or unboxing video could translate into significant sales uplift, and for a time influencer marketing delivered outstanding results. Marketers reported robust returns on investment and began allocating sizeable budgets to influencer collaborations, fueling an entire industry now worth over $16 billion annually.

However, as influencer marketing matured, cracks began to appear in its façade of authenticity. The proliferation of sponsored posts, affiliate links, and paid partnerships led to “influencer fatigue” among consumers. By the mid-2020s, 69% of consumers still said they trust social media personalities’ recommendations (placing them on par with advice from friends or family) over direct brand communications, but this trust was more conditional than before. Followers became more alert to inauthentic endorsements. Notably, 81% of people noticed an uptick in sponsored influencer content and questioned whether influencers’ praise was genuine or simply paid for. High-profile controversies — such as influencers caught in dishonest reviews or promoting products they don’t truly use — further chipped away at credibility.

At the same time, luxury brands in particular struggled with a paradox: exclusivity versus mass influencer culture. A study found 68% of luxury consumers perceive a contradiction when an influencer touts an “exclusive” high-end product while simultaneously broadcasting every detail of their life to millions online. In other words, the mystique that luxury relies on can be undermined by influencer oversharing. Brand authenticity suffers when there’s a mismatch between an influencer’s image and the brand’s identity. These challenges prompted brands to rethink their strategy. Instead of abandoning influencers entirely, many began to seek a different kind of spokesperson — one inherently aligned with the brand values: the brand’s own founder or creative head.

The evolution was subtle but significant. Visionary entrepreneurs and designers started to cultivate their personal brand alongside the company’s brand. They realized that by sharing their story, vision, and lifestyle directly, they could preserve narrative control and potentially inspire even greater trust. This approach isn’t entirely new (luxury maisons have long been personified by iconic founders or designers), but social media gave it a modern twist. What’s different now is the scale and intentionality: brand owners are actively positioning themselves as influencers, complete with regular posts, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and direct engagement with followers. This trend gained momentum in the late 2010s and accelerated into the 2020s as authenticity became the marketing watchword.

Notably, even outside the fashion world, studies reinforced the power of leader-led communication. A Forbes study in 2024 highlighted that 82% of consumers are more likely to trust a company whose leadership is active on social media. Moreover, 77% of consumers say they’re more likely to buy from a company when the CEO uses social media. These data points underscore a broader shift in trust: people crave a human connection and accountability at the top. In the fashion industry, which thrives on personal expression and brand storytelling, this shift naturally paves the way for founders and designers to become the chief narrators of their brand story. The next sections will explore how this plays out in practice and whether owner-influencers indeed command more credibility and engagement than traditional influencers.

Founders as Influencers: Notable Examples in Fashion

A number of fashion brand owners and designers have embraced the role of influencer – often with remarkable success. By leveraging their personal charisma and vision, they blur the line between creator and promoter. Below, we highlight a few notable cases, along with data that illustrates their impact:

• Simon Porte Jacquemus – Jacquemus: Perhaps one of the clearest examples of a founder who is the embodiment of his brand, Simon Porte Jacquemus turned his personal narrative into a powerful marketing asset. On Instagram, he shares slices of his life in Provence, his design inspiration, and even personal touches like his family and beloved dog. This consistent storytelling has infused the Jacquemus brand with a unique sunny, youthful, and authentic aesthetic, directly reflecting the founder’s own background and personality. The strategy isn’t just about image—it’s delivering business results. Jacquemus’ revenues have skyrocketed in parallel with Simon’s rising profile. The company grew from a humble €11 million in 2018 to an estimated €100 million in 2021, and roughly €280 million in 2023. This meteoric growth has been attributed in part to the cult-like following Simon cultivated; fans of the designer feel personally connected to him and, by extension, to his products. His hands-on engagement (reportedly even responding to fans’ direct messages and comments) has fostered an emotional community around the brand. By integrating his own image and story into Jacquemus’ identity, Simon has achieved a level of authenticity and loyalty that traditional advertising struggles to match. It’s no surprise Jacquemus is hailed as a modern luxury success story fueled by the founder’s personal influence.
• Olivier Rousteing – Balmain: As creative director (though not founder) of Balmain, Rousteing is a case of a designer becoming an influencer-level personality in his own right. Appointed at age 25, Rousteing from early on used social media to democratize the famously exclusive French house. He was one of the first luxury designers to launch a personal Instagram account to connect with fans directly. His savvy use of the platform – sharing both the glamorous (celebrity friends like the Kardashians in Balmain campaigns) and the personal – earned him a massive following. By 2019, Rousteing had 5.4 million Instagram followers (versus Balmain’s official account’s 9.7 million), and today he has over 10 million. This reach rivals that of many professional influencers and far exceeds most fashion CEOs. Crucially, Rousteing has used his voice to reinforce brand values: inclusivity, modernity, and self-expression. He often posts behind-the-scenes looks at design processes, heartfelt tributes to his inspirations, and interactive stories that make followers feel part of the Balmain journey. Rousteing himself noted that this approach is about staying “authentic” and building a community around the brand – “Instagram… can be a huge push for a brand’s business, but above all, it needs to stay authentic,” he explained. By personally engaging his audience, Rousteing has rejuvenated Balmain’s image for the Instagram generation, making a classic luxury brand resonate with younger fans. His success illustrates that a charismatic brand leader can amplify a brand’s reach and cultural relevance far beyond what the corporate channel alone might achieve.
• Chiara Ferragni – The Blonde Salad/Chiara Ferragni Brand: (Honorable Mention) Chiara Ferragni exemplifies the inverse path – starting as an influencer and becoming a brand owner – yet her case underscores the power of personal brand. A fashion blogger-turned-entrepreneur, Ferragni leveraged her massive following to launch her own fashion line. As the face of her brand, she translated trust and rapport built over years of sharing her life into commercial success. By 2023, her Chiara Ferragni Collection was a multimillion-euro business, all propelled by her influencer credibility. While her journey began differently (as a content creator), it reinforces the theme that audiences connect strongly with brands that have a human face – whether the person started as an influencer or as a founder. Ferragni’s case also foreshadowed the trend of founders as influencers: she demonstrated to the industry that a personal narrative can be just as valuable as design talent in building a fashion empire.

These examples show that owner-led influence comes in different forms – from creative directors of heritage houses to founders of new labels and even influencer-entrepreneurs. In each case, the individual’s personal brand and content became a key part of the company’s marketing strategy. We see founders sharing design inspirations in real time, interacting directly with customers, and even becoming the face of advertising campaigns (often at zero cost, since they promote their own brand out of genuine passion). The question is: does this translate to greater credibility and engagement compared to the traditional influencer model? We tackle that next.

Credibility and Engagement: Owner-Influencers vs. Traditional Influencers

One of the core motivations behind founders acting as influencers is the promise of greater credibility. By virtue of their position, a founder or designer speaks for the brand in a way a hired influencer never truly can. Here we compare credibility and engagement dynamics between owner-influencers and conventional influencers:

• Credibility and Trust: Brand owners are inherently tied to their products – their “skin in the game” often makes their endorsements more believable. An owner’s social media post about a new collection isn’t just a paid promotion; it’s seen as sharing a piece of their craft and vision. Consumers tend to perceive this as more authentic and trustworthy. In fact, broader studies affirm that people trust communications from leadership more than generic ads: 82% of buyers trust a company more if its senior executives are active online, and messages from a founder-CEO are often regarded as coming from an expert or insider. By contrast, a traditional influencer’s recommendation might be taken with a grain of salt – audiences know influencers often get paid and promote many brands. Trust in influencers remains substantial (around 69% of consumers trust the influencers they follow), but it can fluctuate based on how authentic the partnership appears. The key difference is consistency: a founder will only promote their own brand, whereas an influencer’s loyalty is divided among sponsors. This singular focus can make the founder’s advocacy feel more genuine. In luxury sectors, especially, having the creator speak directly can reinforce the aura of quality and exclusivity, as there’s no “middleman” diluting the message.
• Engagement Quality: Owner-influencers and traditional influencers often engage audiences in different ways. Founders tend to share more in-depth content – for example, the story behind a product, design philosophies, or personal anecdotes about building the business. This kind of content can foster deeper engagement, attracting comments and discussions that go beyond surface praise. Traditional influencers, on the other hand, typically engage audiences with lifestyle-oriented posts or aspirational imagery. They can generate massive reach and quick bursts of engagement (likes, shares) especially if they have millions of followers. However, the engagement rate (interaction relative to audience size) often diminishes as influencers grow bigger. Interestingly, data shows that smaller, more niche accounts often have higher engagement rates: micro-influencers (with tens of thousands of followers) can see ~7% engagement, whereas mega-influencers (with millions) might get around 2% or less. A founder’s account might resemble a micro-influencer in that it attracts a core community of highly interested followers (customers, brand loyalists), potentially yielding strong engagement. For example, when a founder shares a behind-the-scenes look at an upcoming product, the comments may explode with genuine customer excitement and feedback – a level of vested interest that a one-off sponsored post by a generic influencer may not spark.
• Content Alignment: A chronic challenge in influencer marketing is ensuring the influencer’s tone and values align with the brand’s. Misalignment can hurt credibility (e.g., a fast-fashion influencer promoting a sustainable luxury brand feels off-brand). With an owner-influencer, alignment is virtually guaranteed – the founder is the brand ethos personified. This often leads to more coherent messaging and storytelling. Followers get a consistent narrative directly from the source. In terms of engagement, this coherence can translate into better audience retention and loyalty: people follow the founder for the brand story, essentially opting into a long-term journey rather than a single campaign. Traditional influencers, even when carefully chosen, might not deliver that same continuity. Their followers are there for the influencer’s content, which might or might not keep highlighting a given brand after a campaign ends.
• Community Building: Founders who actively engage online often cultivate what could be described as a brand community or tribe. They can rally followers around the brand’s mission and values. For instance, a designer-founder might host Q&As about the craftsmanship behind products or solicit input on new designs, making followers feel like part of an inner circle. This participatory engagement builds emotional loyalty (customers feel heard and connected). Traditional influencers can also build communities, but those communities belong to the influencer first – the brand is a guest. Once a promotion is over, the conversation often moves on. With owner-influencers, the community remains centered on the brand’s world continuously.

In summary, while both owner-influencers and traditional influencers can be effective, their strengths differ. Traditional influencers offer broad reach and familiarity – they bring the brand to new eyes, leveraging their popularity. Owner-influencers offer depth and authenticity, reinforcing trust among those already interested or converting skeptics through genuine storytelling. For many fashion companies, an ideal strategy may blend the two: use influencers for awareness, but have the founder reinforce credibility and nurture the long-term relationship. Before drawing conclusions, however, it’s crucial to examine the specific advantages and disadvantages of the owner-as-influencer approach.

Pros of Founder-Led Influence

When brand owners or designers take on the influencer role, they gain several strategic advantages. Here are the key pros, along with insights into why they matter:

• Authenticity and Narrative Control: A founder speaking directly to the audience lends an air of authenticity that is hard to replicate. They can tell the brand’s story in their own voice, ensuring that core values and messages aren’t diluted. This level of narrative control means the brand’s portrayal is always on-point. As one study noted, reliance on independent influencers can lead to a loss of control over brand messaging – a risk avoided when the storyteller is the brand owner. By sharing personal motivations (“why I created this brand”), behind-the-scenes looks at craftsmanship, or the company’s mission, founders can create a rich, cohesive narrative. Followers often find this transparency credible and refreshing compared to polished ad campaigns. Balmain’s Olivier Rousteing observed that using social media as a founder figure allows one to be “honest and sincere” and maintain authenticity in brand marketing. In short, the founder can uphold the brand’s DNA uncompromised, strengthening brand integrity in the eyes of consumers.
• Humanization of the Brand: When the person behind the brand steps forward, it puts a human face to the company. This humanization fosters an emotional connection. The founder can share not just successes, but also personal anecdotes, challenges overcome, and even occasional failures. Such candor can endear the brand to the public. For example, a founder might post about the late nights spent perfecting a design or a childhood inspiration that led to the brand’s creation. These narratives make the brand story relatable and evoke empathy. As a result, customers feel they know the brand on a deeper level, almost as a “friend.” Marketing experts often emphasize that storytelling and authenticity drive loyalty – indeed, sharing personal stories and values brings the audience closer and creates an emotional bond. This bond can translate to greater customer loyalty and goodwill that goes beyond any single product.
• Credibility and Expert Authority: A brand’s owner or head designer is inherently seen as an expert on the brand and its products. When they speak about their product, it carries weight. They aren’t perceived as a hired promoter; they are the source. This boosts credibility – consumers believe the founder truly knows what they’re talking about (after all, who knows the product better than the person who created it?). Furthermore, many founder-influencers establish themselves as thought leaders in their domain. By discussing industry trends, quality standards, or brand philosophy, they not only promote their own brand but also project leadership and expertise. This thought leadership can enhance the brand’s reputation. For instance, a sustainable fashion brand’s founder posting educational content about eco-friendly materials will position both themselves and the brand as credible champions of sustainability. In an age where consumers research what they buy, having the founder publicly demonstrate knowledge and passion builds trust.
• Emotional Loyalty and Community Engagement: Founder-led communication often leads to the formation of a dedicated community around the brand. Fans aren’t just buying products; they’re “buying into” the story and the person. This can create emotional loyalty that is highly resilient. Customers feel invested in the brand’s journey and success. They are more likely to forgive mishaps and remain loyal over time because they see the genuine effort of a real person they admire. Founders can nurture this community through direct engagement – responding to comments, thanking customers, even incorporating customer feedback into new designs. Such interactions make customers feel valued and heard, reinforcing loyalty. Over time, the brand community can become self-sustaining, with loyalists acting as ambassadors and cheerleaders. This kind of fervent, almost familial customer base is something many brands strive for, and founder-as-influencer is a powerful way to achieve it. It’s marketing gold when your customers are emotionally connected; they not only stick with the brand, they also spread positive word-of-mouth.
• Cost Efficiency: Leveraging the founder’s own platform can be highly cost-effective. Traditional influencer marketing can be expensive – top-tier influencers charge hefty fees per post or campaign. By contrast, when a founder uses their personal social media to promote the brand, there’s little to no incremental cost. It’s essentially free advertising (aside from the time/effort spent creating content). Especially for emerging brands with tight budgets, the founder doubling as chief influencer can save thousands of dollars that would otherwise go to external promoters. Additionally, content from the founder can often be repurposed across brand channels, maximizing its value. Over time, as the founder’s follower count grows, the “media value” of their posts grows as well – at no extra cost to the company. In a sense, the brand is developing an in-house influencer asset. This cost efficiency also ties in with authenticity: audiences know the founder isn’t being paid to hawk the product (it’s their own), which further enhances credibility.

In summary, founder-as-influencer brings the advantages of authenticity, authority, human connection, and cost savings. Brands get a spokesperson who is utterly aligned with their identity and who can build a loyal audience from the ground up. The above pros explain why many fashion startups and even established houses are enthusiastically encouraging their leaders to cultivate a public persona. However, this strategy is not without pitfalls. The next section examines the cons and risks associated with putting the founder front-and-center.

Cons and Risks of Founder-Led Influence

Despite its advantages, the strategy of having brand owners act as influencers comes with notable risks and challenges. It’s essential to weigh these cons, as a misstep can have serious repercussions for both the individual and the brand. Key drawbacks include:

• Reputational Risk Amplification: When a founder or designer is the public face, any personal mistake or controversial remark they make can directly damage the brand’s reputation. There’s no buffer. A stark illustration is the 2018 incident with Dolce & Gabbana: Co-founder Stefano Gabbana’s allegedly offensive Instagram messages sparked public outcry and a boycott in China, forcing the brand to cancel a major fashion show in Shanghai. The fallout hit sales and required a public apology. This example shows how one misjudged social media moment can tarnish a brand image globally. Traditional influencers carry this risk too (brands have had to cut ties with influencers who behaved badly), but if a hired influencer errs, a company can issue a statement and distance itself. If the offender is the owner, the brand and person are one and the same – it’s much harder to contain the damage. Founders are only human, and the informal nature of social media can sometimes lead to impulsive posts that backfire. Thus, the stakes are incredibly high: any scandal or backlash involving the founder will directly engulf the brand.
• Personal Overexposure and Brand Dilution: Being constantly in the spotlight can lead to overexposure of the founder’s persona. This is especially risky in luxury fashion, where a degree of mystique and exclusivity is part of the appeal. If a brand owner shares too much or too often, it might erode the brand’s aura. There’s a fine line between transparency and TMI (“too much information”). For example, a luxury designer who posts incessantly about their daily routine might diminish the sense of exclusivity; the brand could start to feel too accessible or ordinary. Industry experts caution that luxury brands should never contort their identity just to fit social media trends – they warn that a brand should even refrain from social media if it means sacrificing its essence. In founder-as-influencer scenarios, there is a temptation for the individual to post content for engagement that might not align perfectly with the brand’s tone. Over time, the brand’s image could become overly identified with one person’s quirks or lifestyle, diluting other facets of its identity. Moreover, the audience might grow fatigued if the content becomes repetitive or overly self-promotional. Maintaining the right balance – keeping the founder’s appearances special and on-brand – is challenging but necessary to avoid devaluing the brand through overexposure.
• Ego Clashes and Internal Dynamics: A strong founder persona can sometimes create tension within a company or with collaborators. If the founder becomes a “celebrity,” there’s a risk of ego getting in the way of sound business decisions. Team members might feel that the brand revolves too much around one individual’s fame rather than collective effort. In fashion houses with multiple stakeholders (co-founders, creative teams, or if a founder eventually hires a creative director), the focus on one personality can lead to internal friction or even departures of key talent who feel overshadowed. Additionally, if the brand works with other influencers or ambassadors, those individuals might find it difficult to shine alongside a very prominent founder figure – potentially limiting future collaboration opportunities. There’s also the psychological aspect: a founder basking in public adoration might conflate personal success with the brand’s success, making it harder to take feedback or step back when needed. Academic research on influencer marketing in luxury contexts has noted that the “ego-personal discourse” of influential figures can affect brand image and values. In plain terms, when an individual’s ego or personal agenda takes center stage, the brand’s carefully crafted image can suffer. For a founder acting as influencer, avoiding this pitfall requires humility and a constant focus on what’s best for the brand, not just for personal fame.
• Dependency and Succession Problems: If a brand’s identity becomes heavily tied to a founder’s persona, it can create long-term challenges. One issue is dependency: marketing becomes reliant on the founder’s personal involvement. Should the founder need a break, or if health or personal issues arise, the brand’s outreach might falter because followers expect to hear from that particular person. Another concern is succession. If the company is ever acquired, or if the founder steps down or retires, the brand could struggle to transition. Consumers who were loyal primarily because of the founder may lose interest when a new face takes over. We’ve seen cases in fashion where brands faced hurdles after a charismatic leader’s departure. This risk is somewhat opposite to the traditional model where brand equity is built more on products and ethos than on one personality. Essentially, tying brand equity too tightly to one individual can make the brand more fragile in the face of change.
• Operational and Time Constraints: Serving as an influencer is a job in itself – one that requires content creation, community management, and constant engagement. Founders already have the immense task of running a business (overseeing design, operations, finance, etc.). Taking on the influencer role can lead to burnout or distraction. The time a founder spends filming Instagram stories or editing YouTube videos is time not spent on other executive duties. Not every founder is naturally inclined to social media or has the polished media skills that professional influencers have honed. Pushing a camera-shy or inarticulate founder into the spotlight could backfire, resulting in awkward content that doesn’t do the brand any favors. Additionally, there’s a cost to privacy: being an influencer means living more publicly, which some founders might find uncomfortable in the long run. This added strain can impact a founder’s effectiveness and even passion, which ultimately affects the company. In short, the role of influencer can be a double-edged sword – it provides marketing value but demands significant effort and carries personal sacrifices.

In weighing these cons, it’s clear that while a founder-led influencer strategy can yield great rewards, it also requires careful management of risks. Some brands mitigate these risks by providing media training for founders, setting guidelines on what (and what not) to share, or ensuring a strong team supports the founder in content creation and PR crisis management. Ultimately, it comes down to execution; when done thoughtfully, the benefits can outweigh the drawbacks, but ignoring the pitfalls could be costly.

Strategic Implications for Brands

The trend of brand owners as influencers has different strategic implications depending on a brand’s size, stage, and legacy. Here we explore what it means for emerging brands versus established fashion houses, and how each can approach this phenomenon:

For Emerging Designers and New Brands:
Startups and young labels often have limited marketing budgets and zero brand recognition at the outset. For them, the founder-as-influencer model can be a game-changer. It offers a cost-effective way to build an audience and differentiate in a crowded market. New brands typically have a compelling founding story (a mission, a passion, an innovative idea) – and the founder is the natural storyteller. By embracing social media early, a founder can create a buzz around the brand without expensive campaigns. Authenticity is especially crucial for millennials and Gen Z consumers, who tend to support brands aligned with their values and story. A founder can communicate those values directly, be it sustainability, body positivity, craftsmanship, or other ethos. For instance, a startup ethical fashion brand might have the founder share videos from the workshop, introducing the artisans and showing exactly how products are made. Such content builds trust in quality and ethics far better than any slick ad copy could. The strategic implication is that founder visibility can accelerate brand-building – investors and retailers also often look for brands with a “face” as it signals strong leadership and PR potential. However, new founders should be mindful to establish some boundaries; it’s wise to build the brand’s own channels concurrently (so the brand isn’t only living on the founder’s personal account) and to document brand values so that if the company grows and brings in new team members, the ethos remains even if the founder can’t be everywhere at once. In summary, for emerging brands, a founder influencer strategy can be a powerful launch pad, giving the brand a relatable face and a credible voice from day one.

For Established Fashion Brands:
Established brands, especially luxury maisons or large retailers, have different considerations. They usually already have significant brand equity, and many have relied on traditional advertising and spokespersons (celebrities, models, influencers) for years. For these players, the founder or creative director stepping forward can humanize and modernize the brand’s image – but it must be handled in a way that complements (and not disrupts) existing brand equity. If the original founder is no longer alive or involved (as is true for heritage houses like Chanel, Dior, etc.), often the creative director or CEO might take on an ambassadorial role. This has to be done carefully: the person must genuinely resonate with the brand’s heritage and future vision. A recent trend is designers becoming semi-celebrities – for example, the late Virgil Abloh at Louis Vuitton was very public-facing and connected with streetwear culture, which helped LV reach new audiences. Established brands can leverage such personalities to stay relevant to younger consumers. The strategic play here is to let the brand leader amplify brand values in a contemporary voice. However, big brands also have more to lose from a misstep. They may thus implement more formal social media policies and crisis management plans around their leaders’ public engagement. Another consideration is shareholder expectations – at a publicly traded fashion company, a CEO’s social media activity might even influence stock sentiment, so it’s a strategic decision at the highest level. That said, many legacy brands are realizing that in the digital age, a degree of personal touch is expected. Brands like Gucci or Burberry, for example, have incorporated their creative heads in content (interviews, behind-the-scenes videos) to showcase authenticity alongside their campaigns. For established brands, the founder-as-influencer trend implies a need to blend personal storytelling with institutional legacy. It can be a way to breathe new life into the brand narrative (showing that even a 100-year-old fashion house has real people with passion behind it), but it shouldn’t override what customers already love about the brand. Essentially, they must strike a balance: use the owner/leader’s voice to enhance credibility and relatability, while maintaining the polish and consistency expected of a mature brand.

Balancing Both Approaches:
Regardless of brand size, a key strategic insight is that founder-driven influence and traditional influencer marketing are not mutually exclusive. Many brands will find an optimal mix. For example, a brand could use its founder for periodic deep-dive storytelling and community engagement, while still collaborating with independent influencers or celebrities for broader reach campaigns. The founder provides the trustworthy foundation – the credible core of the message – and external influencers provide the multiplier effect to expose that message to new groups. It’s also worth noting that not all founders desire or fit the influencer role. Strategic planning means recognizing when it’s beneficial and when it might be better to keep the founder more low-profile. Some highly respected brands thrive on the mystique of an enigmatic founder or designer. In those cases, forcing a gregarious social media presence could be off-brand. Instead, the strategy might involve alternative authenticity measures (like documentaries, or controlled interviews) rather than daily Instagram posts.

For brands considering this approach, strategic steps include: grooming the founder or key executives for public communication, investing in personal brand building for them (just as one would invest in brand PR), and monitoring audience reception closely. The end goal is to ensure that the founder’s influencer role strengthens the brand’s credibility, emotional connection, and differentiation in the market.

Conclusion

The rise of brand owners and designers acting as influencers reflects a broader shift in the fashion marketing paradigm – one that places authentic connection and credibility at the forefront. In an era where consumers are inundated with content and have become skeptical of overt advertising, the human voice behind the brand can cut through the noise. A founder’s heartfelt post can sometimes achieve what a dozen glossy ads cannot: earn genuine trust and loyalty.

This report has explored how and why this trend developed, showcasing examples like Jacquemus and Balmain where personal branding by brand leaders paid dividends. We’ve compared the engagement and trust dynamics and found that while traditional influencers offer reach, founder-influencers often offer depth and authenticity. The advantages of this approach – from narrative control to cost efficiency – are compelling. Yet, we have also weighed the significant risks, from reputational hazards to the challenges of overexposure and dependency. The verdict is not that every brand should immediately pivot to a founder-as-spokesperson model, but rather that credibility has become the currency of modern brand building, and having a real, relatable person to champion the brand is an invaluable asset in accruing that currency.

For new brands, this strategy can be a launchpad, and for established brands, a rejuvenation tool – provided it’s aligned with the brand’s identity and executed with care. As with any strategy, one size doesn’t fit all. Some brands will find their leaders are natural influencers; others might decide to only partially embrace the trend or find alternate ways to convey authenticity.

Ultimately, the influencer vs. owner-influencer dichotomy is perhaps less adversarial than it sounds. It’s not so much a question of one versus the other, but rather how credibility is best achieved in a given context. Many brands will employ both, leveraging outside influencers for their audience and algorithmic expertise, and leveraging insiders for their authenticity and authority. The uniting thread is credibility – whether coming from a beloved creator or a trusted content creator, brands must strive for messages that audiences believe and values they feel connected to.

The strategic implication for the fashion industry is clear: people connect with people. The mystique of a logo or a monogram alone is no longer enough; today’s consumer wants to know the story, the creator, the purpose. Brands that provide that human element – either through their own leaders or carefully chosen partners – are positioned to thrive in terms of engagement and loyalty. As this trend continues, we may well see the emergence of a new hybrid model of influence, where the boundaries between brand, founder, and influencer blur into a seamless narrative experience for the consumer.