Live from NYFW: The Most Viral Moments, What’s Trending, and More

Summary

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Let's Get Dressed: Live from NYFW – The Most Viral Moments, What’s Trending, and More

Host: Liv Perez
Guest: Lydia Berry (Co-founder of Darlington, social media strategist)
Date: September 15, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this vibrant, insider-packed episode, Liv Perez goes live from New York Fashion Week (NYFW) with friend and social media strategist Lydia Berry. The duo dish on the state of NYFW, the viral moments dominating the scene, key trends, and the evolving nature of both fashion and social media. From nostalgic runway surprises to the US Open’s growing cultural clout, this episode is brimming with insights for anyone invested in fashion, media, or digital storytelling.

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Guest Introduction & Background (01:26–05:24)

• Lydia Berry’s Role: Social media “guru” behind Liv’s content, as well as for celebrities like Kate Hudson, Ashley Tisdale, Miranda Kerr, and many more.
• How They Met: Lydia was formerly Head of Content at Dear Media and managed content for Liv. She later founded Darlington, a bi-coastal social media strategy company.
• The Power of Following Up: The episode underscores the importance of persistence in networking—
  • "The power of following up, guys, make sure you follow up because now you’re like, integral to my business.” – Liv (04:10)
• Social media is now a 'second language' for brands and personalities.
  • "If you don't know how to speak that [social media] language, you're falling behind…” – Lydia (05:24)

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NYFW: Trends, Viral Moments & Star Power

Chris Briney Mania (07:54–11:37)

• Biggest News: Chris Briney, normally private and “indie,” became the week’s most in-demand celebrity, attending multiple runway shows (Prada, Valentino Beauty, Calvin Klein, COS).
• His presence is reshaping how virality occurs at NYFW:
  • "I’ve never been part of a Fashion Week where just this one person has literally put a chokehold on everyone." – Liv (08:52)
• The timing is strategic, with the finale of The Summer I Turned Pretty airing the same week:
  • "This is his press week…He doesn’t need to do Fallon. Who’s his publicist? I want to meet them because, like, genius." – Lydia (10:49)
• Liv theorizes the connection between TV release dates and Fashion Week applause is an instance of “publicity gold.” (10:31)

The Power of Nostalgia: Aquamarine’s Sarah Paxton (13:27–15:58)

• Tyler McGillivray’s Mermaid-Themed Show:
  • Closed (and opened) by Sarah Paxton of Aquamarine fame, creating a major social and viral moment. “That is the viral playbook…to tap into nostalgia like that.” – Liv (14:50)
• "Not that you should only do things for social moments, but what an amazing…virality moment now that these people can share on Instagram and TikTok.” – Lydia (15:13)
• Deep-dive into Y2K and earlier nostalgia still propelling virality and relevance, especially at NYFW.

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Fashion Week vs. The US Open: Cultural Shifts (18:05–21:22)

• NYFW’s September schedule now competes culturally—and in terms of earned media value (EMV)—with the US Open.
• Huge shift: In 2025, the US Open's EMV is four times higher than Fashion Week’s ($810M vs. $200M).
• “I think the US Open is starting to really overshadow New York Fashion Week in September.” – Liv (21:17)
• Brands (Nike, Ralph Lauren, Rolex, Tiffany) coordinate marketing blitzes around the event, making the US Open the major “needle mover” of the month.

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Social Media & The Changing Content Landscape

Saturation & The Drop in Sparkle (21:36–23:13)

• Liv recalls that 10 years ago, NYFW content was more mysterious and thus garnered greater engagement. Now, constant, multi-platform output has created saturation:
  • “Now everybody knows what happens here.” – Liv (22:38)
• Quality of fashion content (“Why are all these NYFW reels so low-res?”) is questioned due to workflow and the limitations of platform sharing. Pro-tips on maintaining photo/video quality:
  • Use Airdrop, Dropbox, or WeTransfer instead of text/shared albums to preserve resolution. (23:16–24:22)

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Trend Watch: The Resurgence of the Thong (24:39–29:03)

• Visible Thongs on Celebrities: A noticeable uptick at events—from Nikki Glaser at the VMAs, Dakota Johnson, Margot Robbie, to red carpet trends.
  • “Is this the trickle down effect…from Calvin’s to Miu Miu undies to…what branded thongs are we wearing now?” – Liv (25:31)
• Tied to Y2K nostalgia ("whale tail," Paris Hilton, Degrassi) and less-is-more fashion.
• “Clothes are being accepted less and less on the red carpet…hot and chic.” – Lydia (27:37)
• Call for an entire episode on intimates and the evolution of undergarment fashion.

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Best of NYFW: Lydia’s & Liv’s Favorite Shows (29:06–34:50)

Altuzarra’s Reign (29:15–32:20)

• Lydia’s new favorite: Altuzarra. A collection that strikes a wearable yet interesting balance between high fashion and approachability.
  • “This was the first show I’ve ever seen that I really…fell in love with every single piece.” – Lydia (29:53)
  • Liv: “Top, top of the week. Beautiful, fabulous, tens across the board.” (30:45)
• Show detail: Models with newspapers in their bags—speaking to the intersection of “everyday” and high style.
• Inspiration from literature: The show was inspired by the book “The Memory Police,” about objects returning transformed—mirroring the subtle innovations in staple pieces.

General Show & Style Trends (32:35–34:49)

• Key Moves: Monochrome looks, luxe suiting, harem/bubble pants, classic workwear, statement accessories (like lariat necklaces), less print, more gemstone colors (mustard, aubergine, brick, camel).
  • Liv: “Those deep, rich looking colors are what’s gonna thrive…and I think we’re just seeing a lot of things that are more accessible and easier to style.” (34:21)
• Brands and designers highlighted: Brandon Maxwell, COS, Tyler McGillivray, Altuzarra.

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Memorable & Notable Quotes

• “If you don’t know how to speak that [social media] language, you’re falling behind.” — Lydia (05:24)
• “I’ve never been part of a Fashion Week where just this one person has literally put a chokehold on everyone.” — Liv (08:52)
• “Not that you should only do things for social moments, but what an amazing…virality moment…to tap into nostalgia like that.” — Lydia (15:13)
• “I think the US Open is starting to really overshadow New York Fashion Week in September.” — Liv (21:17)
• “Now everybody knows what happens here.” — Liv (22:38)
• “This was the first show I’ve ever seen that I really…fell in love with every single piece.” — Lydia (29:53)

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Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:26 – Lydia’s introduction, background, and social media philosophy
• 07:54 – Chris Briney’s viral NYFW takeover
• 13:27 – Sarah Paxton and the mermaid nostalgia moment
• 18:05 – The US Open vs. NYFW: the marketing business of cultural moments
• 21:36 – Content saturation and the evolution of the NYFW digital experience
• 24:39 – Visible thongs: from red carpet to runway (Y2K revival)
• 29:15 – Best of NYFW: Altuzarra, favorite shows, and takeaways
• 32:35 – Season trends: monochrome, gemstones, and wardrobe staples

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Final Notes

For listeners:

• Follow Lydia Berry and her agency Darlington for industry-leading social inspiration.
• NYFW remains a crucial cultural touchstone, but the landscape is rapidly shifting—both due to the proliferation of “viral marketing” tactics and competing events that command public and industry attention.
• The evolution of staple, wearable luxury pieces and the nostalgia playbook are here to stay, shaping not just what’s in your closet, but how it ends up trending on your feed.

Liv’s takeaway:
"If you have any questions or want to dive deeper on anything that we talked about, my DMs are always open." (34:50)

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Transcript

[Lydia Berry]

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[Liv Perez]

Hi everyone. Welcome back to another episode of let's Get Dressed. It's your host let's Perez. We have a very special episode today because I have a dear friend on the podcast who also happens to be a social media guru. She's the woman behind pretty much everything you see go live on my Instagram as well as so many other creators celebrities you love like Chris Alim, Ashley Tisdale. My brain just like skipped a thousand beats.

[Lydia Berry]

Kate Hudson.

[Liv Perez]

Kate Hudson. I'm sorry. You work with so many people that like sometimes I'm like oh my God, she's all everywhere. Miranda Kerr. Her name is Lydia Berry. She shot my wedding too. So there were so many comments I feel like post wedding that were like who's on this content? And it's the one and only Lydia Berry. She co founded a social media company called Darlington that is based in New York and LA and I'm so excited to have her on the podcast today because we are here together in New York in the midst of Fashion Week. We have been through four Fashion Weeks months together now and I'm thrilled to chat with you about trends, things we're seeing, all the things. It's gonna be a fun one.

[Lydia Berry]

I'm so excited.

[Liv Perez]

I did ask on Instagram and Substack. I asked a lot of you for questions that you had about Fashion Week and beyond. So we're gonna get to those at the end of the episode, so make sure that you stick around for that too. How did we meet? For people who are wondering, like, who's Lydia? Why is she here?

[Lydia Berry]

How did we meet? We met because I used to be head of content at Dear Media podcast network. I was there for five years. I was. I published Instagram post number one. And I was there when Liv joined the network and immediately, as a fashion girly myself, was obsessed because you were like, our first fashion podcast. And we would be like saying hi to each other in the studio and.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah, you would come in and be like, can you do this social clip? Or Dear Media.

[Lydia Berry]

And then once I left Dear Media and went on my own and started Darlington with my partner Chloe, I reached out to Liv.

[Liv Perez]

We were together before Darlington.

[Lydia Berry]

We were together before Darlington. So I left Dear Media. I started freelancing, doing creative brand building on my own as a freelancer before I started Darlington and then. And Liv was my very first client. And from day one, you've just been there and believed in all my. My creative skill sets. And you were. Yeah, I reached out basically to some of the people that I had a relationship with at Dear Media. And you immediately, I think it was like, no, you had to follow up.

[Liv Perez]

No, you followed.

[Lydia Berry]

No, I did.

[Liv Perez]

Oh, yeah. So you emailed me first and I was like a little conf. Yes, I distinctly remember because I actually am so grateful you followed up because I was like, wait, I actually need this. And I think the first time I saw it, it might have just like.

[Lydia Berry]

You were like, what is this?

[Liv Perez]

I just, it went over my head a little too fast, which is a bad habit of mine sometimes. But the power of following up, guys, make sure you follow up because now you're like, integral to my business. But you were so.

[Lydia Berry]

You were so just like open minded. You were like, wait, yes, let's have a conversation like, what does this look like? You hadn't expanded your team or, like.

[Liv Perez]

At all at all. I think what you do is fascinating. You are working in a very interesting niche. Obviously. I've been in social media for 10 plus years, but one of the biggest pain points I think of a lot of creatives and now even more so brands Celebrities, pretty much anyone across, like entertainment, fashion, sports, whatever it is. Social is a language and not everybody speaks it. And if you joined the, if you're a little bit older and you're learning social media and like what it can do for your brand, you really need that expert to come in and help sift through the noise of all of it. And I remember getting your email and being like, wait, there are not enough people doing this, like, really helping bring things to life. There's so much out there and I get so much value from you in the moments when we're shooting, but also like you are sending me trends and like what's happening all the time. And I think that that is just crucial if you are someone who has an Instagram account today.

[Lydia Berry]

Everybody's expected now to be online and to be a creator. It's how you sell a brand, it's how you market yourself, it's how you sell a movie. The. That's just the world that we live in now. I don't think that was necessarily the case five years ago, three years ago. We've seen social completely transform and really become, to your point, like a second language. And if you don't know how to speak that language, you're falling behind or you're not capitalizing as much as you can on again, the selling of something, the marketing of something, whatever, connecting with a community. And so now we see where at the creator level, the influencer, the content creator level, you guys are expected to now be posting and churning out so much content in order to hit the algorithms and be on people's for your pages. It's not just enough like it used to be, you know, to post a really great carousel once a day and call it that on one platform. It's TikTok, it's Instagram, it's sometimes TikTok twice a day. It's sometimes Instagram twice a day. Are you doing a carousel and are you doing a reel? Are you showing up on stories every single day? Let's talk about substack, let's talk about Snapchat, let's talk about YouTube shorts, let's talk about long form. How are we syndicating all of that across each other? It's like it's really become a full time job. So we think of ourselves as a social media manager, strategist, thought partner, as you might for a brand, but now just for personalities and individuals, because that's the nature of what social media is today and has become.

[Liv Perez]

So this is why I wanted to have you on the pod today, because I've been going to fashion week for 10 years, and I've been showing up to shows and working with fashion brands. But I think the month of September in general has become a really interesting marketing moment. And what I've always loved about you and your expertise is it's not just social. It's like, the deeper message of everything. Like, what's happening with brands. You love a good collab. I love watching the way that you analyze what's going on.

[Lydia Berry]

Also, I love fashion.

[Liv Perez]

Like, for the records of Fashion Girl.

[Lydia Berry]

That's why I started with content creation and photography background. Like, New York Fashion Week is low key. My favorite.

[Liv Perez]

It's always exciting. We were just at the Kash show, which was in Greenpoint, which was absolutely beautiful.

[Lydia Berry]

I'm moving there tomorrow.

[Liv Perez]

I think most importantly, I walked in, I sat down, and I saw Conrad Fisher.

[Lydia Berry]

I've never seen Liv in the state that she was.

[Liv Perez]

After seeing Conrad Fisher, I was pretty feral.

[Lydia Berry]

You were skipping through the streets.

[Liv Perez]

No, I was skipping through the streets. I have to say that I think this entire week, the most newsworthy thing that has happened across the board is Chris Briney from the summer I Turned Pretty attending all of these fashion shows. He has been out and about. And this is, like, historically a person who, like, doesn't post on the gram, likes to be private. Like, doesn't really engage in the world of the entertainment and the fact. I mean, he has dabbled, but, like, he was at. He did a campaign for Prada.

[Lydia Berry]

He's at Primrose.

[Liv Perez]

He was at Valentino Beauty. He was at Calvin. He just sat front row at Koss. And like, I was walking out of the Kosso to an entire crowd. Street Town, photographers, people, team Connie. Connie, baby. And I was just like, oh, my God, this thing has completely taken over. He usually, like, doesn't post. Right. That's not his thing.

[Lydia Berry]

He's kind of offline.

[Liv Perez]

He's, like, indie. I feel like he's, like, indie cool guy.

[Lydia Berry]

Like, you know, also, he's my age.

[Liv Perez]

Yes. He's also Lydia's age. Lydia, what are you, 27?

[Lydia Berry]

27? Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah. So, like, he's Gen Z. He's, you know. But I. I've never been part of a Fashion week where just this one person has literally put a chokehold on everyone.

[Lydia Berry]

He's at the height right now, but he's also not, like, a household name. I'd say. He has 4.5 million followers on Instagram.

[Liv Perez]

Right.

[Lydia Berry]

And so it's fun to see these lower Key celebrities. I don't know what you'd say. Do you know what I mean? It's not a face. It's not a face you'd necessarily expect to be at Calvin Klein, Right?

[Liv Perez]

But I would bet to say I don't know the stats on this yet. I don't think that they're out yet, but I would love to see someone do a review of. There's a website called Launch Metrics where you can find, like, the emv, which is the earned media value of a talent or a brand partnership at any given time. And every single news outlet, whether it's Vogue, Today show, anything along those lines, are posting him first from every show. He is the most shared moment from every show. It's the thing that's making shows go viral.

[Lydia Berry]

Disclaimer. I don't watch the Summer I Turned Pretty.

[Liv Perez]

Jail.

[Lydia Berry]

I try.

[Liv Perez]

You need to go to jail.

[Lydia Berry]

I know, I know. I need to give it a second try.

[Liv Perez]

What?

[Lydia Berry]

So I'm not, like, in his world.

[Liv Perez]

So since you don't watch the show, I have to tell you, the finale, the series finale, the show is ending this Wednesday. Oh, you're gonna find out who, like, I mean, we better all know who she ends up with, but, like, the ending moment of hopefully the two of them being together and riding off into the sunset is this coming Wednesday. So you and I, as people who, like, love strategic marketing.

[Lydia Berry]

Right. So that's what this is.

[Liv Perez]

Publicity gold.

[Lydia Berry]

Got it.

[Liv Perez]

Wait.

[Lydia Berry]

Epic timing.

[Liv Perez]

Epic timing. Like this could. That's why I'm saying everyone is why I'm wondering.

[Lydia Berry]

Got it, got it, got it, got it, got it. That makes.

[Liv Perez]

It just clicked for me because we have spent four years waiting to see the ending of this show, and he's right there and knows all the secrets.

[Lydia Berry]

This is his press week.

[Liv Perez]

Yes.

[Lydia Berry]

Like, literally. He doesn't need to Fallon.

[Liv Perez]

He doesn't need to do all these things.

[Lydia Berry]

Who's his publicist? I want to meet them because, like, genius.

[Liv Perez]

Honestly, it's so smart. Well, I mean, like, Amazon, definitely. Amazon wasn't like, let's end the show during Fashion Week. But it just.

[Lydia Berry]

No, no, no. But it worked out perfectly.

[Liv Perez]

It worked out perfectly. It was. It's been an excellent marketing run for the show.

[Lydia Berry]

Yes. Every time I see one thing I've learned working now with Celebrity Influencer and seeing the BTS is there's always some type of ulterior motive. So that was gonna be my next question is, does this guy just really love fashion?

[Liv Perez]

No.

[Lydia Berry]

Or, like, why is. You know what I mean? Or why is he all of a sudden? And again, of course, the Summer I Turned Pretty is like, the show right now. Fine. But the fact that the finale is next week, it's on all lines.

[Liv Perez]

The finale is in two days.

[Lydia Berry]

You're right. In two days.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah. The finale's in two days. It's a big week on top of Connie just being really cool. Today was my first cost show. A lot of people asked in my AMAs this week, like, where to get really good professional clothing that's interesting and, like, not Aritzia, not Zara and Kas should be your go to. Like, this show was so beautiful and elegant and refined. The layering was really cool. The suiting, the tailoring. Like, I think it's a little bit pricier than Aritzia. Not by that much, but I think it's a good go to. And you're always someone who's, like, in good workwear. Like, where do you get a lot of your workwear? Dude, you always surprise me. Like, you came into my house a few weeks ago in, like, a really great pair of pointed toe flats, and you were like, Old Navy. Remember that?

[Lydia Berry]

Yeah. I don't know. Sometimes I. I mean it. I pick and choose my pieces. Like, shoes are. Is harder for me because they just. I always, like, scuff up my shoes no matter what. So, like, I. I need them to be comfy. I look for good construction. Not that, like, Old Navy is, like, the king of construction, but what I like about cost is I do feel like, like, at least if you're buying basics, you should buy something that is constructed really well and, I don't know, just, like, lays right and feels like it's tailored to you. Like, that is what I think you need in a basic. I mean, honestly, I just told you, like, I love going to crossroads.

[Liv Perez]

You do love a crossroads find.

[Lydia Berry]

I know. I don't know.

[Liv Perez]

Especially that you just said the Marina del White Rey one was really good. Not to blow up your spot.

[Lydia Berry]

I mean, not to blow up my spot, but if you live in la, the Marina del Rey Crossroads, I guess all the cool girlies are dropping their used stuff off there. I just found these beautiful, like, blue Vince satin pants for, like, $40.

[Liv Perez]

Incredible. I saw you in them. They looked so good on you. Thanks. What has caught your eye the most so far this week?

[Lydia Berry]

Ooh, that's a really good question. There's so many things I think we first have to discuss. The aquamarine moment.

[Liv Perez]

Oh, my God.

[Lydia Berry]

We haven't talked about this.

[Liv Perez]

There's A brand called Tyler McGillery, I think is how you say it. That brand has been around for a really long time and really fun collection. New York based brand.

[Lydia Berry]

They had Sarah Paxton, the star of Aquamarine, the mermaid, walk down the Runway. She closed it, right?

[Liv Perez]

And she opened it and she closed it. But the show was themed Mermaid. It was a mermaid themed fashion show. And they were like, okay, who's the ultimate OG Mermaid? Sarah Paxton. Are you giving me Fogging Paxton?

[Lydia Berry]

There's nobody else.

[Liv Perez]

No. Like, you're not going to hire Ariel herself?

[Lydia Berry]

No, she is the number two to.

[Liv Perez]

Ariel, in my opinion. So to have Sarah Paxton. And by the way, I don't know if you saw her, like, opening moment. When she walked out, she was on the top of like a. A staircase and she had a seashell. She had her shell phone.

[Lydia Berry]

Yes. And she walked down the Runway with the shell phone. I want this stat. Okay. After seeing this show, I was like, oh, my God, I have not seen Aquamarine since.

[Liv Perez]

How many people watched?

[Lydia Berry]

10 years old.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah.

[Lydia Berry]

Last night I ordered takeout and I watched Aquamarine and it was amazing. I forgot how, like, it's just like. Like we all watched it when we were kids, you know, we wanted to be the mermaid and like, oh, hell yeah.

[Liv Perez]

Emma Roberts, Sarah Paxton. Okay.

[Lydia Berry]

Jojo.

[Liv Perez]

Yes, Jojo. I saw that moment yesterday and I was like, that is the viral playbook, like for a brand that's been going strong in New York for 10 years, like great collections that people buy and love. For them to say, we need a viral moment for this show and tap into nostalgia like that and get all of us talking about their brand. That is the only way you have these viral moments.

[Lydia Berry]

A hundred percent. And it was so also I just think of again, like, not that these. Listen, you should not be doing things for simply the social moment, but what an amazing social moment. And like, share. And like what you said, like virality moment now that these people can share on Instagram and TikTok. Right. Of that, like nostalgia cut, like you said. And that, honestly, I think is what it's funny. Cause I think we've been talking about nostalgia, this concept, right. The 90s, the 80s, whatever, for so long. And that's a whole other deep dive that we can go off of. But we're still seeing that resonate and we're still longing for that nostalgic.

[Liv Perez]

The old reality stars and the old movies, it's everywhere as a collective.

[Lydia Berry]

Yeah, everything.

[Liv Perez]

It is the thing that goes the most viral. Right.

[Lydia Berry]

So what's gonna be the nostalgia Of.

[Liv Perez]

Of now.

[Lydia Berry]

Now when we're 40. You know what I mean? Like, euphoria or like, Instagram filters or, like.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah, but like, I think of, like, our tent pole things now.

[Lydia Berry]

Oh, like, I see what you're saying.

[Liv Perez]

Like, because in my mind, it's like, what were we watching back then that, like, people want to dredge up?

[Lydia Berry]

And it's like, euphoria is a good one.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah.

[Lydia Berry]

I think summer I turned pretty.

[Liv Perez]

The summer I turned pretty, you guys, like, in 25 years from now, hopefully, like, Conrad has a great career, but, like, he's gonna walk a Runway, and we are all going to lose our minds. Like, nostalg. Such a good unlock for marketing. Like, it's just the ultimate marketing thing. And I'm sure that Tyler saw sale. I mean, I don't know if he saw. I don't know if the brand saw sales directly, but I will say, putting on a Runway show is so expensive.

[Lydia Berry]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

Truly. Like, people don't realize that it probably costs a brand, minimum, a hundred thousand dollars to put on a show. Like, you have to get the location. You have to create the collection alone, the fabrics, the patterns, the seamstresses, the whole nine yards. Hiring models, getting people there, hiring pr, getting loans out, getting loans back, hair and makeup. It is such an expensive venture. So if you can tap into that viral moment and at least get, like, that earned media value back.

[Lydia Berry]

Right, Right.

[Liv Perez]

Like, at least you can say, okay, this was worth it. Like, our name is in the press. Like, right.

[Lydia Berry]

The relevancy, the.

[Liv Perez]

The, like, hard metric of it was genius. I actually saw that first on people, brands, and things, which is an account you and I are obsessed with. They do such a good job of covering great brand partnerships. And coll definitely follow it. It's eople, brands, and things. They were on it yesterday, and everybody was just loving it.

[Lydia Berry]

Literally loving it.

[Liv Perez]

She looks beautiful, too. Shout out. Sarah Paxton. Oh, she literally.

[Lydia Berry]

It was so you could tell she was so happy to be there and, like, knew that this was, like, the moment.

[Liv Perez]

It was.

[Lydia Berry]

It was fun. I'm turning it over to you now. Talk to me about the US Open, because we kind of talked about this off. Off the mic a little bit.

[Liv Perez]

I am an analytics person. I really like data and seeing what goes on on the back end of these giant cultural moments. And the US Open, to me, has always been the epitome of chic. I went a few years ago with Ralph Lauren. It was like, the honor of a lifetime. And I feel like the US Open has really become, to me, almost on par with the Super Bowl. And I feel like this season specifically, I knew so many people who came to New York last week, went to the US Open with a brand or just went to go support and had an amazing time, stayed for the beginning of Fashion Week and left. And the amount of friends that I saw this week that were like, I was like, oh, how's your week going? Or like, oh, are you here for the whole week? And they're like, no, I did the US Open. I'm going home tomorrow. And just that verbiage alone to me indicates a really big cultural shift of what people are paying attention to and where they want to be and be seen.

[Lydia Berry]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

When Alex, my husband and I were watching the finale, the the men's finals, and I could see, you know, the cameras going to all the celebrities and the different booths, and I was able to identify what they were wearing. Obviously, the Ralph Lauren box at the US Open is a huge deal and a massive marketing moment for them. I said to Alex and I was like, wow, the US Open is really like my entire feed. Every brand is doing something there right now. And then within the next three minutes, Carlos Alcaraz won the US Open. Not only did Nike drop a massive campaign in the second that he won, which was a phenomenal social moment, literally he won. I opened up my Instagram. There was Nike with their, you know, I think two time wins social media team. All of it was probably pre cued.

[Lydia Berry]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

In the span of those last three minutes of before he won, I saw the people in the Ralph Lauren box. I saw the Nike ad go live. I saw Alcaraz put on his Rolex watch the second that he won. Ready to go. The Rolex banners were flying. I saw Evian splash on the background. And then I saw Tiffany and company engraving his beautiful U.S. open trophy. And those are the some of the chicest biggest brands in the world. Nike is actually in the top 20, is the only fashion brand in that top 20. Most followed Instagram. So back to my stats. I love stats. This is fun. In the week of the U.S. open, the U.S. open alone generated $810 million in EMV for brands across the board. In that moment, Fashion Week alone generated roughly around $200 million.

[Lydia Berry]

So $600 million difference.

[Liv Perez]

Four times the size, granted. Obviously, sports way more accessible, way bigger fandom, not as niche as New York Fashion Week. But I think, you know, when you think of these big moments and celebrities coming to New York Fashion Week and the history of New York Fashion Week and how big of a moment it has historically been. That is a massive point of difference. And this year, obviously, was the biggest year for the US Open yet. However, obviously, brands are still doing big pushes here. During New York Fashion Week, Ralph Lauren had their show. They had a big fragrance event last night. But I still think that, like, what's really taking home the prize in terms of, like, moving the needle.

[Lydia Berry]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

Is the U.S. open. I think the U.S. open is starting to really overshadow New York Fashion Week in September.

[Lydia Berry]

Yes, in September. I think it also just speaks to this, like, larger shift we're seeing in general, too, of, like, I've talked to you about this a little bit before. Cause you've been doing fashion week for 10 years.

[Liv Perez]

10 years.

[Lydia Berry]

Which pause is amazing. Crazy. Like, I just. You have seen such an evolution. You were there at the beginning when, like, influencers started to go to the shows to. Now you're. I mean, I can't imagine what year one versus year ten the difference looks like. You know, even the evolution of social media, Like, I just think, you know, the way that we consume Fashion Week is so different now. And in terms of, like, interests and whatnot, too. And the way that, like, even content performance. Right. Like, I think, correct me if I'm wrong, I'd imagine that, like, your posts From Fashion Week five years ago, 10 years ago did way better than what we maybe see now. What do you think?

[Liv Perez]

I think 10 years ago, it was. There was still a veil. People were still like, what's that? It was still sparkly. If we're talking about content and engagement and that curiosity, yes. Ten years ago, it did way better than it's doing now. Because I think now everybody knows what happens here.

[Lydia Berry]

Yeah. I don't know how you feel about this. We haven't talked about this. I feel like every New York Fashion Week video, I see these videos that they're putting out reels, why are they so low quality? I'm like, it's Fashion Week, guys. Why are we.

[Liv Perez]

Is it shot on iPhone?

[Lydia Berry]

Yeah, it's shot on iPhone, which is fine.

[Liv Perez]

I mean, this is so niche. But I think a lot of people don't realize that when they text videos.

[Lydia Berry]

Guys, stop texting videos. Stop doing shared albums.

[Liv Perez]

The only thing I could guess on the back end is, is that these teams that are working so hard throughout the week are putting everything into a shared folder and it's going live.

[Lydia Berry]

So fair.

[Liv Perez]

But yes, the pro tip here is.

[Lydia Berry]

Do not text your videos and photos. The resolution via text obviously gets diminished. I think most people know that. But obviously the pixels get diminished. Shared albums are efficient, but when you add a photo to a shared album, it actually makes a copy of that photo. So it lives not only in the shared album now, but it still lives on your phone. And the copy of that photo or video is a lower resolution because you're duplicating it. Like it can't duplicate it exactly to the same pixel level. I've heard more and more recently that people are saying Dropbox sometimes decreases quality. Have you noticed that?

[Liv Perez]

Well, you and I use Dropbox.

[Lydia Berry]

I know, but have you noticed any.

[Liv Perez]

No, but. So then how are we supposed to do this?

[Lydia Berry]

Well, another. Okay, so Dropbox is usually airdrop. Airdrop. 100% is what we do. Dropbox is what we do as well. Tbd. I've heard people say, like sometimes the quality gets lost there, but you're uploading the full file. Maybe if you download it on like weird wifi, it'll get a little pixelated and then Wetransfer. Nobody ever talks about Wetransfer. Usually I feel like I've only used Wetransfer.

[Liv Perez]

I just rolled my eyes.

[Lydia Berry]

She's fully rolling her eyes.

[Liv Perez]

It's an operation. It's an operation. Yeah.

[Lydia Berry]

One day you and I are going to start a business that's some type of really easy way to share full size photos without losing the resolution. Because right now it's a. I just signed you up for that. Can we talk about seeing everyone's thongs? I was really excited to talk about that one.

[Liv Perez]

Let's absolutely talk about seeing everyone's thongs. So in the last week, I've been seeing a lot of thongs. Like, not just like, you know, I feel like we're used to seeing the Calvin Klein briefs, we're used to seeing the Miu Miu briefs. But I have literally seen everyone's G strings everywhere.

[Lydia Berry]

I love a G string.

[Liv Perez]

So Nikki glaser at the VMAs wore a G string. Dakota Johnson at I think the Kering Awards, the gala that just happened here. Full G string out. Margot Robbie promoting her recent movie in that drop dead gorgeous. She looked unbelievable. Favorite look of the year. So beautiful. Unbelievable. Armani prive, full thong out. There's just been a lot of thongs everywhere. Like stringy thongs. And I'm like, is this the trickle down effect of the fact that we've just seen that we've gone from in my Calvin's to Miu Miu undies to like, what branded thongs are we wearing now?

[Lydia Berry]

I would Love to know what branded thongs we're wearing, because I know, like.

[Liv Perez]

What are those thongs? That's like a. That's a G string.

[Lydia Berry]

We need a let's get dressed podcast on Just intimates, I think. Cause we never talk about that. So that's homework for you.

[Liv Perez]

Got it.

[Lydia Berry]

I think it's more Y2K, because think of like the early 2000s when, like, everybody was doing the whale tail. Y2K, like, right.

[Liv Perez]

Like, is this just the natural evolution of the low rise?

[Lydia Berry]

Potentially? The low rise, definitely. I think does have. But low rise was popular back in Y2K vibe.

[Liv Perez]

Like, in your mind, who popularized the thong sticking out for you? Was it Paris Hilton?

[Lydia Berry]

I was about to say, I think Paris Hilton. Nicole Richie.

[Liv Perez]

There was a Degrassi episode. So I loved Degrassi as a kid. And do you know what Degrassi is?

[Lydia Berry]

Yeah, but I didn't watch it. I only know what it is because Drake. Well, no, no, I didn't even know he was in it. But yeah, I was gonna say, because older people talk about it.

[Liv Perez]

Ouch. It's insane. I'm 31. But okay, we're gonna have the Gen.

[Lydia Berry]

Z. I missed that. I missed that era.

[Liv Perez]

Also, the fact that you didn't know Drake got his start on Degrassi, a Canadian show about teenagers and school.

[Lydia Berry]

Was it like reality?

[Liv Perez]

No, it was a scripted show that, like, tackled real life teenage issues. And I remember there was a point in time where my parents were like. Well, my sisters actually, who were like, you can't be watching this. And I remember I loved the show so much, I went to my parents and petitioned and was like, I'm learning about real life things in this show. Of course.

[Lydia Berry]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

So me. So me. But so there was like one character, Manny. And by the way, if you are listening right now and you're a Degrassi lover, there is a, like, documentary coming out about the making of Degrassi. Drake is in it. The whole cast is back. Oh, I think it's coming out soon. I can't wait to watch it. But there was an episode where Manny came to high school in her low rise jeans and her, like, bright blue thongs sticking out over her hip bones. And it was a cultural shift.

[Lydia Berry]

It's just like, I don't know, there's something like, I don't know, it was like edgy, cool, rebellious, like, oh, my God, like we shouldn't. You know what I mean?

[Liv Perez]

Hot.

[Lydia Berry]

But that was that, like the zeitgeist of that era. And now we're seeing. I feel like so much Y2K come back, and I just think we're getting, like, less and less. Clothes are, like, being accepted on the red carpet too, which is, like, hot. And cheek. Dua Lipa, I feel like, is known for that kind of thong vibe. I think Addison Rae, we're seeing a lot more of that too, and she's really leaning into the Britney era back in the 2000s. So I think that's maybe where we're seeing more of that from. But it could be a combination with the Calvin and the Miu Miu, too. Also, remember when Hailey did that dress for the Met Gala? I forget what year.

[Liv Perez]

Yes. And she was wearing. Is that Alexander Wang or.

[Lydia Berry]

Alexander Wang? Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

And it was the thong in the back. Yes. Like, it gives that.

[Lydia Berry]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

And maybe that's just something that gets, like, cycled through fashion. I think it's always acceptable. Like, it's always going to be a thing in fashion. But just recently I've seen it in a very big cluster.

[Lydia Berry]

Also, shout out Gabby Wendy. I feel like she does the thong vibe really, really great. She just wore an insane Gosh. Hi, Gabby.

[Liv Perez]

Love Gabby Wendy.

[Lydia Berry]

I know, she's great.

[Liv Perez]

Shout out Lydia, who made her podcast cover.

[Lydia Berry]

Oh, yeah. Oh, my go.

[Liv Perez]

Did you forget that?

[Lydia Berry]

Yeah, I did, actually.

[Liv Perez]

Well, that's crazy. You made her podcast cover before she.

[Lydia Berry]

Went on the Bachelorette, I was like, nobody can do a look like that like her.

[Liv Perez]

No, she does it. I love everything about Gabby Wendy.

[Lydia Berry]

She's really great, every bit of her.

[Liv Perez]

I can't wait to see her host this show that she's gonna host for Alex Cooper.

[Lydia Berry]

It's gonna be good.

[Liv Perez]

Perfect role for her.

[Lydia Berry]

Should we talk about her favorite shows?

[Liv Perez]

Yes. Tell me. You are a fashion girly. What have you loved so far? Like, what has jumped out to you that is exciting you?

[Lydia Berry]

I mean, Altu Zara has become my new fave. I was at the show, and usually when I see these fashion shows from someone who's, like, not fully, fully, fully, really deep in this, like, world of fashion, sometimes it's hard for me. A lot of it's conceptual, and a lot of it feels like, yeah, that's beautiful. But, like, I don't. I would never actually wear that or I would. I don't know, like, how I see that actually coming to life. This Altuzara show, every single thing, it was still high fashion, but I was like, whoa, this was the first show I've ever seen that I really, I don't know, just, like, fell in love with. Every single piece. And like it was this really good mix of femininity with some edge. And it was just. He strike a really good balance, I think, between.

[Liv Perez]

Between that Altazara, to me, it's been around for a really long time, but in the last four seasons he's really found his stride.

[Lydia Berry]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

In a way that every season I see that show and I'm like, that's it. Like that is exactly what New York women, who is his demographic want to be wearing and nails it. This collection also took my breath away. I saw it and DMed him and I was like, top, top of the week. Beautiful, fabulous tens across the board. I think what he does really well is he all of. All of it feels like a uniform. It feels like something you could wear. It's something feels like something I could wear. But there's something about it that feels interesting.

[Lydia Berry]

Yes.

[Liv Perez]

You're like, you know, we all want to be the best dressed person in the room and like Altazaro is what you wear if you are that person who wants to be the best, best dress in the room fully because it's casual. But there's just that little something about it that's like, oh, that's different but cool.

[Lydia Berry]

When I went, everybody had this muslin wrapped gift bag and it was a book. And the book, basically it was a book with a bunch of different paper clips inside of all of these mood board references for the collection. And he based. Basically the book is where I believe he found his inspiration for this show.

[Liv Perez]

Beautiful.

[Lydia Berry]

And the book is called the Memory Police. I don't remember who the author is, but it's long story short about how things disappear, but then when they reappear, they're a little bit different. And that's exactly what this collection was, was these, you know, a leather jacket we know and love and a dress, whatever. But to your point, there's something that makes it a little bit interesting. And that's exactly what basically his inspiration was. Sometimes fashion shows are like difficult for me because they don't feel approachable and they're not always supposed to feel approachable. And that's. And I understand that. But when I think about how these shows apply to day to day or what I'd wear or how they trickle into what I'm buying at Zara or whatever, it is really interesting, I think, and exciting to see these pieces that feel, I don't know, it's something that I would put my money towards is something that feels really nice. I also love seeing what he did with the Newspaper in the bag.

[Liv Perez]

Fab.

[Lydia Berry]

Like, that's what I love about Fashion Week. Fine. Let's talk about the approachable pieces that, like, look chic and, like, are interesting, but also so it's like, seeing the fun things like the aquamarine or this newspaper bag, like, come to life. It feels like art and exciting.

[Liv Perez]

For context, a lot of the models were walking down the Runway with the New York Times in their hands. I think that, like.

[Lydia Berry]

But it was, like, in the back.

[Liv Perez]

It was, like, hooked on the bag. They were in the bag, some of them were holding. I think what you just said is important, which is context. Like, I think what's really a good moment in New York Fashion Week shows is when you can feel yourself being that person. Yes. It's like, oh, yeah. Like, I walk around with, like, a million papers in my laptop, and, you know, like, that is so me.

[Lydia Berry]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

I think what has been really great about this season is there's been a lot of great kind of everyday, classic workwear, leisure thinking, like, great suits, a lot of harem pants. The bubble pants are still having their moment, but with that is how you make it your own with a statement accessory. So think long lariat style, statement necklaces. As I said, hair and pants are still here, and that, like, drapey, flowy, romantic vibe is everywhere. So I think we're. We're seeing that across the board. And monochrome, as we just said, I have not seen, besides Brandon Maxwell, I have not seen a print that I've loved.

[Lydia Berry]

It is so interesting, though. Like, I love to see. I don't know. It's a very clear trend we're seeing that there's not a lot of print. Looking at these shows, I see, you know, a great leather jacket go down the Runway, and I'm like, that's an amazing leather jacket. It's really well constructed, well made. Like, not really statement pieces, but staple pieces.

[Liv Perez]

Yes.

[Lydia Berry]

Like, a lot of this I think we're seeing is a lot of staple wardrobe moments. Monochrome, I feel, like, inherently seems, like, boring, but it's not boring. It's just, like, really cool, elevated pieces. As we say, everything is monochrome. Do you think there is going to be a standout color? I feel like I saw a lot of mustard yellow between the Kate show and the Altruzara show. Is that gonna be the color? Is that just a coincidence?

[Liv Perez]

I think gemstones are thriving right now. So mustards, that beautiful deep purple, like, aubergine that you saw at Altazara as well. A lot of, like, camel Y Browns at Calvin Klein at Altazara as well. I'm wearing like brick red, which is also in the gemstone family. Like I think those deep, rich looking colors are what's gonna thrive. I think we're just seeing a lot of things that are more accessible and easier to style.

[Lydia Berry]

I'm here for it.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah. This was so fun. You're have to come back. Yeah, you guys should follow Lydia and especially Arlington on Instagram. It's literally Arlington. They work with amazing clients, great social media inspiration and fun things and they're a great follow. So make sure you go check them out if you have any questions or want to dive deeper in this on anything that we talked about. My DMs are always open. Okay guys, have a great week and I'll see you next week.

[Lydia Berry]

Bye. Foreign Picture the app you've been dreaming about. Now imagine it's real and ready to launch. Before today's over, meet base 44. The fastest way to bring your ideas.

[Liv Perez]

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[Lydia Berry]

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