With over 5.3m posts, #Luxury lives on TikTok. Fashion, art and culture lovers have found a home on the platform, from brands to creative directors, fashion editors and entire fashion ecosystems are using their collections and products as springboards to drive the next big trends, and engage with communities in ways they haven't done so before.

Through greater interactions with highly engaged communities, TikTok is turning the luxury realm into a more transparent and accessible space. Whether this is by creating moments of education and transparency, or featuring TikTok's creators on runways, TikTok is redefining luxury as we understand it today.

"Luxury brands were among the first to join TikTok - from Balenciaga to Balmain to Gucci and Cartier and more - to connect with a wider audience and bring a new tonality to how they communicate. The TikTok community has a strong appetite for luxury and fashion content, around both products and craftsmanship and heritage. The mix of aesthetic appeal and a drive to reveal the creative process behind the brands, is setting new standards for how luxury brands engage." said Laura Milani, Head of Fashion & Luxury Hub, TikTok Italy

Everyday users have access to luxury in a way they never have before - and TikTok is accelerating this change. We are inspiring a new way for people to engage with luxury brands by giving them an innovative and perhaps previously unseen perspective on the fashion industry, fostering an inclusive and open relationship.

Our goal for the Business of Luxury Summit is to help businesses, brands, and industry leaders understand how to make the best use of the platform to drive meaningful connections with luxury communities." adds Vanessa Craft, Global Head of Partnerships, TikTok.

At the FT Business of Luxury Summit we'll be unpacking and celebrating the following concepts that we believe are key to why so many luxury brands thrive on TikTok:

Fuelling the democratisation of luxury culture

Art has always been part of TikTok's DNA. Our diverse community is deeply invested in exploring, expressing and sharing their passion and inspiration for fashion and luxury.

This is pushing luxury brands to change how they interact with communities and are creating wide-ranging partnerships which lie at the intersection of creativity, art and culture. Brands from Loewe to Burberry are lifting the curtain on fashion, art and culture, giving audiences a front row seat to never before seen runway experiences, with behind the scenes action to highlight creative process, couturier and artisan work.

The most iconic "Maisons" are using TikTok to engage with their community, and shake up their traditional codes for Fashion Weeks or the launch of a new collection. Whether its Prada offering audiences a sneak peak into what goes into each of their Met Gala looks, @loewe sharing the magic of the runway with its audience by offering a unique viewing experience of its Fall-Winter 2023-2024 Women's show or Fendi unveiling how their artisans craft bags in #FendiSelleria, brands take to the platform to unveil their "#BehindTheScenes" magic, offering an exclusive glimpse into the intricate craftsmanship of their designs. This initiative goes beyond the spectacle of the runway, underscoring their commitment to artistry and design.

Brands are collaborating with creators as the new faces of luxury to engage audiences. BOSS was the first fashion brand to feature a creator, Khaby Lame, more recently working with Sabrina Bahsoon aka Tube girl. By engaging directly with their community and collaborating with influential creators, these iconic brands have opened up a new dialogue about the deep value of craftsmanship in luxury fashion.

The popularity of hashtags like #fashioncritic, and #frontrow underscores the platform's pivotal role in shaping and sharing fashion trends, demonstrating its influence on how fashion is consumed and discussed.

This new form of engagement with communities also has a direct impact on how audiences engage with brands - 45% of TikTokers follow luxury brands because they like their personal approach on TikTok, and 1 in 3 say that the platform inspired them to buy something recommended by a creator on the platform [1].

TikTok's culture of authenticity fuels discovery, transparency and education

TikTok is not only the springboard for luxury trends and conversations, it's also the place brands go to leverage those conversations in order to bring them closer to their audiences. From the 'stealth wealth' aesthetic to balletcore, TikTok is shaping the tastes and wants of today's luxury consumer. Luxury brands are leaning into niche communities and subcultures to reach new audiences, grow brand equity and showcase their multifacetted artistry - from LVMH embracing ASMR to Bentley playing into MusicTok.

Creators and communities are the next generators of culture-makers, so working with creators is a key to connecting with and educating engaged audiences. Swarovski, for example, partnered with the Vienna Opera Ball to create content with creators that educates viewers about the prestigious event's grandeur, intertwining culture with luxury. Additionally, Cartier partnered with creator @Mike Nouveau´s to showcase his favorite watch creations from this year's novelties presented at Watches and Wonders in Geneva.

As TikTok continues to make the luxury realm a more transparent place, the curtain that previously existed to shield luxury brands is being lowered to give everyday people an idea of the processes behind purchasing designer products. Comité Colbert partnered with TikTok to launch a craftsman challenge open to all young artisans, apprentices and enthusiasts of craft trades to find new talent and recruit the next generation of artisans and protecting the unique artisan savoir faire.

Lorenzo Bertelli, Marketing Director, at Prada Group said: "TikTok has helped to bring Prada and Miu Miu audiences closer due its creativity and tone of voice. From behind-the-scenes content at the Met Gala to showcasing our new collections, the platform plays an important role in driving consumer engagement. Tik Tok proves to be a unique destination to engage with our community.”

Martin Mangez-Casey, Global Director of Digital Communication & Strategic Planning, at Louis Vuitton said: "By deploying engaging content, like livestreaming our runway shows, and other innovative storytelling via TikTok, we've been able to capture the imagination of a vibrant, global and younger audience, solidifying our position at the intersection of luxury and digital innovation. TikTok has not only expanded our reach but more importantly deepened our understanding of this evolving consumer landscape, enabling us to tailor our communications in more meaningful and impactful ways".

Paolo Agostini, Beauty Global Communication and Image Director at Rabanne, added: "For Rabanne, TikTok is the ideal platform to convey its brand values and vision. Most recently TikTok has been at the very heart of our new makeup range launch and will continue to be a pivotal part of our marketing and communications strategy.”

Inspiring purchase-driven luxury audiences

TikTok is where engaged, purchase-driven luxury audiences are grown, and has fundamentally changed how consumers make decisions about luxury products. Since joining TikTok, 57% of luxury buyers say they purchase luxury items more often, and 68% are more likely to buy a luxury item they saw on TikTok [2]. Brands can achieve this by engaging with their audiences in new, meaningful ways, by creating authentic content that educates, inspires and connects with communities where they are.

TikTok is enabling luxury brands to engage with their shoppers in new, meaningful ways, by immersing them in authentic content that delivers across a brands marketing needs and drives real world results.

Communities on TikTok are leveraging the platform to share insights on trends, culture, and the intersection of fashion and luxury with every day life. From new trends to critiques, views on TikTok highlight the platform's growing influence in fostering a new community of informed, diverse voices in fashion and luxury.

[1] Source: TikTok Marketing Science Global Creators Like Me Study, 2021, conducted by Hotspex

[2] Source: TikTok Marketing Science Global Luxury Insights Survey via Suzy, June 2022