FashioNZ Publisher and Showroom 22 PR & Marketing Director Murray Bevan reflects on the evolution of influence and why we shouldn’t be frightened of influencers in 2025
Influencers have always existed. Modern marketing often frames them as a new channel, but people have been influencing one another for as long as we’ve communicated – not just through spoken or written language, but through the visual cues that have shaped fashion for generations.
Today, in New Zealand and globally, the industry is facing a reckoning. It’s no secret that, locally, many fashion designers, retailers and media have been in various stages of disrepair for years, yet the influence economy is booming. Traditional media had, for years before this, sat on the top of the pile, but for the best part of the last 5 years that superiority has been challenged. Editors I know often lament the rise of influencers, but from where I sit – in the middle of both worlds – it’s clear there is room and value for both. Traditional media still matters, and influencers bring a dynamic, entertaining immediacy that audiences respond to.
The FNZ Creators Power List 2025 offers an interesting snapshot of this moment. The list has shrunk from over 30 names last year to 23 this year. This mirrors a long-term industry trend: over time, everything tightens and the strongest rise. It reflects the “less is more” shift happening across fashion, driven, in part, by shrinking marketing budgets that force brands to make fewer but more impactful moves.
There’s also a healthy evolution happening across media. New platforms have emerged and some have faded, while traditional outlets have sharpened their identities. With a sensible strategy and decent budget, reaching today’s fashion consumer across multiple platforms is now relatively straightforward. What’s changing is the hierarchy: the old media pyramid is flipping. Magazines have fewer editorial pages, but more advertorial; influencer and UGC content continues to grow. And in New Zealand, a refreshing shift is underway – seasoned industry professionals who never considered themselves “influencers” are now shaping the cultural conversation in meaningful ways.
Three examples on this year’s list are Emma Gleason, Courtney Joe, Sammy Salsa, Karen Inderbitzen-Waller and Dan Ahwa. Dan has long argued that he doesn’t believe in the term “influencer” – rather he insists that everyone holds influence in their own way – and he’s right. Compare today’s list to 2023, which was filled primarily with emerging digital creators. Now, stylists, writers, photographers, marketers, models, and traditional influencers all sit alongside one another. Meanwhile, some early digital creators have stepped away: some to raise families, some to move overseas, some to change careers entirely. This is evolution, and it’s healthy.
If I was to analyse true ‘influencers’ on the 2025 Power List, I could hardly choose one. All of these people are smart, connected, talented and have influence far beyond the moniker we have given them. New faces on the 2025 list, Rachel Soo-Thow and Lauren Brodie, alongside 2024 & 2025 Power Lister Jane Joo, are all incredible women: all have amassed astounding fan bases and truly unique perspectives that have been shaped far outside of fashion. Mary Outram, a woman I met when she was more of an out-and-out influencer, has pivoted to create her own skincare line, Bonnie, which she launched with the help of fellow 2025 CPL alumni and mother-of-two Juliette Perkins.
From my vantage point, many international clients are now embracing an influencer-first mindset, while still valuing traditional media’s authority. Some don’t engage influencers at all and focus solely on editorial relationships. And increasingly, brands are investing in real-world experiences – things that AI can’t replicate. This is where influencers can truly shine. My hope is that as creators move beyond unboxings and hauls, we’ll see richer, more original content grounded in genuine brand experiences.
Post-Covid, brands poured vast budgets into digital ads, particularly Meta platforms. Return on Investment (ROI) has decreased, costs have risen, and all that spend flows offshore. I hope this encourages more local brands to reinvest in local talent – influencers, yes, but also local media, stylists, models, photographers, artists, hair and makeup teams. Part of my job as an agency director is to ensure that our fashion ecosystem survives. Sharing budgets across local creative communities is essential: the more we support creators, the stronger our industry becomes.
None of this touches on follower counts. Many influencers on this year’s Power List are micro at best — under 10,000 followers — a number international brands once scoffed at. Yet those same global brands are partnering with small local creators because authenticity and community matter more than scale. Take Georgia Payne, Maya Silwood and Sophie de Renzy for example. These three share careers as models, dancers and magazine creatives, and it’s these authentic engagements in the fashion industry that give them clout that others would pay good money for and so, in turn, their opinions and content are informed and slick. You can’t replicate that.
Georgia, Maya and Sophie’s intimate journeys through fashion echo the same dynamic that helps magazines build trust with readers. Fashion Quarterly celebrating 45 years in print this month is proof that traditional media is not being “killed” by influencers; the strong are still thriving. Yes, some magazines have closed, usually due to finances, but evolution always reshapes the landscape.
If you’re still reading, you’re likely someone who cares about this industry as much as I do. Regardless of your personal view on influencers, I hope you’ll celebrate the creators who made our 2025 list. Evolution filters the strong from the weak, but it’s also our responsibility to uplift emerging talent and keep the elevator moving both ways. I rarely hear influencers complain about editors, yet I often hear editors complain about influencers. The truth is, everyone has a place. Balance – and minding one’s own business – goes a long way.
Our industry is in a promising place, even if many fashion businesses could use stronger financial support. What I see daily is passion, positivity, and genuine respect shared among the people driving New Zealand fashion forward. My hope is that by the end of 2026 we’re all still here — celebrating one another, collaborating freely, and contributing to an industry we love.
