Instagram for fashion brands: the 20 best fashion brands on Instagram to learn from
From luxury brands, athleisure leaders to artisan and ethical businesses we’ve put together 20 top fashion brands on Instagram we can learn from to help our own Instagram profiles succeed.
Creating a strong Instagram grid to represent your brand, its values and story, while selling the product and building your community, is a new marketing art form.
From big budget brands to small start ups, we’ve shared our expert insights for you to take away and apply to your own fashion brand.
Hope you enjoy x
Top 20 fashion brands to follow on Instagram and why
- The Frankie Shop
- Staud Clothing
- Sika Designs
- Madeleine Thompson
- Revolve
- Sammi Marie
- Monday’s swimwear
- Pomelo
- The Vampire’s Wife
- a.k.a.s.
- Realisation Pah
- Ganni
- Kate Spade
- Lem Lem
- Beyond Clothing
- Lululemon
- Vavvounce
- Eberjey
- Vans
- Tiffany & Co
1. The Frankie Shop
Frankie shop is a leader in internet savvy shopping with a cool curated Instagram feed. They specialise in wallet friendly fashion which are exclusive, limited edition and by cool international designers. A global trend-setter and loved by Instagram influencers all over, their Instagram feed reflects the minimal and chic design aesthetic of the brand. The lines are clean and colours neutral.
Key takeout: To create a distinctive and instantly recognisable grid, consider the colours and backgrounds you use. Play with space and light.
2. Staud Clothing
LA brand, Staud Clothing, specialises in must have fashion staples. Details are core to the collection with their handbags securing a cult status globally thanks to immense influencer love all over the gram. Their Instagram feed is bright, poppy with a focus on details and shapes. It’s cohesive and instantly recognisable.
Key takeout: Vary the grid content with a mix of model shots and accessory close-ups to show details. Create a theme/mood with colour pops across the squares, set against neutral backgrounds.
3. Sika Designs
Sika Designs is a gorgeous womenswear British brand is inspired by the rich culture of Ghana with all the fabrics selected from the Ghanian markets. The Instagram has used a strong a simple theme with block colour bright backgrounds to showcase the collection.
Key takeout: Play with the background of the image to create a mood and strong brand image. Great use of colours to showcase the collection.
4. Madeleine Thompson Cashmere
Leading British cashmere brand, Madeleine Thompson Cashmere, has a global fan base and is known for statement stripes an a cool 70s skater vibe. This grid is an art-form of carefully curated images which have been designed to create a clever jigsaw like pattern up the grid with stripes, boxes and angular lines
Key takeout: Create a story with your content to make the individual squares work together to reflect a strong brand aesthetic.
5. Revolve
Revolve is a leading LA online e-commerce fashion store success has been fuelled by social media influencers. They are known for throwing extravagant parties for influencers in fashionable destinations like the Hamptons, London, Thailand and Ibiza. With 4m followers on Instagram they sell direct from the grid and stories and throughout the Covid lockdown have been running InstaLives from workouts, beauty and tryons
Take out: Use Instagram to create a home for your audience, creating a community and give them a fun experience such fitness videos
6. Sammi Maria
This made to order jewellery brand, Sammi Maria, is based in Germany and is a family run business. They have a strong ethical commitment. The pieces are shipped directly from the goldsmith.
Key takeout: This shows a great use of the flat lay format. Use neutral backgrounds to create a mood and bring in other still life forms to amplify your brands story.
7. Monday’s Swimwear
Founded by bikini Instagram model Natasha Oakley originally known for her Bikini a Day blog, and Devin Brugman, with a strong advocacy of body positivity and focus on fit, Monday’s Swimwear business is based in LA. The Instagram accounts is cleverly curated creating a mood by sharing three images of each style to make a uniformity to the grid. They have mixed up IGTV videos with fitness and pilates classes with shop the look posts.
Take out: Play with the parallel lines and post three aesthetically similar images at a time
8. Pomelo
Launched in 2013, Pomelo is a modern fashion brand born in Asia with a global mindset: on-trend, online, on-the-go. With an undisputable sense of style, Pomelo has built a global fan base for its on trend and affordable collections. Sharing the hashtag #pomelogirlsathome the brand has created a strong influencer network and engaged community. Their Instagram grid includes IG Lives, styling videos and make-up tutorials.
Take out: Think outside the box with your content. Be fun and entertaining. Don’t forget to mix in Tik Tok videos
9. The Vampire’s Wife
One of my favourite all time labels (which I wish I could afford) The Vampire’s Wife, was founded by Susie Cave in 2014 (wife of Nick Cave) Having started out as a tiny, insidery capsule collection, mostly for Susie’s circle of friends, it has become a bona fide global brand, and the cooler go-to for the red carpet. The Instagram account is simple and pared back with a focus on the A list celebrity fans, designs and illustrations.
Take out: Be confident with your brand. If you have celebrity or influencer fans re-post for your grid but always get permission first.
10. a.a.k.s
a.a.k.s is a gorgeous handcrafted bag brand from Ghana. It was founded to introduce the expert weaving techniques done by women of Ghana and also to create sustainable jobs within Ghana. The Instagram feed tells this story and showcases the craftmanship and authenticity of the brand.
Key takeout: Tell your brand story through the squares. The muted colours create a uniformity to the grid and the content tells the story of the weaving process from craftsmanship, the makers through to the final product.
11. Realisation Par
Launched five years ago by glamorous Aussie duo, Teale Talbot and Alexandra Spencer, Réalisation Par is an affordable yet luxurious direct-to-consumer brand with cult, instantly recognisable designs and a mass following. It started with 6 dresses and relied heavily on social media for awareness & growth and is now established as one of the most desirable fashion brands
Key take out: #DreamGirls – they let the influencers tell the story and re-post great content on the Instagram with a shop the grid section on their website. Note strong video content on the grid.
12. Ganni
Leading Scandi brand, Ganni launched twenty years ago with the ‘perfect’ knit and now offers one of the most desirable wardrobes in the world. Always ahead of the social media game, their #gannigirl hashtag created a vibrant community and they are one of the first retailer to launch a clothing hire service of their collection. Their Instagram account amplifies the #gannigirl lifestyle with IGTVs offering lifestyle content such as flower arranging training & podcasts with key influencers such as Pandora Sykes
Key take out: Don’t just post stills on the grid. Share IGTV and movies and promote other brand initiatives
13. Kate Spade
Kate Spade is a women’s luxury brands known for its handbags, as well as clothing and jewellery. Their Instagram feed is suitably feminine and playful, featuring shades of pink as the main feature color, with blue, green and purple to compliment.
Key take out: Even though there is much going on visually, the images are all tied together by with a color palette. Quotes are created using the same type font to create uniformity.
14. Lem Lem
Lem Lem is an artisan driven driven fashion collection for men, women and children which is made entirely in Africa. The core collection is handwoven in Ethiopia and has been expanding to other artisan groups across Africa. This playful Instagram grid mixes up shop direct pages with lifestyle images, model shots and inspirational mood pictures.
Key takeout: Use the grid to build your brand’s ‘house’ – showcase the inspiration, its origin and mood. This can be done with simple iphone photography
15. Beyond Clothing
This US outdoor clothing company Beyond has used its Instagram grid to encapsulate a sense of adventure. The images are earthy and inspiring. They have mixed campaign images from the collection with powerful shots of nature, from snow-capped mountains, waterfalls and deserts
Take out: Bring the heart of your brand to the grid. This grid showcases a strong sense of adventure showcasing some of the world’s wildest places which are accessible in Beyond Clothing
16. Lululemon
The leader of yoga-inspired athletic clothing Lululemon is on a mission to instil a sense of zen and this can be seen throughout their Instagram feed. They have focused on fitness and life fun, which amplifies their powerful brand positioning and focus on motivation on their feed rather than selling products. They are a master of the IGTV
Take out: Still to a colour palette to reflect your brand’s core message. Note Lululemon’s use of cool and calming colours with images featuring plenty of negative spaces.
17. Vavvoune
Vavvoune is an emerging accessory brand is founded and designed by New Yorker Valerie Blaise and is gathering international recognition.
Key takeout: Be creative with your content. Although this bag collection is small, they have created a vibrant grid, mixing up still life imagery, with model shots, lifestyle pictures and creative inspiration mood boards.
18. Eberjey
Miami loungewear brand, Eberjey, specialises in feminine, pretty and super comfortable PJs, off-duty styles and holiday collections. It’s core USP is comfort and clothing to make you feel happy and uplifted. The Instagram is clean and clear with a mix of product and lifestyle shots. There is a light and airy energy running throughout
Key takeout: Don’t be afraid to be product focused on your gird but try and create a mood and a uniformity. Eberjey has made great use of white space and flatlays bringing in lifestyle notes such plants/trees and coffee to illustrate its off-duty spirit.
19. Vans
Vans brand and their Instagram account are all about shoes. They promote the skater lifestyle showcasing their talented community’s authentic content. So much innovative content on here from animations, musical performance and illustrations.
Top tip: Incredible use of video content for storytelling. They have made the customer the hero of the brand and this focus on video brings strong engagement.
20. Tiffany & Co
The world-famous luxury jewellery brand Tiffany & Co focuses on high quality images created by professional photographers. They thread their signature duck egg blue brand colour through the feed and have run a series of InstaLives during the Covid Lock down with niche experts and luxury commentators.
Key take out: Bring your brand guidelines to the grid to create a powerful identity and connect with your professional community
Guess who is the most followed fashion brand on Instagram?
If you are interested to find out who the most followed fashion brands on Instagram are have a read of this article here with Nike at No.1. They have an incredible 90 million followers!
Do you need help with your Instagram and social media marketing?
Well that’s the end of the show folks! I hope you have enjoyed this round-up and please do share any of your favourite fashion brands on Instagram with us. We would love to hear from you.
If you are struggling with your Instagram platform we are here to help. We specialise in coaching and training and can help you with your Instagram strategy, goals, and implementation on how it can deliver for your business. Read more about our instagram training here.
If you liked this blog post you might also be interested to read our Top Tips & tricks for working with fashion influencers.
Bye for now, Marie Louise. PS – check out my Instagram here @mrsmlmode – I’d love a follow xx
Top tips for working with influencers on Instagram in 2020 | MLPR
[…] If you need help with your brand on Instagram please do get in touch. I am both a communications expert and also a fashion influencer @MrsMLMode, and have been running Instagram training sessions for over two years. Before lockdown, they were in groups of 14 but now I have been hosting over Zoom. I can also create bespoke programmes and train teams. I hope you enjoyed this article and if you are interested in fashion brands nailing it on Instagram, have a look at my recent post Expert Guide to Instagram for Fashion Brands […]