Black market in fashion week invitations explodes online

At every fashion week, a crowd of fashion enthusiasts gathers at the entrances of shows, desperately hoping to score a last-minute invitation to witness the most coveted luxury brand spectacles. Invitations are considered a holy grail, as they are the only way to access the privileged rows of runways alongside fashion professionals, celebrities, and influencers. Faced with the frustration of those excluded, invitation holders have seized a lucrative financial opportunity by reselling these sacred tickets at exorbitant prices. A true black market has emerged, where invitations are resold via Instagram stories visible only to “close friends,” WhatsApp, or Signal messages. While this practice is not new, this Paris edition has seen prices soar to astronomical heights. Indeed, attending the Yves Saint Laurent show required a staggering €9,500, €8,000 for Sacai, and €6,500 for Zimmermann.

According to Glitz reporters, it’s the “personal shoppers”, known in French as image consultants, who are behind this highly profitable business. In a context where the luxury industry is seeing grey, brands increasingly collaborate with these consultants, who boast extensive networks and generate tens of thousands of euros per month in revenue. To reward them, luxury houses offer them in-kind benefits, including the coveted invitations they are supposed to distribute to their loyal clients. However, given the generous profits, it is becoming increasingly difficult to resist the temptation.

This controversial practice caused an uproar last year when influencer Louis Pisano posted on X a screenshot of a private Instagram story from a VIC (Very Important Customer) Manager, which read: “I can offer the following shows (guaranteed to be seated in the first three rows), including red carpet and after-party,” with “price and details upon request.” The brands offered included Dries Van Noten, Balmain, Rabanne, Givenchy, Alexis Mabille, Elie Saab, Balenciaga, Casablanca, Y Project, Louis Vuitton, Miu Miu, and Chanel. In his post, which garnered over 200,000 views, Pisano explains that it’s a highly lucrative side hustle. The rise of social media has allowed a large audience to experience Fashion Week shows virtually, fueling even more desire among viewers to attend in person, thus stoking the greed of this black market, which shows no signs of stopping.