Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.

How ‘Dopamine Culture’ Rewired Fashion

The rise of social media algorithms that endlessly select and serve up digital content — whatever triggers a dopamine buzz in our brains — has rewired the luxury fashion industry. Is feeding the feed good for business?

A phone records the runway at the Ynessuelves fashion show during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Madrid at Ifema on February 21, 2025 in Madrid, Spain. — The fashion system has been reshaped by the rise of social media algorithms. (Juan Naharro Gimenez/Getty Images)

Marc Bain

23 July 2025

BoF PROFESSIONAL

Earlier this month, with the fashion world awaiting Matthieu Blazy’s September debut for Chanel, the French luxury house staged its latest couture show in Paris, an event less noteworthy for the clothes — another collection signed by the design studio — than the spectacle.

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What’s the Value of Viral Fashion?

More than ever, the fashion industry is geared to generate buzz, but some brands are rethinking their dependence on marketing stunts.

The Decline and Fall of the Viral Microtrend

Fast spreading — and disappearing — online “microtrends” or “cores” have driven fashion conversation for young shoppers over the past few years. Now, the churn has started to slow.

Opinion: Welcome to the Big Flat Now

We operate in a creative industry that is borderless, fluid and makes us more free than we have ever been, argue Thom Bettridge, Joerg Koch and Lucas Mascatello.

About the author

Marc Bain

Marc Bain is Technology Correspondent at The Business of Fashion. He is based in New York and drives BoF’s coverage of technology and innovation, from start-ups to Big Tech.

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