From what's trending on the runway to what's trending in feed and stories, the relationship between fashion and Instagram has never been more immediate, immersive and international. With more than 200 million on Instagram connected to fashion accounts all over the world,¹ Instagram has become a global destination for people to experience this stylish industry unlike anywhere else.

To see why 143 million turned to Instagram to discover, share and discuss the newest spring trends at Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2018,² we teamed up with our in-house insights group Facebook IQ and Head of Fashion Partnerships, Eva Chen (@evachen212), to explore the ways that advertisers can connect with customers at fashion weeks around the world and beyond.

Whether in Europe³ or the US, fashion enthusiasts are spending more time than ever on Instagram engaging with their favourite businesses, designers and products – turning to it for inspiration they can't find anywhere else. For that reason, 45% of Instagram accounts surveyed in Great Britain, Italy, France, Spain and Germany follow a fashion brand or influencer to get inspiration for different looks that they can put together or buy. While in the US, people use Instagram every day to discover new products, stay up on the latest trends and share their own personal styles⁴ with popular hashtags such as #fashion⁵ and #ootd.⁶

But it's not just about staying in the know and discovering new looks. Fashionistas on Instagram appreciate the connection and community that the platform creates as well. Nearly half of Instagram accounts follow a business to feel a closer sense of connection to it – making many feel like they're part of an exclusive group as a result.⁷

With a name synonymous with American fashion and international runways, clothing brand Tommy Hilfiger (@tommyhilfiger) wanted a way to reach young people in Latin America and generate awareness around its new tailored line of menswear. To get its message across, the chic brand launched a video ad campaign on Instagram.

Combining its global campaign strategy, which featured videos starring Rafael Nadal, with exclusive local content created by Latin American influencers, Tommy Hilfiger was able to focus on a wide market segment⁸ and reach their target audience in separate countries throughout the region. The video ads attracted three times more video views than previous campaigns, and sales of the advertised line increased by 28%.

To generate awareness and buzz around its Spring/Summer 2017 men's collection, the French fashion house Louis Vuitton (@louisvuitton) used Instagram Stories' immersive, vertical screen format to create exclusive video content for the brand's new line.

And it's not just larger fashion brands finding success on Instagram. Businesses of all sizes are connecting with our unique community in various ways and inspiring action through feed, stories and live.

Stretch. Flex. Swipe. Looking to build awareness around its modern activewear and increase sales on its website, athleisure brand InflowStyle (@inflowstyle) launched an ongoing campaign back in February tailored specifically for Instagram. With the help of a Facebook Marketing Expert, the fashion-forward brand was able to create and implement a more dynamic strategy to reach more people likely to be interested in its products.

Using Facebook pixel, Custom Audiences and link ads that led directly to a product collection on its website, InflowStyle was able to capture the right audience and inspire online purchases through its stylish Instagram campaign. As a result, the brand far surpassed its initial expectations and achieved a six times return on ad spend, as well as a five-fold increase in sales.

To help advertisers gain a deeper understanding of these emerging trends and how they can incorporate them into their own campaigns at fashion weeks around the world and beyond, listen to Eva Chen's recent podcast interview and read Facebook IQ's in-depth article to take a closer look at the intersection of fashion and Instagram. And don't forget to read our recap of this year's fashion weeks to discover what the Instagram community buzzed about most.

How will your business own the runway on Instagram?