Vicky Elmer

Overview

For SS17, I led global PR, influencer and content strategy for Y-3 at Paris Fashion Week, delivering a step-change in creative ambition, operational efficiency and cultural impact at a time of significant budget pressure.

Inspired by Yohji Yamamoto’s fascination with dystopian science fiction, the collection explored themes of futurism, space and alternate realities. My role was to translate this creative vision into a globally resonant communications moment that balanced avant-garde fashion credibility with scale, reach and commercial relevance.

The show was staged in Paris within a stark, non-conformist environment and attended by leading global talent and cultural tastemakers including Winnie Harlow, Neelam Gill, Luka Sabbat, Cali Dewitt, Nabile Quenum and Younes Bendjima.

Strategic Shift

On joining the role, I implemented two fundamental changes to how Y-3 approached fashion week communications.

1. Event & Content Model Redesign
Facing a 40% year-on-year budget reduction, I recommended moving away from traditional fashion week production agencies in favour of partners aligned to Y-3’s non-conformist DNA. I led the transition to Broadwick Live, whose background in live cultural experiences enabled a more immersive, emotionally charged show environment at significantly greater efficiency.

This shift:

• Delivered the most positive post-show feedback from media and buyers in over a decade

• Generated record post-show sample requests

• Freed €500k back into content creation and brand engagement activity

Yohji Yamamoto described the SS17 show as “the best we have done in over a decade.”

2. PR Agency Model Reset
For the first time in 20 years, I led a full review of Y-3’s PR agency model, introducing performance-led partners and clearer editorial benchmarks.

This resulted in:

• A step-change in key editor attendance

• Significant uplift in quality editorial and social coverage

• Stronger global consistency without diluting local market relevance

Innovation & Digital Firsts

Working with Broadwick Live and PHIX, I helped deliver the first-ever multi-cam, split-screen Instagram Live fashion show, debuting the Y-3 collection globally in real time.

• 75,000 unique viewers live

• 2.5M Instagram Story views

• +275% increase in viewership vs previous season

• 49M total impressions from show content

• Shorty Awards finalist for innovation in live social broadcasting

This marked a pivotal moment in repositioning Y-3 as digitally progressive without compromising fashion authority.

Results & Cultural Impact

• Combined global reach of 465M+ across earned, social and influencer channels

• 100% positive media sentiment

• Strongest buyer response and uptake in over a decade

• Coverage secured across Vogue, WWD, Hypebeast, Hypebae, Highsnobiety and Esquire

• Influencer seeding to 20 priority global tastemakers during Paris Fashion Week

Strategic Impact

This project reset how Y-3 approached fashion week communications, proving that cultural credibility, creative experimentation and commercial discipline can coexist at scale. The SS17 programme became a blueprint for future Y-3 shows, influencing how adidas approached content-first runway strategy, agency models and live digital storytelling across the wider fashion portfolio.

Y-3 SS17 SHOW FILM

COVERAGE SNAPSHOT

EXAMPLES OF PRESS SHOTS

Y-3 SS17 CAMPAIGN VIDEO