{
  "id": 14608355,
  "title": "How Mass-Market Fashion Brands Can Unlock Desirability",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/how-mass-market-fashion-brands-can-unlock-desirability",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-15T04:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business of Fashion",
    "slug": "business-of-fashion",
    "url": "https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/marketing-pr/launchmetrics-desirability-marketing-report-2026/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "As mass-market fashion brands grapple with shifting consumer preferences and the blurring lines of fashion value, a new battleground has emerged: desirability. According to Launchmetrics' latest report, The Desirability Gap: How Mass Market Brands are Repositioning to Compete, these brands are increasingly focusing on repositioning themselves to close the desirability gap. This shift is part of a broader market dynamic known as \"The Elevation Game,\" which BoF and McKinsey & Company identified as one of the key forces shaping fashion in 2026.\n\nThe report analyzed 50 mass-market brands between January 2025 and June 2026, highlighting four strategies that are driving the premiumization shift: premium partnerships and collaborations, luxury creative director appointments, high-profile ambassadors, and participation in cultural arenas. Brands leveraging premium partnerships saw an average 29% increase in Media Impact Value (MIV) between 2025 and 2026, with Zara's collaboration with John Galliano generating $8.3 million in MIV in just 48 hours. This partnership was attributed to \"premium elevation\" and \"archival authority,\" demonstrating that credibility can be transferred from established figures to mass-market brands.\n\nGap Inc.'s appointment of Zac Posen as executive vice president and creative director serves as a clear example of how creative leadership can impact a brand's repositioning. In just two years, Posen's approach led to a 99% increase in MIV and shifted the conversation around Gap towards an \"accessible elevation\" and \"high-low prestige\" perception. These findings suggest that mass-market brands can unlock desirability by partnering with credible figures and establishing creative leadership as an integral part of their brand identity.",
  "summary": "As fashion’s value spectrum blurs, mass-market brands are looking beyond price to build desirability. A new report from Launchmetrics, “The Desirability Gap: How Mass Market Brands are Repositioning to Compete”, reveals how premiumisation — from designer partnerships to cultural moments — is reshaping the competition for relevance.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}