A crucial quarter where the luxury sector has a lot riding on it
The fourth quarter is not simply a segment of the marketing calendar : in France , it encapsulates the tension between desire and conversion. Holidays , gift set launches , the surge in gift purchases , and fierce competition among luxury brands are all at their peak. In this context, luxury influencer marketing becomes a sophisticated management tool, both for establishing a narrative (heritage, expertise, style) and for accelerating the adoption of high-turnover products , particularly in beauty and fragrance .
This is precisely what a Kolsquare report on brand performance on Instagram and TikTok in France in Q4 2025 highlights. Beyond the names that often come up in conversations: Chanel, Dior, Rabanne: the interest lies elsewhere: understanding why these Houses dominate, on which formats, with which talent profiles, and what this says about the new rules of performance in luxury influence.
Understanding measurement: what "performance" means in an influence relationship
A ranking of brands in influencer marketing is never neutral: it depends on a methodology, a scope, andindicators that don't all tell the same story. Industry reports often rely on a combination of visibility (potential reach), engagement (interactions), and estimated media value, frequently called EMV for Earned Media Value. EMV aims to translate the exposure generated by organic or sponsored content into advertising equivalents, in order to compare very different activations.
This approach is useful for identifying trends, but it should be interpreted with caution. Reach can be heavily influenced by a few very powerful profiles, engagement can vary depending on platform mechanics, and EMV remains an estimate that depends on internal coefficients.
In the luxury sector, one point is crucial: a "numerical" performance can reflect effective distribution without guaranteeing lasting desirability. The challenge, therefore, lies in interpreting these KPIs as signals and then linking them to deeper objectives: brand preference, intent, qualified traffic, and ultimately, retail or e-commerce.
France, Q4 2025: a context that benefits certain categories
The French market is significant. Firstly, because luxury is culturally ingrained there, with historic brands and a powerful imagery surrounding ateliers, couture silhouettes, perfumery , and jewelry. Secondly, because the French market combines a demanding local audience, tourists, and strong media coverage, which can amplify certain content. Finally, because Q4 naturally favors "gift" categories: perfumes, makeup, skincare, accessories, small leather goods, and sometimes entry-level jewelry.
This seasonality helps explain why the beauty and fragrance verticals often outperform in terms of influence: they lend themselves to demonstrations, routines, texture and shade tests, "before/after" looks, and they offer a more accessible price point than ready-to-wear. Conversely, pure fashion, more elitist and less directly "shoppable" in France, focuses more on storytelling, the runway, image, and building an aura.
Instagram and TikTok: two languages, two attention economies
Instagram remains a territory of carefully curated presentation. The feed and Reels coexist with an ecosystem of Stories that functions like a daily soap opera: behind-the-scenes glimpses, events, beauty appointments, fittings, invitations. For luxury brands, it's a platform of codes, where aesthetics count as much as the message. Content may be less viral but more "compatible" with the idea of prestige, production quality, photography, lighting, and materials, whether it's tweed, leather, satin, gold, or diamonds.
TikTok, for its part, is a high-speed factory of popular culture. Trends, sounds, repeatable formats, and humor create dynamics that brands don't entirely control. Yet, it's precisely this slight shift in control that can benefit luxury: when a brand succeeds in getting creators to adopt a gesture, a fragrance reference, a look, or a "code," it gains cultural ubiquity. TikTok also fosters rapid education, the explanation of an olfactory note by a perfumer, the makeup transformation by a makeup artist, or even the storytelling of an iconic accessory through an anecdote.
Chanel: Aura as a system, scarcity as a driving force
If Chanel regularly dominates conversations, it's because the brand operates as a complete system of desire. In terms of influence, this power often translates into an alchemy of heritage (the House's narrative), instantly recognizable visual codes, and the orchestration of high-profile media events. The result isn't simply a collection of posts; it's a narrative continuity that makes each appearance consistent with a cohesive universe.
In Q4, Chanel also benefits from the strength of its beauty and fragrance categories, which are major entry points to the brand. Packaging, gestures, rituals, and the sensory promise are all conveyed very effectively in short formats. At the same time, the House maintains a certain mystique, including in its messaging. This apparent restraint can paradoxically strengthen engagement: the public comments, interprets, and shares because they sense a level of high standards and selectivity in what is presented.
The key, in terms of influence, is often the right casting. Luxury doesn't need to be omnipresent; it needs to be impeccable at the right time, with the right faces, whether they are global ambassadors, cultural figures, or creators capable of translating codes into desirable content without trivializing them.
Dior: the orchestration of talent and the power of beauty
Dior embodies a particularly clear approach to luxury influencer marketing : the ability to bring together different ecosystems. Fashion provides the aura, through runway shows, silhouettes, couture craftsmanship, and the figure of the artistic director. Beauty brings frequency, demonstration, and proximity, through makeup, skincare, fragrances, and routines that integrate seamlessly into the way platforms are used.
On Instagram, Dior often excels when the image is conveyed by ambassadors and premium talents who extend the House's editorial universe. On TikTok, performance can rely more on creators who are educational or highly narrative, capable of explaining a shade, a finish, a technique, or transforming a launch into a cultural experience. In Q4, the effect of gift sets, limited editions, and holiday campaigns creates fertile ground: influencers don't just sell a product; they sell a gifting ritual, an intention, a story.
This strategy reveals a central point in the current power dynamic: beauty is not a mere "side effect" of luxury, but rather a content infrastructure. It feeds the algorithm, keeps the brand in the conversation, and paves the way for less frequent but more spectacular fashion campaigns.
Rabanne: pop culture, perfume and bold formats
Rabanne stands out for its unique energy, at the crossroads of fashion and fragrance , with an ability to play with pop culture without sacrificing its identity. This positioning lends itself to a TikTok-friendly approach : the boldness , the brilliance , the festive spirit, and the musical or nighttime references naturally align with the platform's usage patterns, especially at the end of the year.
In terms of influence, Rabanne can leverage a more experimental approach, where creators have room for interpretation. Perfume, in particular, lends itself to quick narratives: "which fragrance for which occasion," "how to choose based on the notes," "what sillage for an evening out." Even if the olfactory experience isn't conveyed through a screen, storytelling, metaphors, and imagination compensate. In Q4, this ability to associate a fragrance with a social moment (dinner, party, New Year's Eve) enhances performance.
This case illustrates a useful rule: on TikTok, brand consistency doesn't require aesthetic rigidity. It requires consistency of attitude. Some brands perform well because they accept that influence is also a co-creation, with a clear framework but a less institutional tone.
Fashion, beauty, perfume, jewelry: content mechanics that are not all created equal
Reading an influence report without distinguishing between different sectors leads to overly simplistic conclusions. Fashion operates in peaks: runway shows, red carpets, campaigns, editorials. It produces iconic images, but often less repetition. Beauty and fragrance, on the other hand, produce a natural rhythm: morning routine, makeup application, evening preparations, unboxing a gift set, reviews of textures, comparisons of shades. This rhythm generates more touchpoints and, consequently, a greater chance of achieving high reach and engagement.
Jewelry and watchmaking operate according to a different logic. They demand high-quality image capture to convey the cut of a stone, the brilliance of a metal, the detail of a setting, the precision of a movement. They excel when they find the right balance between rarity and demonstration: close-ups, explanations from jewelry artisans, stories of knowledge transfer, or real-life demonstrations at events. In Q4, they benefit from the symbolic value of gift-giving, but often remain more selective in their distribution.
The result is a landscape where Houses that effectively combine fashion and beauty have a structural advantage: they can maintain the conversation all year round, then capitalize on high-aura fashion moments.
The new cast: nano, micro, macro and ambassadors, each in their place
The question is no longer about choosing between creators and celebrities , but about how to combine them. Brand ambassadors and high-profile figures bring immediate power, coverage, cultural legitimacy, and the ability to transform a launch into an event. However, their cost and the nature of their audience sometimes make the marginal return less obvious, especially if the goal is product education.
Micro and nano profiles, on the other hand, often inspire more direct trust. In the beauty industry, a micro-creator who can explain a routine, demonstrate results, and respond to comments can generate highly qualified interest. In the luxury sector, this level of proximity must remain consistent with the brand image: the quality of the message, mastery of industry codes, decor, lighting, and diction are almost as important as the number of followers.
What the dominance of certain brands reveals is a maturity in their asset allocation: "leading" faces for prestige, experts (makeup artists, hairdressers, dermatologists, perfumers, stylists) for credibility, and affinity-based creators for consistency. Performance no longer stems from a single type of talent, but from the composition of the portfolio.
Formats that are gaining popularity at the end of the year: speed, ritual, proof
In Q4, the most successful formats addressed very specific intentions: finding a gift idea, validating a choice, envisioning an occasion, understanding a product range, or checking a shade. On Instagram, Reels combine aesthetics and rhythm; Stories provide social proof, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and immediate recommendations, sometimes through "get ready" sequences. On TikTok, trends can become a vehicle, but value is often created through the clarity of the narrative: a product, a promise, a use case, a result.
Gifting, when handled well, becomes a catalyst. In the luxury sector, it cannot be treated as a simple shipment: it must reflect theMaison's experience, with attention to packaging, message, presentation, and timing. The " unboxing " is not a gimmick ; it is a theatrical display of materials, where paper, ribbon, box, and typography all contribute to the perception of value.
Ultimately, proof matters. Not aggressively commercial proof, but proof of use: how a lipstick performs, how a fragrance feels worn, how a skincare product layers, how an accessory completes an outfit. The leading brands know how to transform a product into a story-worthy experience, without reducing it to mere sales pitches.
Effectiveness versus desirability: linking EMV to business without losing sight of the objective
An influence report can create the illusion of a direct link between social performance and sales. In reality, luxury is characterized by decision cycles, multiple touchpoints, and a degree of irrational desire. EMV (Emotional Value), engagement, and reach are therefore indicators of media effectiveness: they show whether the brand has succeeded in capturing attention. They do not automatically indicate whether the brand has strengthened its perceived value or protected its codes.
To approach desirability, you need to cross-reference the signals: quality of comments, tone, recurrence of mentions, ability to trigger searches, to generate visits to the store, to feed wish lists.
We must also accept that some campaigns underperform in volume but outperform in prestige, because they establish a lasting image. This is particularly true for fashion and fine jewelry, where the main objective is to cultivate the aura.
