Martha Stewart has revealed that she can receive a staggering $40,000 (£30,000) worth of clothes when invited to attend a fashion show, offering a glimpse into the lucrative relationship between celebrities, influencers and the fashion industry.
The 85-year-old lifestyle mogul disclosed the eye-watering figure during the debut episode of MasterClass's new business podcast, Other People's Business, hosted by MasterClass founder and CEO David Rogier.
Stewart explained that influencers can be compensated with goods rather than traditional cash payments, using her own experience as an example. In her case, she said she can receive $40,000 worth of clothes when invited to attend a fashion show — and does not have to return them.
'It interests me tremendously how things have changed,' Stewart said while discussing the evolving influencer economy. She continued: 'Now the influencers are getting paid either in goods ... I mean, I get asked to go to a fashion show, and I then get $40,000 worth of clothes.'
Her comments provide a rare insight into the fashion-show arrangements available to a high-profile figure, with Stewart describing clothing as something she can receive when invited to a show.
A $40,000 Clothing Budget for Fashion Shows
Rogier appeared taken aback by the figure, responding: 'That's a lot of money — $40,000 to dress you to go to the fashion show. Does it show up?'
Stewart then clarified exactly what the eye-watering sum means. 'They're giving you $40,000 worth of clothes so you can buy whatever you want to wear and wear it to the show,' she explained. 'And you get to keep the clothes.'
The distinction is significant: Stewart was describing the value of clothing provided to her, rather than saying she receives $40,000 in cash simply for attending a fashion show. The $40,000 figure was presented as an example of what Stewart herself has been offered, rather than a standard payment for celebrities attending fashion shows.
Stewart has also experienced the fashion-week front row first-hand. She was photographed in the front row at Carolina Herrera's Fall 2026 show during New York Fashion Week in February.
Her revelation offers a glimpse into the value of clothing supplied to high-profile fashion-show attendees.
Stewart Says the Influencer Business Has Changed
The $40,000 clothing revelation came during a broader conversation about how dramatically the business of influence has changed. Stewart was blunt about her approach to commercial opportunities, arguing that influencers need to turn their visibility into income.
'You can be an influencer, but if you're not making money at it, you're not really an influencer,' she said. 'You have to make money.' She added: 'My philosophy has always been: if I'm going to work hard, I want to be paid. I have not really worked for nothing.'
When Rogier asked where influencers can now make their money, Stewart pointed to the sweeping changes brought by the internet and social media. 'Everything has changed,' she said. 'With the advent of the internet, of social media, with the failure of monthly advertisers for TV shows and magazines — everything has changed.'
Stewart also reflected on her own commercial success, citing her Martha Stewart Everyday partnership with Kmart, which began in 1997, as her 'first big money'. But it was her extraordinary account of the fashion-show arrangements available to her that offered perhaps the clearest picture of how valuable goods can form part of modern influencer arrangements.
For Stewart, an invitation to attend a runway show can come with $40,000 worth of clothes — with the wardrobe ultimately hers to keep.
