🔥 Rihanna’s Fenty Partners with the WNBA’s New York Liberty

Rihanna’s Fenty has made its first official move into sports sponsorship - and it’s not with the NBA or NFL, but with the WNBA’s New York Liberty. This deal is more than a brand alignment; it’s a cultural statement. Beauty brands aren’t just following athletes into sport - they’re redefining what it means to be an athlete, a style leader, and a cultural figure.

📊 Supporting Stats

• WNBA regular season viewership up 170% year-on-year (2023–2024), the league’s best in 24 years.

• 1.6m viewers tuned into the 2024 Finals - the most-watched in 25 years, up 115% on the previous year.

• League attendance hit its highest in 22 years. (Sources: NBC News, WNBA)

🧠 The Brand Opportunity
This works on multiple levels. Fenty has built its reputation on breaking beauty boundaries and democratising representation - values that align perfectly with the WNBA’s surge in visibility and cultural relevance. Unlike traditional sponsorships, this partnership isn’t just logo placement. The “Gloss Bomb Cam,” exclusive Liberty-branded lip gloss, and beauty-led fan experiences make the activation feel alive, participatory, and in sync with the audience.

Strategically, Fenty is betting on the rise of women’s sports as a lifestyle platform. Players like Isabelle Harrison and Angel Reese aren’t just athletes - they’re beauty icons, influencers, and style references. For Fenty, this is about meeting consumers in cultural spaces where identity and aspiration converge.

📌 Key Takeouts

• Rihanna’s Fenty signed its first sports partnership with the New York Liberty.

• Women’s basketball is at a historic high in audience growth and cultural impact.

• The activation is experience-driven, from arena activations to player-led beauty storytelling.

• Beauty brands (Glossier, CoverGirl, Sephora, Essie) are making the WNBA their sports entry point — skipping men’s leagues.

• This signals a shift in sponsorship logic: women’s sports are no longer the “secondary” market but a prime stage for cultural innovation.

🔮 What We Can Expect Next
Expect more crossover between beauty, fashion, and women’s sport, with players positioned as multidimensional influencers. Brands will compete for authentic alignment with athletes who embody more than performance - they embody style, beauty, activism and identity. The risk? Oversaturation. If every brand rushes in without thoughtful integration, fan trust could erode. But for now, Fenty has set a new gold standard: culturally relevant, commercially smart, and strategically timed.

💄 Bottom line: Fenty’s Liberty deal isn’t just sponsorship — it’s culture work.

👔 Austin Post: Can Post Malone Really Pull Off Paris?

Post Malone is stepping into fashion’s most scrutinised arena: the Paris runway. His debut label, Austin Post, will launch its “Season One” on September 1, right on the doorstep of Fashion Week. For a musician who built his career on blending contradictions - country grit and hip-hop swagger, vulnerability and bravado - this move signals an attempt to translate his eclectic persona into a wearable brand world. But does Post Malone have the cultural leverage and credibility to cut through in an increasingly crowded celebrity-to-fashion pipeline?

📊 Supporting Stats

• The global luxury market is projected to reach $414 billion by 2028, with Gen Z accounting for 20% of luxury spend in 2025 (Bain & Company).

• Celebrity-led labels are multiplying: Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty hit $4 billion valuation, while Kanye West’s Yeezy hit $1.5 billion at its peak before collapsing under reputational strain (Forbes).

• Music x fashion remains lucrative - 61% of Gen Z say they discover new fashion trends through musicians, more than through influencers (YPulse, 2024).

🧠 The Brand Opportunity
Post Malone isn’t new to fashion - collaborations with Crocs sold out repeatedly, while his recent SKIMS campaign aligned him with the new wave of “masculine intimacy” marketing. But a standalone label in Paris signals ambition beyond capsule drops. The challenge? Translating his distinct aesthetic (cowboy hats, Realtree camo, battered Vans, and diamond grills) into a coherent, scalable brand that luxury buyers and streetwear kids can both take seriously.

Paris is a statement of intent: it places Austin Post in conversation with brands like Amiri and Rhude, who blend Americana grit with European tailoring. Yet Malone’s appeal has always been more anti-fashion - offbeat, unbothered, and unfiltered. The tension will be whether Austin Post leans into polish, or keeps the chaotic authenticity that made him a star.

📌 Key Takeouts

• What happened: Post Malone will debut his first fashion line, Austin Post, with a Paris runway show on September 1.

• What worked: Smart timing - launching just ahead of Fashion Week secures global attention and frames the brand in a luxury context. His past collaborations prove commercial appetite exists.

• What’s risky: Paris raises expectations. Unlike Crocs collabs, this isn’t plug-and-play - he’ll be judged on design credibility and brand coherence. Celebrity lines face heavy scrutiny and high failure rates.

• What it signals: Musicians are still banking on fashion as both a cultural amplifier and revenue stream, but the bar for “serious” brands is higher than ever. Austin Post must avoid the trap of being merch in disguise.

• For brand marketers: The play here is authenticity. If Malone’s team positions Austin Post as an extension of his lifestyle and not just another celebrity logo, it could carve a distinct niche between luxury Americana and rugged streetwear.

🔮 What We Can Expect Next
If Austin Post lands well, expect a wave of mid-tier musicians to attempt similar crossovers - not at Yeezy scale, but in tightly curated lifestyle capsules. If it stumbles, it will reinforce the idea that only a handful of celebrity-led brands (Fenty, Ivy Park) can truly sustain. Either way, Paris will be the litmus test: is this Post Malone’s Yeezy moment, or just a high-profile detour?

🔥 Abercrombie x NFL: Can Fashion Rebrand America’s Game?

The NFL just signed its first fashion partner, naming Abercrombie & Fitch the league’s official style collaborator. On paper, it’s a surprising move - a mall brand once synonymous with preppy teen cool now tasked with helping America’s biggest sport sharpen its fashion credentials. But in 2025, where tunnel-walk fits go viral and fan fashion is as important as game-day stats, the move feels less like nostalgia and more like strategy.

📊 Supporting Stats:

• The NFL has a near-even gender split: women now account for 47% of the fan base (Nielsen, 2024).

• Fashion is one of the fastest-growing touchpoints in sport. The global sports apparel market is projected to hit $358bn by 2030 (Statista, 2025), with lifestyle-driven products outpacing performance gear.

• Social media is amplifying athlete fashion power: videos of NFL player arrivals rack up millions of TikTok views weekly, rivaling game highlights in reach.

🧠 The Brand Call: Does It Work?
Yes - strategically, this is a savvy move for both sides.

For Abercrombie, it’s a reinvention play. Once dismissed as outdated, the brand has quietly been building a comeback through cultural partnerships and repositioning around “adult cool.” Tying itself to the NFL - the country’s most-watched entertainment product - signals scale, relevance, and a shot at re-entering the mainstream style conversation.

For the NFL, this is about audience expansion. A league often accused of being slow to adapt is showing it gets where culture is heading: fandom isn’t just broadcast, it’s worn. Fashion is a way to reach younger and more diverse fans, particularly women, without changing the game itself.

📌 Key Takeouts:

• 🏈 The Play: Abercrombie becomes the first official NFL fashion partner, launching athlete-styled campaigns, player-designed collections, and a “Style Concierge” service for pros.

• 👟 The Win: It taps into the cultural capital of NFL fashion moments - tunnel-walk fits, post-game looks - and brings fans into that world.

• 👩 The Audience: With nearly half the NFL fan base now female, fashion partnerships open new space for authentic engagement beyond jerseys.

• ⚖️ The Risk: Abercrombie’s brand baggage - the 2000s preppy era and its exclusivity stigma - could clash with the NFL’s push for inclusivity if not carefully handled.

• 🔑 The Signal: Sport is no longer just about performance - it’s lifestyle, identity, and cultural influence. The league is moving to position itself alongside fashion-first platforms, not just athletic brands.

🔮 What We Can Expect Next:
This won’t be a one-off. Expect more athlete-led collaborations and lifestyle drops that blur sportswear with streetwear. If Abercrombie lands it right, they could become the NFL’s version of Adidas x NBA - a long-term cultural pipeline. The bigger picture: sports leagues will continue recruiting fashion brands not just as licensees, but as co-authors of culture. The real test will be whether fans buy into Abercrombie as credible arbiters of NFL style, or whether the partnership feels too engineered.

🔥 Prada x Red Bull Take Skysurfing to the Bay Bridge

Prada Linea Rossa and Red Bull just staged one of the most visually striking brand collaborations of the year. Skysurfing pioneer Sean MacCormac became the first person to ride down the cables of San Francisco’s Bay Bridge, in a feat blending extreme sport, high fashion, and architectural spectacle. More than just a stunt, this partnership showcased how brands can create cultural theatre by fusing engineering precision, athlete ambition, and luxury fashion credibility.

📊 Supporting Stats

• Red Bull’s branded content dominates digital engagement: its YouTube channel has over 15M subscribers, with extreme sports videos often topping 10M+ views each (Statista, 2025).

• The global luxury sportswear market is projected to hit $137B by 2030 (Allied Market Research, 2025). Collaborations that marry performance innovation with cultural storytelling are key growth drivers.

• Prada’s brand value climbed 14% year-on-year in 2024, fuelled by Linea Rossa’s push into sport-luxury crossovers (Brand Finance).

🧠 Decision: Did It Work?
Yes - strategically, culturally, and visually. For Prada, this was a masterstroke in reinforcing Linea Rossa as not just an offshoot but a high-performance, technically credible arm of the house. Aligning with Red Bull adds adrenaline and digital virality - extending Prada beyond fashion weeks into global feeds. For Red Bull, the link with Prada injects a layer of luxury and aesthetic sophistication into its extreme sports empire, broadening audience reach beyond core action-sport fans.

The risk? Extremity can sometimes overshadow the brand story - viewers might just see “crazy stunt” before noticing Prada’s tailoring or technical innovation. But here, Prada’s involvement wasn’t ornamental: it was embedded in the equipment design, athlete kit, and storytelling. That authenticity is what makes this a win.

📌 Key Takeouts

• 🚀 What happened: Sean MacCormac skysurfed the Bay Bridge cables with Prada Linea Rossa and Red Bull.

• 🎯 What worked: Seamless integration of Prada’s tech-fashion design into the actual performance. Red Bull’s content engine guarantees virality.

• ⚡ What didn’t: High-risk spectacle risks being a one-off “wow” moment rather than a sustained brand narrative.

• 🌍 Signals: Luxury is leaning harder into extreme sports and engineering feats - from Louis Vuitton’s America’s Cup to Moncler’s mountain expeditions.

• 💡 Brand takeaway: Spectacle works best when the brand is functionally essential, not just a logo.

🔮 What We Can Expect Next
Expect more fashion houses to pursue “aesthetic-engineering” collabs - not just sponsoring athletes but co-designing the tech that makes extreme feats possible. The bigger opportunity lies in serial storytelling: can Prada and Red Bull make “Bridge Rider” the first in a series of cultural landmarks reimagined through sport and design? If so, they’ll have a blueprint for the next era of branded spectacle - part luxury, part adrenaline, part cinematic cultural theatre.

🔥 M&S Goes Preloved: Secondhand Meets the High Street Giant

Marks & Spencer is making a play for cultural and commercial relevance by stepping deeper into resale. Its new eBay store, launched under the “Another Life” scheme, takes the brand’s long-standing shwopping initiative into a platform that actually matches where resale culture lives. With Oxfam still in the loop and customers incentivised with £5 vouchers, the move signals how high street stalwarts are adapting to an economy where newness isn’t the only flex.

📊 Supporting Stats

• M&S has already collected 36.5m secondhand garments since the launch of its recycling scheme.

• Depop sales surged 35% YoY to $250m in Q2 2025, putting it on track for $1bn annually (Etsy).

• Vinted reported a 41% rise in sales to €813m in 2024, with profits almost tripling (Vinted).

• The UK throws away roughly 700,000 tonnes of clothes annually (UK govt).

🧠 Decision: Does It Work?
Strategically, yes - but with caveats. M&S aligning with eBay feels like the right cultural handshake: it takes the brand beyond charity bins and into a resale economy that Gen Z and Millennials actually engage with. The partnership also lets M&S test the waters before committing to resale in its own channels. However, the voucher mechanic risks being too transactional. Will consumers see it as authentic circularity or just a dressed-up voucher scheme? That’s where credibility is won or lost.

📌 Key Takeouts

• 👕 M&S opens a secondhand eBay store, powered by Reskinned and in partnership with Oxfam.

• 📦 Customers donating with at least one M&S item get a £5 voucher (online-only).

• ♻️ The initiative builds on M&S’s 36.5m garments collected since its original shwopping launch.

• 💻 M&S joins the resale economy alongside Depop, Vinted, H&M, and Zara.

• ⚠️ Strength: ties a heritage retailer to resale culture.

• ⚠️ Weak spot: risks looking like discount mechanics rather than a true sustainability play.

🔮 What We Can Expect Next
If the eBay partnership lands, expect M&S to migrate resale into its own platforms - perhaps even piloting in-store preloved concessions, echoing what H&M and Selfridges have already trialled. The resale market is expanding fast, but fatigue is real: consumers are becoming savvy about “greenwashing resale” where brands use circularity as a marketing veneer. For M&S, authenticity will come down to consistency — ensuring resale is not a side hustle but a real, embedded part of its fashion strategy.

Women’s Power Move in Sneaker Culture

For decades, sneaker culture has been dominated by male collectors, athletes, and hype cycles. Women were positioned as secondary consumers - often limited to “shrink it and pink it” product strategies. By 2025, this dynamic has shifted. StockX, in partnership with SELF magazine, released a joint report as part of the 2025 Sneaker Awards that confirmed what was already visible on streets, social feeds, and courts: women are not participating in sneaker culture; they’re propelling it forward.

Challenge

Brands have historically underinvested in women’s sneaker culture, relying on male athletes and male-driven collaborations to drive hype. As the resale economy expanded and cultural influence shifted, the question became: what happens when women stop being the afterthought and start driving the demand?

Approach

The StockX x SELF report combined marketplace data with cultural context to measure the impact of women on sneaker culture.

• Analysed resale growth by gendered purchase behaviour.

• Identified emerging unisex-forward trends, particularly Salomon and Asics.

• Cross-referenced cultural drivers such as the rise of WNBA athletes and women-led collaborations.

Findings

• Growth Rate: Women’s sneaker sales have grown at twice the rate of men’s on resale platforms (StockX, 2025).

• Category Shifts: Performance-first brands like Salomon and Asics gained cultural heat largely through women adopting them early.

• Athlete Influence: The WNBA’s surge in popularity (viewership up 36% YoY, Sports Business Journal, 2025) is directly fuelling sneaker demand and brand investment.

• Spending Power: Women now account for over 40% of total sneaker spend (NPD, 2024), up from 25% five years ago.

Impact

Commercially, this shift repositions women as a growth engine in the sneaker economy, not a niche market.
Culturally, women athletes and sneakerheads are now trendsetters, with resale cycles increasingly shaped by female demand.
Creatively, unisex-forward design is becoming the default, driven by female consumers’ rejection of gendered aesthetics.

Strategic Takeaways

• Women are leading, not following. Treat them as tastemakers and drivers of sneaker culture.

• Athletes matter. WNBA partnerships and authentic athlete storytelling are key levers for brand relevance.

• Unisex is the new normal. Performance/lifestyle crossovers will continue to thrive as women blur utility and style.

• Legacy gaps remain. Brands that treat women’s drops as secondary risk cultural irrelevance and commercial stagnation.

Looking Ahead

Expect more signature sneakers for women athletes, not just size runs or colourway spin-offs. WNBA visibility and female-led collaborations will accelerate, while resale data will increasingly reflect women’s buying power. The danger lies in brands overcorrecting with tokenistic pink-washing—authentic, long-term commitment to women’s culture will define the winners.

🔥 Cate Blanchett x Uniqlo: Star Power, Festival Energy, and the Future of Brand Ambassadors

Cate Blanchett Dances Wildly in Sparks’ Video

Uniqlo has tapped Cate Blanchett as its new global brand ambassador - a move that blends award-winning gravitas with cultural cool. Blanchett is far more than a Hollywood icon. In recent years she’s stepped into unexpected cultural spaces, from avant-garde art to festival stages, proving her influence stretches beyond cinema and red carpets. For Uniqlo, this partnership isn’t about attaching a famous face to product. It’s about aligning with a figure who embodies values, versatility, and cultural credibility.

📊 Supporting Stats

• Fast Retailing (Uniqlo’s parent company) posted ¥2.77 trillion ($17.8 billion) in FY2024 revenue, making it the world’s third-largest apparel retailer (Fast Retailing).

• 72% of Gen Z say they are more likely to support a brand endorsed by a celebrity whose values align with their own (WARC, 2024).

• Blanchett’s crossover into music and live culture has gone viral: her Sparks dance at Glastonbury 2023 generated millions of views within days, proving her ability to engage audiences outside film.

🎭 Blanchett in Culture: Beyond the Screen

• Massive Attack’s The Spoils (2016): Blanchett’s face was deconstructed in John Hillcoat’s haunting video, cementing her as a muse for avant-garde music visuals.

• Sparks - The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte (2023): Blanchett stole the spotlight in a yellow suit and red headphones, performing a stiff yet hypnotic dance that became an internet talking point.

• Glastonbury Festival (2023): She surprised fans by joining Sparks on stage to recreate her dance live, turning a cult video moment into cultural spectacle.

• Manifesto (2015): In Julian Rosefeldt’s installation, Blanchett embodied 13 personas delivering historic artistic manifestos, underscoring her credibility in performance art.

These appearances reveal her as a boundary-crossing performer who can translate between high art, pop spectacle, and humanitarian advocacy.

🧠 Decision: Does It Work?

Yes - this was a strategically sharp move. Blanchett adds a layer of sophistication that few celebrities can deliver, while her willingness to lean into playful, unexpected culture (music videos, festival cameos) keeps her relevant beyond prestige cinema.

For Uniqlo, the pairing works on two levels:

• Credibility in Values: Blanchett’s activism around climate, displacement, and equity echoes Uniqlo’s “LifeWear” philosophy.

• Cultural Reach: Her recent festival cameo shows she can create moments that trend - an asset for a brand navigating the attention economy without chasing hype.

The only caution is relatability. Uniqlo’s power lies in democratic simplicity. Blanchett’s aura is elite. If the brand leans too hard on her prestige without rooting campaigns in accessibility, it risks tilting aspirational instead of universal.

📌 Key Takeouts

• What happened: Cate Blanchett appointed Uniqlo’s global brand ambassador, joining Roger Federer.

• What worked: She brings both timeless style and a track record of surprising cultural moments (music videos, Glastonbury), making her a dynamic storyteller for the brand.

• The risk: Her prestige image could pull Uniqlo into overly aspirational territory if not balanced with everyday LifeWear narratives.

• Why it matters: Shows a shift from celebrity endorsements to ambassadorial partnerships rooted in values + cultural versatility.

• For marketers: Blanchett proves the value of ambassadors who can cross cultural codes - film, art, music, activism - and still feel authentic.

🔮 What We Can Expect Next

Expect Uniqlo to leverage Blanchett not just in campaigns, but in purpose-led storytelling - sustainability forums, humanitarian advocacy, creative collaborations. Her festival moment with Sparks hints at how Uniqlo might embrace unexpected stages to reach audiences: not fashion week, but Glastonbury; not the runway, but the cultural moment that goes viral.

This ambassador play signals a new era: in 2025 and beyond, brands will need figures who can move across art, music, activism, and commerce with credibility. Cate Blanchett isn’t just endorsing LifeWear - she’s embodying it in the cultural arena.

🔥 SZA x Vans: A Culture Reset in Motion

On 14 August, SZA made history as the first-ever Artistic Director of Vans. The Grammy-winning singer/songwriter won’t just be fronting a campaign - she’ll be leading creative operations, shaping upcoming collections, and reimagining how the nearly 60-year-old sneaker brand connects with culture. Her debut trailer features her favourite Knu Skools in Black/White, woven with concert footage and her own voiceover: “In Vans, I feel free!”

This isn’t just a celebrity collab. It’s a significant brand shift, appointing an artist with credibility across music, fashion, and skate-inspired lifestyle to re-anchor Vans in a cultural moment where relevance is currency.

📊 Supporting Stats

• Vans generated $3.7 billion in global revenue in 2023, but sales momentum has slowed amid increased competition (VF Corp Annual Report).

• According to Deloitte (2024), Gen Z rank creative self-expression as their top brand expectation, making SZA’s appointment strategically aligned.

• Pharrell’s appointment at Louis Vuitton sparked a 30% quarterly sales surge in 2023 (LVMH), proving cultural leadership can move markets.

🧠 Decision: Does It Work?
Yes - this move works both culturally and commercially. SZA isn’t a random star endorsement; she’s been a Vans wearer for years and her ethos - resilience, risk-taking, community - aligns with the brand’s “Off the Wall” DNA. For Vans, which risks being outpaced by Nike SB and New Balance in skate credibility, SZA offers a way to broaden the story: from pure skate function to a lifestyle expression rooted in creativity and inclusivity.

Culturally, SZA embodies authenticity. She brings Vans into conversations around music, fashion, and Gen Z identity while keeping skate values intact. Commercially, it positions Vans to grow its lifestyle audience - people who may never drop into a half-pipe but still buy into skate culture’s ethos.

📌 Key Takeouts

• What happened: SZA named Vans’ first Artistic Director, with creative authority across campaigns and product.

• What worked: Authentic connection between SZA and Vans; reframing skate’s rebellious ethos through inclusivity and artistry; cultural credibility beyond traditional skate audiences.

• Signals: Legacy brands are shifting from celebrity ambassadors to creative architects; skate culture is being redefined as a metaphor for resilience and expression, not just sport.

• For brand marketers: Authentic cultural partnerships drive credibility when the figure embodies the brand’s DNA rather than just borrowing its iconography.

🔮 What We Can Expect Next
Vans will likely amplify SZA’s creative direction through capsule collections, multimedia campaigns, and crossover events between fashion and music. If it lands, this could be Vans’ biggest brand reset since the 90s skate boom - expanding from niche subculture to mainstream cultural symbol.

The broader trend? Expect more brands to hand the reins to cultural leaders, not just for campaigns, but for creative leadership that redefines the brand’s future.

🎒✨ Dior Kids Makes Back-to-School Couture

Dior Kids’ Spring 2025 campaign, photographed by Juliette Abitbol and brought to life on film by Java Jacobs, introduces the Diorling collection under the creative direction of Cordelia de Castellane.

Shot in soft Parisian light, the campaign reframes the back-to-school ritual as something cinematic: children buttoning coats, tightening satchels, and stepping into corridors that feel more like ateliers than classrooms. Juliette Abitbol’s stills lean into timeless portraiture, while Jacobs’ video infuses the sequence with playful motion - turning a schoolyard routine into a fashion narrative.

📊 The Bigger Picture

• Children’s luxury is no niche - it’s a growth engine. Global luxury kidswear is projected to hit $82B by 2032, fuelled by millennial and Gen Z parents who see style as self-expression for the whole family (Future Market Insights).

• The campaign’s aesthetic - classic tailoring scaled down - signals Dior’s intent to make “mini-me” culture not novelty, but tradition.

• Social traction around the film highlights a wider shift: kidswear ads are now being shared not just by parents but by fashion commentators, treating them as part of the broader Dior brand world.

🧠 Did It Work?
Yes - both culturally and commercially. The casting, direction and styling are aligned with Dior’s adult universe but softened with childlike warmth, avoiding accusations of excess or precocity. The ad works because it doesn’t parody adult fashion - it dignifies childhood while still embedding brand codes. Strategically, it positions Dior as a lifestyle across life stages, building loyalty through continuity.

📌 Key Takeouts

• What happened: Dior launched its Diorling kids’ collection via a campaign shot by Juliette Abitbol and Java Jacobs.

• What worked: Elevated visual storytelling, positioning back-to-school as a shared cultural milestone; brand consistency across generations.

• Signals: Children’s fashion is no longer an afterthought - it’s a luxury category with its own aesthetic gravity and cultural reach.

🔮 What’s Next
Expect more maisons to use universal life markers - school, birthdays, rites of passage - as opportunities to extend their storytelling. For Dior, this strategy plants seeds of generational loyalty: today’s “first day fit” could translate into tomorrow’s first couture dress. The risk is oversaturation - if every brand leans too hard into kids-as-style-icons, audiences may push back against the blurring of innocence and aspiration. For now, though, Dior’s balance of play and polish feels pitch perfect.

🧱🏀 Nike x LEGO: Turning Fanatics Fest Into a Playground for the Next Gen

At Fanatics Fest NYC, Nike and LEGO didn’t just co-brand - they co-created. Partnering with Hotel Creative, the two powerhouses built a “Playroom” that transformed a convention space into a living, glowing brand world. This wasn’t the usual sneaker drop or collab merch table; it was an ecosystem where play, sport, and imagination fused, and kids were firmly placed at the centre.

📊 Supporting Stats

• Experiential activations are gaining traction: 76% of Gen Z consumers say experiences are more important than possessions (Eventbrite, 2024).

• Nike’s youth apparel and footwear segment saw a 21% YoY growth in 2024 (Statista), signalling why investing in interactive, youth-first storytelling makes strategic sense.

• LEGO has consistently ranked in the top 3 most reputable brands globally for families (RepTrak, 2024), proving its cross-generational trust equity.

🧠 Decision: Did It Work?
Yes. The Nike x LEGO Playroom nailed cultural and commercial resonance. For Nike, the court installation reinforced its credibility as a youth-sport brand that inspires activity, not just sneaker lust. For LEGO, the playful zones proved the brand can expand beyond bricks to fuel creativity across new contexts. The giant Nike shoebox housing it all worked as a metaphor: unboxing potential, unboxing imagination.

📌 Key Takeouts

• What happened: Nike and LEGO built an immersive “Playroom” at Fanatics Fest NYC, complete with hoops, gradients, LEGO-brick builds, and jersey customisation.

• What worked: A physical space that brought both brands’ values to life through interaction, rather than product display.

• What didn’t: Limited scale - the activation lived only within Fest walls, so reach beyond attendees relied heavily on social amplification.

• Signals: Audiences are demanding experiences that feel like living inside the brand’s ethos. This is less about retail, more about brand theatre.

🔮 What We Can Expect Next
Expect more crossover activations where brands double down on physical spaces that feel like playgrounds, not pop-ups. If Nike and LEGO’s Playroom is anything to go by, the future of brand experience is immersive, interactive, and engineered for shareability. The risk? Oversaturation. As more brands chase the “Instagrammable playground” model, only those that align play with authentic brand values will cut through.

🔥 Glamma Goes Global: How Margaret Chola Became Fashion’s New Muse

When 84-year-old Margaret Chola - better known online as @legendary_glamma — swapped wardrobes with her fashion-stylist granddaughter in rural Zambia, the internet didn’t just smile; it stopped scrolling. What started as a playful generational exchange became a viral moment, positioning Chola as an unexpected style icon and proof that fashion influence no longer sits neatly in age brackets, cities, or glossy magazines.

📊 Supporting Stats

• The global influencer economy is now worth over $21 billion (Statista, 2023), with micro and niche influencers — especially those who bring authenticity — driving stronger engagement than celebrity endorsements.

• Content tagged with “grandma” or “older style icon” on TikTok has seen engagement rates up to 40% higher than Gen Z-focused equivalents (WARC, 2024).

• The 60+ demographic is now the fastest-growing user group on Instagram, with adoption rising by 24% last year (Hootsuite, 2024).

  
  Margaret Chola’s rise works because it blends authenticity with subversion. Fashion has long been obsessed with youth, yet here we see coolness redefined by someone in her mid-80s. Unlike branded campaigns that often feel contrived, Glamma’s appeal is rooted in realness, family connection, and sheer style. Brands chasing “ageless relevance” would struggle to engineer this level of organic cultural heat.

📌 Key Takeouts

• What happened: Margaret Chola (@legendary_glamma) went viral after swapping outfits with her granddaughter, sparking global fascination.

• What worked: Authenticity, cross-generational storytelling, and unexpected style credibility.

• Signals: A shift towards intergenerational influence and “age-fluid” cool - fashion’s future looks less about youth, more about story.

• For brand marketers: Virality now comes from surprising juxtapositions, not polished campaigns. Real-world, real-people content has the power to cut through the algorithm.

https://www.instagram.com/legendary_glamma/

👗 John Lewis Bets on Curation: Can the Department Store Go Cool Again?

John Lewis is rewriting its fashion playbook. In partnership with the British Fashion Council (BFC), the retailer is adding over 100 new names - from heritage heavyweights like Vivienne Westwood and John Smedley to cult labels such as Snow Peak and Nigel Cabourn. There’s even talk of a 25-piece capsule with Mulberry.

But this isn’t a numbers game. As director of fashion Rachel Morgans put it, the aim is to create a “carefully curated range” that feels distinct, relevant and customer-first. In a sector where multibrand retailers have often leaned on volume and discounting, John Lewis is making a clear pivot: less mass-market sprawl, more intentional curation.

📊 Supporting Stats

• UK multibrand retail has struggled: department store closures rose 83% between 2016–2021 (Local Data Company).

• Meanwhile, curated multibrand platforms are thriving - MatchesFashion reported £430m in revenue before its 2023 sale, while Ssense doubled its valuation to $4.1bn in 2021 (Financial Times, Forbes).

• 57% of UK consumers now say they value “curation and edit” over sheer product choice in retail (WGSN Future Consumer Report 2024).

🧠 Decision: Did It Work?
Strategically, this looks like the right move. John Lewis has struggled with brand perception - reliable but rarely aspirational. By aligning with the BFC, the retailer borrows cultural capital and gains credibility with both established fashion players and younger consumers looking for discovery.

Where it could falter is execution: a curated edit only works if the product storytelling is sharp, the digital experience feels premium, and the brands are given space to shine. If it turns into a bloated roster tucked into generic shopfloors, the impact will be lost.

📌 Key Takeouts

• What happened: John Lewis announced 100+ new brands in fashion via a partnership with the BFC, focusing on curation over expansion.

• What worked: Strong cultural alignment with British fashion; high-profile names like Westwood and Mulberry create buzz; mix of established and emerging labels adds credibility.

• Risks: Without clear storytelling and visual identity, “curation” could look like clutter. Execution will decide whether this is reinvention or repackaging.

• Signals: Retail is moving from department-store sprawl to edited, narrative-driven multibrand environments. The consumer appetite is for depth, not breadth.

• For marketers: Collaborations with cultural institutions (like BFC) are a shortcut to credibility, but only if backed by distinct consumer experience.

🔮 What We Can Expect Next
If John Lewis nails this, expect to see more department store chains lean into “curation as strategy,” borrowing from the playbooks of Dover Street Market and Liberty. Capsule collections and exclusive drops will become the retail weapon of choice to cut through. But the risk of “premium fatigue” looms: if every retailer claims curation without real editing power, consumers will tune out.

John Lewis’ gamble is simple but bold: can a legacy department store become a destination for discovery again? The answer will depend on whether this move feels like fashion-led reinvention - or just another round of rebranding.

👠 From Oxford Street to Trafalgar Square: Topshop’s High-Profile Comeback

When Topshop staged a catwalk in Trafalgar Square to debut its AW25 collection, it wasn’t just a fashion show - it was a cultural reset. With Cara Delevingne and Adwoa Aboah in the front row, the event signalled that the once-iconic high street brand is serious about reclaiming relevance.

📖 The Legacy
Founded in 1964, Topshop evolved into the UK’s ultimate tastemaker. By the 2000s, its Oxford Street flagship wasn’t just a shop - it was a pilgrimage site for anyone chasing fashion and culture. From Kate Moss’s 2007 sell-out collection to its sponsorship of emerging British designers through NEWGEN, Topshop blurred the line between the high street and high fashion. Beyoncé’s Ivy Park debut and Rihanna’s Fenty PUMA pop-ups only reinforced its global clout.

📉 The Decline
But the 2010s saw the brand falter. Competitors like Zara, ASOS and Boohoo mastered speed and scale, while Topshop’s parent company Arcadia collapsed in 2021. The closure of the Oxford Street store felt like the end of an era - and a gap in London’s fashion energy.

🔥 The Comeback Play
The Trafalgar Square show flips the script. Rather than reopening a flagship, Topshop turned the city itself into a stage. The AW25 collection leaned on classic tailoring and oversized leather bombers - timeless but relevant, wearable yet aspirational. And with Delevingne and Aboah front and centre, the message was clear: Topshop still knows how to set a scene.

📊 Supporting Stats

• UK fashion retail sales are forecast to grow 4.5% in 2025 (WARC), with renewed demand for experiential retail.

• 72% of Gen Z shoppers say they prefer brands that “create experiences, not just transactions” (Statista, 2024).

• London Fashion Week’s earned media value hit £330m in 2024 (Launchmetrics), proof that cultural spectacle still drives ROI.

🧠 Decision: Did It Work?
Yes. By reclaiming a piece of London’s cultural real estate, Topshop showed confidence and ambition. The choice of venue and ambassadors made the show resonate beyond fashion insiders, reminding people of the brand’s past power.

The challenge? Spectacle is only step one. Without consistent retail strategy — physical presence, exclusive drops, experiential stores — it risks being a one-off headline rather than a true renaissance.

📌 Key Takeouts

• Topshop staged a high-profile comeback via a Trafalgar Square catwalk show.

• The event tapped heritage (tailoring, bombers) while leveraging cultural icons (Delevingne, Aboah).

• It revived memories of Topshop’s Oxford Street heyday — but reimagined for an experience-driven generation.

• The risk lies in follow-through: hype needs to be backed by consistent retail strategy.

🔮 What We Can Expect Next
Expect other heritage high street names to experiment with spectacle and cultural activations, turning cities into their flagships. If Topshop can pair this bold return with smart retail execution, it could recapture its position as the UK’s most influential high street brand. But if it leans too hard on nostalgia without innovation, the revival risks burning fast.

Analysis: Burberry's “Back to the City” Campaign

The Moment & Its Players

Burberry has once again ignited headlines, this time through an unexpectedly charismatic collaboration. The Fall 2025 “Back to the City” campaign features TikTok phenomenon Bemi Orojuogun - affectionately known as “Bus Aunty” - alongside rising models and creative talent on a cinematic tour of London. It’s a collision of internet culture and luxury heritage, set against the rhythm of the city’s streets.

The Cultural Spark: Why It Resonates Now

Burberry smartly taps into the everyday appeal of Bus Aunty - someone already beloved for her joyful, unfiltered content - and elevates her into a high-fashion narrative. The campaign isn’t just about garments; it’s about character, community, and London as a cultural hub. The use of the open-top red bus, prominent landmarks like Trafalgar Square and the London Eye, and the bespoke soundtrack by Jimothy Lacoste all reinforce a layered, multi-sensory connection to place and identity.

Supporting Stats: Brand Momentum & Cultural Data

• Re-entering cultural relevance: Burberry has returned to the Lyst Index in Q2 2025 after a year-long absence, ranking 17th among the world’s hottest fashion brands. It outpaced heritage and trend-driven peers like Gucci and Valentino.

• Context of return: Industry commentary credits a revitalised festival-season campaign, sharper menswear lines, and “sensible pricing” on leather goods for restoring buzz around the brand.

Decision: Did It Work?

Yes - it worked, both culturally and strategically.

• Culturally astute: By incorporating Bus Aunty - a genuine internet figure with roots in London’s heart - Burberry achieves authenticity while retaining aspirational allure.

• Strategically smart: The campaign capitalises on Burberry’s hot streak in consumer interest, reinforcing the brand’s renewed momentum with a story rooted in place, personality, and platform.

• Creative with substance: This isn’t trend-chasing for its own sake. The layered imagery, soundtrack, and casting reflect a considered vision of British identity - one that feels inclusive, dynamic, and telling of Burberry’s evolving narrative under Daniel Lee.

Key Takeouts

• Who & What: Burberry’s Fall 2025 “Back to the City” campaign stars TikTok’s Bus Aunty (Bemi Orojuogun), alongside models Nora Attal, Rubuen Bilan-Carroll, Libby Bennett, and musician Jimothy Lacoste (soundtrack).

• What worked:

  • Aligned brand identity with London’s vibrancy and personality.

  • Leveraged a real, beloved figure to bring warmth and relatability.

  • Snowballed existing momentum with a visually and sonically rich narrative.

• Cultural signal: Burberry is leaning into “place as personality” - treating London not just as backdrop, but as protagonist. That signals a broader creative direction prioritising local authenticity over global polish.

• Lesson for brand marketers: Collaborations succeed when they aren’t just surprising - they need to feel inevitable in hindsight. This feels like that.

What’s Next?

• Momentum copycats? Expect other luxury houses to seek collaborations with everyday cultural figures - a way to stay grounded while speaking to digital culture.

• Audience pull-in: Burberry may deepen loyalty among London-identifying communities and savvy younger consumers who value realness and rootedness.

• Trend or one-off? The campaign leans into a cultural undercurrent - local storytelling, digital-native talent, cross-platform resonance - that feels durable, not ephemeral.

• Risk of fatigue? If every brand taps a meme figure, the impact could dilute. The key will be curation - choosing figures with genuine alignment and narrative heft.

Final Call

This is smart, strategic brand storytelling - culturally resonant and creatively grounded. It makes Burberry feel both of its time and of its place.

🔥 Willy Chavarria × adidas: When Inspiration Calls for Deeper Dialogue

Willy Chavarria’s work with adidas has been widely praised for its bold aesthetics and socially aware design. The latest drop - the “Oaxaca Slip-On” - was intended as a tribute to the artistry of Oaxaca and the Zapotec community of Villa Hidalgo Yalálag. However, the launch sparked criticism for the absence of direct collaboration with the community it sought to honour. Both Chavarria and adidas have since issued public apologies, acknowledging the oversight and pledging to work directly with Yalálag in the future.

📊 Supporting Stats

• 69% of Gen Z consumers prefer brands that authentically represent diverse cultures (Deloitte Digital, 2024).

• Cultural heritage drives significant economic value - Mexico’s indigenous crafts generate an estimated $200M annually in local economies (UNESCO, 2023).

• 42% of consumers have stopped supporting brands they perceive as culturally disrespectful (Sprout Social, 2023).

🧠 Decision: Did It Work?
Culturally: The intent was respectful, but the process missed a key step - active, early-stage community partnership.
Commercially: The long-term brand equity in Latin America and among culturally aware consumers will depend on how adidas follows through on their commitment to collaborate.
Creatively: The design retains its beauty and narrative potential, but its story now depends on how it evolves in partnership with those it represents.

📌 Key Takeouts

• What happened: A well-intentioned tribute to Oaxacan culture was launched without initial community involvement, leading to accusations of appropriation.

• What worked: Immediate public acknowledgment of the issue and named commitments to dialogue with Yalálag.

• What didn’t: Bypassing the co-creation process diminished cultural authenticity.

• Signals: The bar for cultural engagement is rising - homage is no longer enough without equitable involvement.

• For brands: Even with the best intentions, community voices need to be in the room from day one.

🔮 What We Can Expect Next
If adidas and Chavarria turn their commitment into a tangible partnership - involving Yalálag artisans in future designs, profit-sharing, or cultural storytelling - this could become a case study in how to recover from a cultural misstep without losing brand respect. The broader trend? Expect more brands to embed cultural liaisons and formal agreements into the creative process to ensure homage comes with shared ownership.

✊ WELFARE NOT WARFARE: Katharine Hamnett and Jeremy Corbyn Join Forces for Gaza Orphans

Katharine Hamnett has never been a designer who stays quiet. Her T-shirts have been worn in protest marches, on global runways, and even in front of Margaret Thatcher. Now, in collaboration with A/POLITICAL and Jeremy Corbyn, she’s using that same visual language to call for an end to what they describe as Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

The END GENOCIDE project isn’t about trend cycles or seasonal collections. It’s a direct intervention — raising both awareness and funds for the Noor Gaza Orphan Care Program, which supports children who have lost parents in the ongoing violence.

📊 The Human Context

• 20,000 children orphaned in Gaza since the escalation of violence (Taawon, 2025).

• Noor provides comprehensive care - food, education, healthcare, and psychosocial support until age 18 - with 100% of donations going directly to services.

• The conflict has created one of the most severe child protection crises in recent history, with UNICEF calling Gaza “the most dangerous place in the world to be a child” (2024).

🧠 Why This Matters

Hamnett’s T-shirts are more than wearable slogans - they are mobile billboards of dissent. In this case, the medium also funds the message. Every purchase translates directly into resources for children who have lost their families, while the bold typography keeps Gaza’s humanitarian crisis visible in everyday spaces.

Unlike many “awareness” campaigns that stop at symbolism, END GENOCIDE closes the loop: the act of wearing the message is tied to a tangible outcome. That’s critical in an attention economy where causes often trend briefly before being replaced by the next headline.

📌 Key Points

• The campaign: Co-created by Hamnett, Corbyn, and A/POLITICAL, with statements sourced from Palestinians and public figures.

• The cause: 100% of proceeds go to Taawon’s Noor Gaza Orphan Care Program - no admin fees, full transparency.

• The impact: Combines political visibility with direct aid, ensuring the campaign is not just symbolic.

• The tone: Unapologetically political, rejecting neutrality in favour of clear solidarity.

🔮 What This Signals

Fashion has long been a vehicle for political messaging, but this project underscores a shift: consumers and activists alike are demanding that creative protest also produce concrete outcomes.

With mainstream political channels gridlocked, collaborations like this operate as micro-acts of foreign policy from civil society - using culture to apply pressure while addressing immediate humanitarian needs.

Whether you agree with Hamnett’s stance or not, the project shows how art and activism can work in tandem, without diluting urgency for palatability. It’s a reminder that visibility alone isn’t enough - the point is to mobilise resources where they’re needed most.

🧩 Adidas Accelerates into F1 Culture: A Strategic Analysis for Brand Leaders

Adidas’s recent cultural play in Formula 1 was first dissected by Daniel‑Yaw Miller in SportsVerse (5 Aug 2025), spotlighting the groundbreaking collaboration between Adidas Originals, Mercedes‑AMG Petronas, and Bad Bunny. It marked how Adidas turned scepticism into bold fashion‑sport fusion in Puerto Rico - a move that positions the brand not merely as a sponsor, but a culture‑maker in motorsport.

Supporting Stats

• Formula 1’s global fanbase rose to 826.5 million in 2024, up nearly 90 million year‑on‑year.

• 41% of fans are female, 42% are under 35 - with daily engagement at 61% and emotional attachment at 90%.

• Sponsorship revenue hit $632 million in 2024, more than doubling since 2019.

• Adidas recorded €23.68 billion in revenue in 2024, up ~12% currency‑neutral; operating profit reached €1.34 billion.

• Puma's full‑year 2024 sales grew just 4.4% currency‑adjusted to €8.82 billion.

Pros

✔ Cultural Relevance

By integrating Bad Bunny - already a five‑year key collaborator - Adidas infused the F1 deal with instant cultural cachet and emotional resonance that resonates well with Gen Z and Latinx audiences.

✔ Brand Performance & Reach

Adidas’s strong financial performance in lifestyle segments (+17% apparel, +9% footwear) aligns with its strategic pivot toward high‑heat fashion‑derived products rather than core sportswear.

✔ Access to Insiders & Innovation

Adidas brings unmatched collaborator networks (Pharrell, Stella, Grace Wales Bonner) that can translate F1 assets into broader fashion and lifestyle relevance.

Cons

✘ Financial Exposure

The company expects €200 million in incremental U.S. costs in H2 2025 due to tariffs, pressuring margins and potentially limiting further promotional spend.

✘ Competitive Pressure

Puma’s longstanding F1 involvement, particularly through sponsorships and creative direction (e.g. A$AP Rocky), still positions it as a credible alternative, albeit with slower growth.

Opportunities

🧠 Elevating Collaborations into Signature Lines

Adidas can translate the hype into sales via the Bad Bunny x Mercedes‑inspired Adiracer GT and future Originals drops — high‑margin fashion releases built off F1 visibility.

🌍 Entering Under‑served Fan Segments

F1's rising female fanbase (41%) and diverse young followers present fertile ground for inclusive merchandise and tailored storytelling.

🛍 Lifestyle Commerce via Events

Spectacle activations - like the San Juan demo run - present a model for experiential retail and content‑led commerce that extends beyond race weekends.

Challenges

⚠ Balancing Sport vs Fashion Identity

Adidas must avoid overtly alienating F1 purists while appealing to fashion audiences - bridging performance apparel for team use, replica merch, and trend‑based Originals.

💼 Macro‑economic Uncertainty

Macroeconomic headwinds (tariffs, currency volatility, consumer spending shifts) may limit marketing flexibility and dampen demand if prices are raised.

📉 Puma’s Resilience

Despite slower growth, Puma remains embedded in F1 via long‑term equipment contracts, F1 Academy sponsorship, and creative partnerships - maintaining baseline credibility.

Key Takeouts

• Adidas is using Mercedes‑F1 + Bad Bunny to rewrite the intersection of fashion, music, and sport, as noted by Torben Schumacher and Rich Sanders in SportsVerse.

• The strategy aligns with Adidas’s robust 2024 acceleration (+12% revenue, €1.34 billion operating profit) and lifestyle‑driven growth.

• F1 delivers a dynamic, culturally engaged audience well‑suited to Adidas's collaborators and Originals marketing.

• Puma remains a credible existing player in F1, but Adidas’s scale and fashion partnerships present an opportunity to eclipse Puma’s position.

Next Steps for Brand Marketers

1. Build limited‑edition fashion product drops tied to live F1 events (e.g. Puerto Rico) that offer collectible value and digital storytelling.

2. Craft inclusive messaging and product lines targeting female and under‑35 fans who now comprise a large share of F1’s audience.

3. Leverage experiential activations - rooftop showcases, fashion x motorsport pop‑ups, fan hubs - to create commerce‑driven media moments.

4. Double‑down on collaborator ecosystem - bringing in names like Pharrell, Stella, Grace Wales Bonner to sustain creative energy beyond seat‑merch tie‑ins.

5. Monitor cost pressures carefully - given tariff exposure, pricing windows, and ROI timelines must be clear, especially in the U.S.

Adidas’s effort into F1 is more than sponsorship - it is a cultural thesis intersectional enough to move product, reshape audience perception, and redefine how sportswear plays in motorsport.

🎨 Heritage Worn Proud: How Arsenal & adidas Turned a Third Kit into Cultural Storytelling

Arsenal’s new 2025/26 adidas third kit is more than a seasonal refresh. It’s a carefully curated cultural artefact designed to bridge the club’s past with its future. Marking 20 years since Arsenal’s final season at Highbury, the design is steeped in architectural references, Art Deco detailing and heritage cues that speak as loudly to memory as they do to performance. For brand marketers, it’s a textbook example of how sport and style can merge into a story with emotional weight.

Supporting stats

• Emotional connection drives purchase: According to Nielsen Sports, 59% of sports fans say a club’s history influences their buying decisions for merchandise.

• Heritage-led design works: A 2024 WARC study found that campaigns referencing cultural heritage delivered 24% higher long-term brand equity gains compared to standard seasonal creative.

• Performance sells: adidas’ 2024 annual report notes that innovation in kit performance tech can increase on-field product sales by up to 18% year-on-year.

Key takeouts

• Heritage storytelling can deepen fan loyalty and justify premium pricing.

• Design authenticity is critical – bespoke fabric, detailing, and architectural references strengthen credibility.

• Launching in a cultural setting reframes sportswear as art and broadens audience appeal.

• While nostalgia is powerful, it must be balanced with forward-facing innovation to engage younger or global fans.

• Clear communication around sustainability and materials will increasingly shape consumer perception.

What we can expect

This kit’s launch signals that heritage storytelling in sport is evolving from occasional nods to fully integrated cultural strategies. Expect more football clubs to pair product drops with artistic collaborations, archival references and cross-sector partnerships that blur the lines between sport, fashion and art. For Arsenal, this campaign positions them not just as a football club, but as a cultural curator of their own legacy – setting the stage for future launches that blend performance, history and global relevance in one cohesive narrative.

🎨 Hermès Brings Art to Life Through Drawing

This summer, Hermès has turned public spaces in France into open-air studios, inviting anyone and everyone to pick up a pencil and create. The Drawn to Craft initiative, part of a year-long celebration of drawing, landed in Bordeaux (3–5 July) and Biarritz (10–12 July) with a joyful, participatory tribute to the first spark of craftsmanship: the line.

Whether in the earliest sketch of a silk carré or the measured markings of a saddle stitch, drawing sits at the root of Hermès’ creative process. In these pop-up encounters, the brand brought that origin story outside, where passers-by could join in impromptu workshops. Children, locals, holidaymakers and seasoned artists alike experimented with collage, sketching, and playful interpretations of the house’s iconic motifs. Facilitators encouraged exploration without rules, making the act of drawing feel light, communal, and above all, accessible.

Earlier in the summer, Hermès launched the project in Paris with a one-night transformation of a school into a whimsical “drawing academy”. Guests, guided by eccentric “professors”, took part in classes before gathering for a celebratory “graduation” dinner. The concept blended Parisian elegance with a sense of theatre, reinforcing the idea that craft is as much about joy as it is about mastery.

Why it works

• Cultural capital in motion - By taking craftsmanship into public spaces, Hermès shifts luxury from a rarefied context into a shared cultural moment, without losing its aura.

• Invitation, not instruction - The emphasis is on participation rather than perfection, which draws in audiences who might otherwise be spectators.

• Emotional brand storytelling - Drawing becomes a metaphor for starting something new, aligning with Hermès’ heritage of meticulous creation.

• Cross-generational reach - Children and adults can engage equally, creating memories and associations that go beyond a single purchase.

• Place-based authenticity - Anchoring the events in French cities reinforces Hermès’ local roots while supporting a global narrative of artistry.

In turning the act of drawing into an open invitation, Hermès not only demystifies its creative process but also builds a richer emotional connection with the public. Every line, whether from a child’s crayon or a master artisan’s pen, becomes part of the same story - one that starts with imagination and finds its way into craft.

Celebrating Inclusivity & Creativity: schuh × Nike × Baes FC

This schuh‑Nike collaboration spotlighting Baes FC is not just product marketing; it’s a cultural statement. By championing an East London grassroots club created for women, trans and non‑binary people of Asian heritage, the campaign amplifies inclusion, creative identity and belonging through purposeful style and sport.

Supporting Statistics

• Registered women’s and girls’ teams in England have doubled - from approximately 5,632 in 2016‑17 to over 12,150 in the 2023‑24 season.

• Between 2020 and 2024, women and girls football participation in England rose by 56 per cent; female coaches and referees increased by 88 per cent and 113 per cent respectively.

• Yet only 26 per cent of Premier League spectators are women, and 11.1 per cent of board positions at Premier League clubs are held by women, well below FTSE 100 averages.

Pros

• Authentic alignment: schuh, Nike and Baes FC share a clear purpose around creating safe, inclusive spaces driven by intersectional community values.

• Role‑modelling inclusive leadership: Baes FC, founded in 2022 by Nicole Chui, offers sport as platform—turning a pitch into sisterhood and visibility into belonging.

• Style with substance: Featuring Nike’s P‑6000, Cortez and Field General silhouettes, the collection blends Y2K or retro sport aesthetics with community energy, enabling personal expression beyond performance.

Cons

• Commercial limitations: While inclusion is central, the campaign still hinges on sneaker sales; the message may risk being overshadowed if storytelling feels tokenistic or purely aesthetic.

• Broader systemic barriers remain: Grassroots growth is strong but gender‑based discrimination rose 62 per cent from the 2022/23 to 2023/24 grassroots season, indicating deep-seated cultural issues still unaddressed

• Policy exclusions: Recent FA policy changes (effective 1 June 2025) banning transgender women from affiliated women’s leagues affect inclusivity across much of the structured game in England

Opportunities

• Extend storytelling: Using Baes FC as a lens to elevate broader narratives—Asian, LGBTQ+, non‑binary voices in sport - beyond footfall to engage press, content creators and cultural institutions.

• Local activation: Community events, screening nights (like the Shoreditch pub takeover), pop‑ups and co‑curated zines (e.g. SEASON zine) reinforce connection beyond product.

• Systemic advocacy: Elevate Baes FC’s lived expertise in discussions around grassroots funding, FA strategy reviews, and campaigns like Her Game Too opposing sexism and discrimination.

Challenges

• Visibility vs. sustainability: Short‑term campaigns can fade quickly; long‑term support and repeat collaborations are needed for genuine impact.

• Navigating policy shifts: The FA’s transgender participation ban, and rising grassroots discrimination, risk alienating key community members unless actively addressed.

• Equity in commercial football: Despite commercial gains in women’s football, players often earn under £5,000 annually and rely on secondary jobs, pointing to persistent under‑investment.

Key Takeouts

• Baes FC is a culturally powerful symbol: merging grassroots sport, racial and gender inclusivity, creative identity and community.

• Schuh’s partnership centres identity and belonging over product—reinforcing authenticity by engaging directly with community members and creators.

• Football’s growth among women and girls is undeniable - yet governance, funding and policy shifts pose ongoing barriers.

• Campaigns need continuity: visible short‑term momentum must be matched by long‑term commitment to avoid symbolic gestures without systemic impact.

Next Steps for Brand Marketers

• Integrate community voices long term: Involve Baes FC members in product development, content planning and campaign curation across seasons.

• Activate policy and advocacy: Partner with campaigns like Her Game Too, highlight grassroots discrimination issues, and support initiatives resisting exclusionary policies.

• Champion intersectional representation metrics: Measure impact against reach in South Asian, LGBTQ+, working‑class, and non‑binary communities-not just follower count or sales.

• Bridge culture and commerce with purpose: Create cultural programmes (screenings, artist collaborations, workshops) that live beyond sneaker drops and reinforce belonging through doing.

By positioning Baes FC not as window‑dressing but as rights‑bearing stakeholders - and by amplifying culture through sneakers, storytelling, and sustained support-schuh and Nike are modelling a new form of collaborative brand–community engagement.