Brand Field Notes
I’ve spent my entire career building brands - here we explore the launches shaping industries, the bold strategies and trends worth watching, and the standout campaigns sparking conversation - that tell us where brands (and all of us) are headed next.
Gap has had its share of hits and misses. For years, it’s been chasing that tension between being the all-American basics brand and trying to add just enough edge to stay relevant. After the post-Kanye combustion, it’s clear they’re hungry for a strong comeback, and they might just be on their way. They’ve assembled a rock-star team to relaunch their beauty line (yes, that iconic Rain scent), tapped into niche cult collaborations with Sandy Liang and Katseye, and even cast Gwyneth Paltrow and her daughter Apple in a new ad. They’re reaching into every cultural bucket - and while it might look like they’re throwing spaghetti at the wall, some of it’s sticking and some of it’s not. The brand feels alive again. (Also, I highly recommend the sweats.)
As a major foodie myself, I’m fascinated by the ongoing foodification of fashion and beauty. It’s not new, but it’s thriving. From Rhode’s lemon campaign to Loewe’s tomato bags to Flamingo Estate’s farm-to-fantasy empire, this cross-pollination is gaining significant virality and continued interest from consumers – and I’m not surprised. In a world that feels increasingly flat, food evokes visceral emotion: the night you lingered at the table long after the check was signed, the smell of your grandmother’s chicken soup, the taste that takes you straight back to your favorite vacation. It’s tactile, sensual, comforting. It’s love. It creates a multi-sensory connection - with colors that are incredibly vibrant and natural.
The other undeniable vertical seeping into fashion is sports. Of course, fashion and athletics have always been linked, from sneaker culture to couture collaborations, but what’s happening now feels different. The line between the two worlds has disappeared. We’re as invested in what Coco Gauff wears on the court as we are in what comes down the Bottega runway to what Greta Lee wears to a premiere. Athletes’ tunnel walks are being covered in Vogue, and every luxury brand seems to have a pickleball capsule waiting in the wings.
What’s new isn’t the crossover: it's the intimacy. The idea that we don’t just admire them; we can be them. We can buy their shoes, mirror their uniforms, channel their confidence. Athletes have become both muse and mirror, reshaping what aspiration looks like. It’s not about perfection anymore, it’s about participation.
And then there’s the other big beauty evolution: the facelift got its own facelift. For decades, plastic surgery was a secret - celebrities slipped out of surgical centers under fake names and came back “just hydrated.” Today, Kylie Jenner and Lindsay Lohan are sharing all their plastic surgery secrets. What changed isn’t just beauty - it’s the story around it. Transparency has become the new luxury. The more you reveal, the more authentic you appear.
In a culture obsessed with control, curation, and self-presentation, the brands that will win are the ones that embrace honesty - the messy, the human, the real. Because whether you’re selling soda, sweatshirts, or serums, what people want most is to feel something.