Don’t call it a comeback, the case of GAP
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. And then there was the Kanye combustion. I did not envy that marketing team that had to crawl their way out of that one. But you gotta give them credit - 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 sure, some of it feels like spaghetti-at-the-wall marketing, but the brand feels alive again. (Also, I highly recommend their sweats)
 

The foodification of fashion and beauty 
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 vitality and continued interest from consumers - and I’m not surprised. In a world that feels increasingly flat, food evokes visceral emotion. It’s tactile, sensual, comforting. It’s love. It creates a multi-sensory connection - with colors that are incredibly vibrant and natural.
 

Fashion, but make it sporty 
The other undeniable vertical seeping into fashion is sports. Of course, fashion and athletics have always been linked - who could forget David Beckham’s sarong? - 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 or 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.
 

Beauty’s big facelift
And then there’s the other big beauty evolution: the facelift got its own facelift. For decades, plastic surgery was Hollywood’s worst-kept secret - celebrities slipped out of surgical centers under fake names and came back “just hydrated.” Now, Kylie is tagging her plastic surgeon on TikTok. 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. And this transparency will seep into how brands market themselves. 

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.