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The Celebrity Brand Buzz

The business of celebrity brands have exploded over the last few years, from Rihanna's Fenty Beauty, to Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty, and most recently launched Wyn Beauty by Serena Williams. Although this concept is nothing new, people are now speculating the rise of celebrity product lines to be attributed to the national economic crisis.

Celebrity culture has long maintained itself as aspirational, presenting affluent and luxurious lifestyles in contrast to the average person. However with factors such as a global pandemic, an economic downturn, and a Hollywood strike, the glamourous façade of celebrity has started to peel away and reveal how difficult it is to maintain high social and financial status.

Kylie Jenner's venture into the cosmetics industry with her brand, Kylie Cosmetics, marked a significant milestone in her entrepreneurial journey. However, the recent 51% sale of the company to Coty (Forbes), along with the expansion into other ventures like fragrance and spirits brand, Sprinter (The Cut), could suggest potential financial pressures. While these moves might be strategic for further growth and diversification, they could also indicate a need for capital infusion or a desire to mitigate risks. Nevertheless, Jenner's ability to navigate the complexities of business expansion amidst the dynamic beauty industry demonstrates her astute business acumen and determination to evolve her brand beyond its initial success.

As jewelry entrepreneur, Priyanka Murthy, stated in an article with Forbes, "celebrity is an adjective, not a noun" (Forbes) and it's important for those in the spotlight to have a diverse career portfolio because high times don't last forever.

Sources: HELLO! Magazine, New York Post, The Cut, Forbes

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Beyoncé's Bringing Western Back?

With the release of Beyoncé's 8th studio album, Cowboy Carter; which is the second act of her three act trilogy, the entertainer has official made her mark in Country music culture. The first act, Renaissance, was an ode to disco, house and ballroom music. During the accompanying tour, Beyoncé's costumes kept with the theme of disco and Afrofuturism, notably with shiny, silver chrome outfits and stage props. By the time the tour reached the US, fans had fully dedicated themselves to participating in the Renaissance theme when choosing concert attire. Fans began creating DIY outfits and accessories, some being replicas of Beyoncé's tour costumes. The "buzz" behind the Renaissance tour had become so massive, fashion retailers wanted to cash in on the phenomenon. Soon there was an influx of mass produced chrome tops, dresses, and accessories from fast fashion retailers such as Fashion Nova, Forever 21 and Shein.

Since Beyoncé released the first two singles from Cowboy Carter back in February during the 2024 Super Bowl, there's already a number of fashion influencers and Beyhive fans posting content featuring western style outfits. This trend is far from new, however has seen a resurgence in the last few weeks. Levi's saw stock share grow by +20% last week and Google search trends have also seen a spike; the term "women's cowboy boot" grew +176% since Cowboy Carter's release (Vogue Business).

Unfortunately after the Renaissance tour, thrift stores saw concert goers' shiny garments appear in high volume but struggle to resell (New York Post). If Beyoncé announces a tour for Cowboy Carter, it could spark a similar fad with the market flooding with western attire that will fade as quickly as it ignited. Fans have already started speculating what act iii will be, with some guessing Beyoncé will foray into rock n roll. Either way, fashion is bound to be jolted by whatever she comes up with.

Sources: Pitchfork, Vogue Business, New York Post