Fashion's Fascinating Shift: How Cultural Moments and Sports are Reshaping Marketing in 2024

In 2024, fashion marketers got creative with their strategy and aligned themselves even more closely with culture to connect with cautious consumers who had moved on from the age of post-pandemic YOLO spending.

Fashion’s Love Affair with Sports

It was the year fashion solidified its love affair with sports: The Olympics proved a major moment, with official sponsors like LVMH, Nike, and Ralph Lauren benefitting from the event’s halo effect, as well as brands like J.Crew, which rolled out a product collaboration with USA Swimming. WAGs made a comeback — this time, as influencers inking major brand deals. The US Open and the New York City Marathon also saw a number of brands activate, while women’s sports gained more traction, with WNBA stars like Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark collaborating with brands like Good American and Prada.

Beyond Sports: Cultural Crossovers

Fashion’s cultural crossover went far beyond sports, however: The November release of “Wicked” provided another opportunity to test the power of last year’s “Barbie” marketing strategy, with brands from handbag maker Vera Bradley to mall giant Gap saturating the market with a deluge of collaborations. Charli XCX’s “Brat Summer” brought a months-long celebration of all things Brat green, with XCX emerging as an in-demand ambassador, along with classic Hollywood hunks like Glen Powell. Fashion-centric shows like “Emily in Paris” also provided an opportunity to experiment with shoppable TV.

Targeting New Audiences

Marketers also considered what audiences they were attempting to reach — beauty brands found a massive growth opportunity in catering to Gen Alpha, while labels reconsidered the potential of older consumers.

Shifts in Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing saw plenty of change. As the industry grows, so does the gulf between creators and influencers. The world of affiliate marketing got a shake-up with the rise of a new competitor ShopMy. Influencers experimented with paid subscriptions, while gifting made a comeback as a more cost-effective way than traditional sponsored posts to get influencers discussing a brand’s products.

Looking Ahead

2025 is set to be another year of change and upheaval: With the ticking clock on TikTok’s time in the US set to run out in just a few weeks, marketers will have to rethink how they reach shoppers.