Forbes: Bubble And American Eagle Partner On A Limited-Edition Collection

By: Celia Shatzman | Link to article

American Eagle and Bubble teamed up on a limited-edition collection spanning skincare and fashion meant to tap into everyday essentials and feeling comfortable in your own skin.

Skincare and leisurewear go hand-in-hand. Scroll through any TikTok or Instagram video and you’ll notice that a cute and cozy matching set, often accessorized with a puffy headband, are practically the uniform of beauty influencers. A partnership between Bubble and American Eagle is creating a one-stop-shop for that very crowded Venn diagram.

“We heard from our community for years that they really want to extend Bubble beyond just skincare,” says Shai Eisenman, Founder and CEO of Bubble. “We are a derm-developed skincare brand, so for us to go and actually do things like this isn’t our focus. American Eagle is one of the most loved brands by our community, so when we started talking to them, it felt like an amazing potential collaboration. The fabrics are amazing, the brand is incredible, and so size inclusive. Bubble‘s mission is to help people be comfortable in their own skin and we’re extending beyond skin to be comfortable in what you wear; it’s something you could lounge in.”

The collaboration was years in the making. “In this over-collabed environment many brands just look for a quick hookup,” says Craig Brommers, Chief Marketing Officer of American Eagle. “We knew that Bubble had a strong and active Gen Z community. We were very inspired by some of their quirky and creative marketing tactics, and I think that they thought the same—vice versa. American Eagle is the number one jeans brand for Gen Z. This will be our first ever beauty apparel-oriented collaboration. When you combine communities and brands, yet still find something unique, that’s where the magic happens.”

The two brands joined forces to create a collection that focuses on daily rituals and routines. Ideal for any GRWM video, the fashion collection includes co-branded pieces like hoodies with matching shorts, tees, a pajama set, headbands, slippers and, of course, denim, since it wouldn’t be American Eagle without it. Bubble curated exclusive skincare sets for the occasion, tucked into eye-catching cosmetic cases. The collab also includes Bubble’s strongest color product yet, a cherry flavored lip balm with a pop of red color.

“We worked for a very long time with the American Eagle team to go through plans for the design—how it’s going to look like, how it’s going to feel and how could it be something exciting for the college age, but also for the older and younger consumer,” Eisenman says. “There are so many little details that American Eagle executed so well, like the ‘face the day’ on the sweatshirt. So much of it was how to bring the brand to life in a unique way. It felt like the perfect combination.”

Creating the collection was truly a collaborative process. “Our design team would regularly bring swatches, samples and early concepts to the Bubble headquarters so their team could experience everything firsthand, from fabric to how Bubble’s signature bright color palette translated into apparel, and you don’t always get that,” Brommers says. “The Bubble team really leaned into what they were hoping to achieve, and our team was inspired and excited by that as well. Both brands stand for self-expression and optimism. [They also share] a sense of community. Both brands are not only innovative, but both surprise their communities, and sometimes surprise the world—the willingness to be innovative and take risks, yet still stay true to your brand, are shared DNA.”

American Eagle is making their TikTok Shop debut for the launch. “It’s a momentous moment for our company, and to do it with this collaboration leading the story is purposeful,” Brommers says. “We’ve certainly noticed over here in the apparel world that beauty has seen some tremendous success on TikTok shops, and we’re very excited about leaning into that world.”

The launch is kicking off with a party in the American Eagle flagship store in SoHo in Manhattan with the theme of “get unready with me.” Both brands collaborated on a community-driven campaign that spotlights Bubble ambassadors (there are over 100,000!) and American Eagle creators that will be showcased across social, retail and event channels. “Both teams are very excited about the big event that we’ll have in our SoHo flagship store,” Brommers says. “Both brands, as you can imagine, have very large creator communities that we will lean into and help us tell the story. For the launch, we’ll be selling Bubble in-store. It’ll have a major presence on our e-commerce and digital commerce platforms as well. We’ll also be taking out some billboards, including our 30-story tall digital billboard in Times Square.”

For Eisenman, the best part of the collaboration was seeing Bubble come to life in apparel. “When you work to create a brand and it’s in a very specific category, it’s exciting to suddenly see it come to life entering new categories,” she says. “The fact that I am so excited to be wearing these clothes is such an exciting moment as well. They came out so beautiful and the American Eagle team has done such a phenomenal job because they feel like the brand—also really cool, fun and comfortable. Extending Bubble to lifestyle, to a place that never existed before, is something that we are super, super proud of. It shows how unique that aspect of reinventing how clinical skincare looks and feels, and what emotional connection it drives with its community.”

“Modern brands need to be programmed like streaming shows,” Brommers says. “When you tune in to your favorite show, you know the main characters and the main plot line, but in order to keep people tuning in and curious about what’s next, you not only need plot twists to move the story forward, but sometimes you need guest characters. For both American Eagle and Bubble, this is a guest character that makes sense, and brings fun, excitement, interest and a sense of urgency—I need to have it now. This plot twist adding this so-called guest character element to both of our brand stories will be something that will be very well loved.”

WWD: Outstanding Mother Awards Honors AEO’s Jennifer Foyle, Bloomingdale’s Denise Magid and Ciara, Among Others

By: Lisa Lockwood | Link to article

The 2026 Outstanding Mother Awards raised $1.4 million for No Kid Hungry.

Four accomplished leaders in the fields of retail, apparel, entertainment and technology were honored Thursday at the 48th Annual Outstanding Mother Awards.

The luncheon, held at 583 Park Avenue, recognized women who balance influential careers with commitment to family and community. This year’s honorees were Denise Magid, chief merchant, Bloomingdale’s; Jennifer Foyle, president, executive creative director, American Eagle and Aerie; Jill Hazelbaker, chief marketing officer and senior vice president, communications and public policy, Uber, and Ciara, multiplatinum, Grammy-winning global entertainer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Mindy Grossman, partner and vice chair of Consello and a previous honoree, served as mistress of ceremonies.

The event, which was attended by a record 590 people, raised $1.4 million, with proceeds for the second year in a row benefitting No Kid Hungry, a national campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty in the U.S. and abroad. The event also featured a live auction led by auctioneer Billy Harris.

This year, the committee introduced a new honor, the “Rock Star Mom,” selected by No Kid Hungry in partnership with LIFT-New York. The inaugural Rock Star Mom honoree was Giselli Veloz, senior program manager at LIFT-NY. A former LIFT mom and New York State license-eligible mental health counselor, Veloz has dedicated her career to addressing systemic inequalities and empowering low-income communities throughout New York City.

In accepting her award, Veloz said that her journey hasn’t been a straight line, and there have been times she’s had to pause, reset and build more than once. “I’m incredibly grateful for the support I received along the way, my family, my mom, the loved ones that I lost” and everyone who showed up for her and believed in her. She also thanked organizations like No Kid Hungry, Share Our Strength, and LIFT which supported her during difficult moments in her life.

In accepting her award, AEO’s Foyle recalled that over 10 years ago, her daughter Maggie (who is now a high school senior) looked in the mirror and asked her, “Mom, am I beautiful?” She was taken aback by the 8-year-old’s question and thought maybe she could use that as a platform to change what they do, and they began something powerful. For over a decade Aerie has promoted the #Aerie Real campaign, which advocates for body positivity and celebrates real people with real skin, stretch marks and skin bumps. Aerie pledged in 2014 not to retouch models’ bodies in their advertising, aiming to show a more realistic, diverse representation of beauty. Foyle thanked her daughter Maggie for making her a mother and for being her inspiration.

She said she comes from a long line of women who quietly ran the show. Her grandmother never learned to read or write, but was the strongest woman she knew. She raised four children and lived through incredible hardships, but managed to take care of everyone. Her mother, who was at the event, immigrated to the U.S. As a teenager, she left school to support her family. “But more than anything, my mom showed up. She was at every game, every recital, every moment. She made sure that I had the opportunities that she never had, and because of her I became the first woman in my immediate family to graduate college.”

Fast forward to today, and Magid thought she could do it all, being the perfect mom, perfect executive, make all the baby food from scratch, and be the class parent. “And then I got some of the best advice I’ve ever received: ‘You can absolutely have it all, but you do not have to do it all.’” Another mentor in the industry told her to build her team at home the same way she builds her team at work. “Trust them and don’t do it alone. So I did, and the phrase is really true, it takes a village.” She thanked the caregivers, teachers, her family, and her husband “who manages to keep everything running smoothly even when I’m not there. Because the reality is you can’t be everywhere all the time.”

Uber’s Hazelbaker recounted her journey as a mother to a child with a speech and language disorder, highlighting the challenges she faced and the support received from her boss at Uber. Hazelbaker, who was based in the Bay Area of California, needed to relocate so her daughter could go to a better school for her needs on the East Coast. The family relocated to Washington, D.C., where her daughter is thriving.

“Every mom in this room is fighting for her child, even if it’s invisible. What gets us through, what unites us is the fact that we will do whatever it takes for our kids, no matter our circumstances,” said Hazelbaker.

Ciara said, “Thank you so much for this incredible honor. I am deeply grateful to be here among so many inspiring women. I am so blessed with four incredible children….who teach me far more than I can ever teach them. They show me patience, resilience; the hardest, longest days, everything I do, every decision I make, is rooted in my love for them, and I hope that they grow up knowing exactly who they are and what they’re capable of and how deeply they are loved.”

She said she’s thankful to have her husband, Russell Wilson, to stand beside her in “the chaos and the beauty of this life we’re living. None of this could be possible without your support, your strength and your unwavering faith and belief in our family.”

Ciara said that balancing career and family isn’t about perfection. “It is about showing up, again and again with love and attention.”

Even though she may be overwhelmed at times, she has to say to herself, “It is a blessing to be driven crazy like this.”

Fortune: Aerie built a $2 billion brand. Now it wants to win the AI backlash.

By: Phil Wahba | Link to article

A few years into her time overseeing American Eagle’s Aerie division, Jennifer Foyle felt the loungewear and intimate apparel brand needed to stake a flag in the ground to stand out in a crowded sector.

It was 2014, at the twilight of Victoria’s Secret’s cultural dominance before a consumer backlash against unrealistic supermodel-led body standards had started to hurt the lingerie brand’s sales. Aerie was ahead of its time among mass-market brands: It had leaned into body positivity before that became a mainstream term by offering larger sizes earlier than peers, and focusing on comfort and fit, rather than sexiness in service to the male gaze.

Foyle, now president and executive creative director of AE and Aerie, decided to take it a step further: Aerie announced the “Aerie Real pledge” to stop retouching photos of models, a pioneering stand in the apparel industry at the time. “I said, ‘This is it. This is our moment. We are going to be disruptive in the intimate apparel space,’” Foyle recalls in a recent interview with Fortune in an Aerie store in New York’s SoHo. “It was a magical moment when it came to life.”

Last month, Aerie launched a fresh campaign doubling down on that long-established policy of celebrating realistic beauty, with an ad mocking the limitations of AI. Featuring actor Pamela Anderson, known now as much for her no-makeup stance as for her time in the 1990’s as a Baywatch star and tabloid celebrity, the ad juxtaposes the bland lifelessness of AI-generated models with the vivacity of real women, culminating in the slogan “Real matters” and a reiteration of the brand’s pledge, with an addition: “No AI generated bodies or people.”

“Aerie Real was just celebrating women for who they are,” says Foyle, “and so now we are going to go to the next level with it.”

To continue reading the full article, click here.

People: Sydney Sweeney Dives into Summer Fashion and Her Sophomore American Eagle Campaign (Exclusive)

By: Michelle Lee | Link to article

The actress stars in the “Syd for Short” campaign, highlighting the fashion retailer’s new shorts collection, and she lets PEOPLE in on who exactly Syd is

Sydney Sweeney is sticking to her roots.

The actress, 28, has been on a years-long promotion of her career, especially with the release of projects from The Housemaid and Christy to the new season of Euphoria in recent months. So you might wonder when — and how — she has a moment to catch her breath. One thing is for sure, she’s ready to unwind with a “good camp-themed summer.”

Sweeney grew up by a lake and has a beach house in Florida, she tells PEOPLE. So by nature, she’s always near water. “I am either in it or I’m on it doing some sort of sport activity.” Whatever she’s wearing has to be fashionable but also comfortable enough to do it all — whether that’s jet-skiing or being ready to “maybe jump off a cliff” at any point.

So as the weather gets warmer, her signature uniform is a “good T-shirt, some shorts, a black belt and some sneakers” because, she says, “that’s Syd right there.”

Syd is the nickname she calls herself when talking about her life off screen, which is grounded. As one of the faces of American Eagle (Travis Kelce and Martha Stewart have also joined forces with the retailer), she’s been able to show that side of herself with fans and is continuing to do so in a new summer campaign, “Syd for Short,” which comes after her hotly debated ad last year and is all about the brand’s denim shorts offerings.

“What’s really fun about my partnership with American Eagle is that I am getting to show a very authentic side of who I am. Everyone back home and my friends and my family, they know me as Syd, and so getting to show that side of my personality with American Eagle is really special for me.”

Speaking to her love for the collection, Sweeney says, “I’ve spent hours on their site. You can just pick any size, any shape, any cut, any wash. It’s crazy the amount of options there are, which is really fun because then you get to try so many different versions of yourself.” Her personal favorite is the Low-Rise Shortie as well as some of the vintage-inspired silhouettes since she’s “definitely a Mom short kind of girl.”

The photo shoot itself also captured Sweeney in her natural element. “I mean, they basically built the beach inside a studio, which was the coolest thing ever. And then there was a giant platform that was the ocean. It was like summer in a dream.”

What comes front and center is that Sweeney makes her own rules when it comes to fashion. For example, when she’s asked about the resurgence of 2016 fashion in 2026, she recalls, “I’ve never really been a huge trend follower. I feel like I’ve just kind of done my own thing for as long as I can remember.”

The campaign also fosters a sense of community. Like the first collection released under Sweeney’s ambassadorship, it is in partnership with Crisis Text Line, a nonprofit organization delivering crisis intervention and prevention through free and confidential mental health support to anyone in need. The Syd Jean and Syd Short from the fall collection feature a meaningful butterfly motif, which is a tribute to domestic violence survivors, and 100% of purchases made will be donated to Crisis Text Line.

“It’s been a really meaningful and impactful organization to be a part of. Especially after doing Christy [her 2025 sports drama about female boxer Christy Martin] and being able to support survivors and people in need has been a very important thing for me.”

Shop the new pieces at American Eagle now.

Sydney Sweeney and American Eagle are Back Together

“Syd for Short” Positions AE Jean Shorts as the Defining Must-Have of the Summer

April 15, 2026 – New York, NY – American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE: AEO) today announced the launch of the American Eagle (AE) brand’s summer campaign, “Syd for Short: American Eagle Jean Shorts.” There is no summer uniform more timeless than a pair of jean shorts and this season, American Eagle is redefining the iconic essential through the lens of Sydney Sweeney’s effortless style. “Syd For Short” is the intersection of cool-girl aesthetic and AE’s heritage of self-expression focused on summer’s “it” product: jean shorts.

“From the free-spirits of the 1970s to the trendsetters of today, jean shorts have been the highlight of summer fashion for generations and no one perfects the warm-weather style like American Eagle,” said Jennifer Foyle, President and Executive Creative Director, AE & Aerie. “Summer is defined by a rare kind of magic, an opportunity to live confidently and in the moment. Pairing classic cutoffs with Sydney Sweeney’s signature ease makes AE denim the must have shorts this season.”

“Syd for Short” is the evolution of AE’s partnership with Sydney Sweeney. The campaign introduces “Syd,” a more casual dimension of Sydney Sweeney, in AE shorts during her relaxed, everyday life, whether she’s at home, running errands or enjoying the beach. Captured on the sand, against the backdrop of blue skies and open water, Sweeney is showcased at her most natural: sun-lit, playful and completely at ease. With a focus on key styles and summer favorites including the Low-Rise Shortie the campaign zeros in on something every summer wardrobe needs: a pair of AE jean shorts and the confidence that comes with them.

This also marks Sweeney’s second consecutive campaign featuring custom denim styles created in support of Crisis Text Line, a nonprofit offering free, confidential, 24/7 mental health support to anyone in need. The ‘Syd Jean’ and the ‘Syd Short’ carry forward the butterfly detail, in honor of domestic violence survivors, introduced for the 2025 back-to-school season. AE will donate 100% of the purchase price to the organization, which includes the butterfly reimagined in denim on denim patchwork on the back pocket.

“There’s something timeless about a great pair of jean shorts. They’re simple, but they make you feel confident and put-together without trying too hard,” said Sydney Sweeney. “Crisis Text Line, a cause so close to my heart, has been a part of this partnership from the beginning. I love knowing that when everyone wears these pieces, they are also a part of something meaningful, that directly helps people who need it.”

Summer 2026 Campaign and Collection Highlights

  • AE shorts destination features over 200 shorts styles and washes across womens and mens
  • Summer will bring more than 850 new styles, focused on laid-back, wear-anywhere pieces from relaxed denim to versatile tops designed for everyday summer dressing
  • As part of Syd’s Shop, customers can shop Syd’s picks, including the Low-Rise Shortie and the Super Low-Rise Micro Skort

About American Eagle
Since 1977, American Eagle has offered an assortment of specialty apparel and accessories for everyone that enables self-expression and empowers our customers to celebrate their individuality. AE encourages today’s digital generation to enjoy the world around them through optimism, culture and connection with themselves and others, all while wearing the clothes that make them most confident. The brand has broadened its leadership in jeans by producing innovative fabric with options for all styles and fits for all. Visit www.ae.com to find your perfect pair of #AEJeans.

About American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.
American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE: AEO) is a leading global specialty retailer with a portfolio of beloved apparel brands including American Eagle, Aerie, OFFL/NE by Aerie, Todd Snyder and Unsubscribed. Rooted in optimism, inclusivity and authenticity, AEO’s brands empower every customer to celebrate their unique personal style by offering casual, comfortable, timeless outfitting and high-quality products that are made to last.

AEO Inc. operates stores in the United States, Canada and Mexico, with merchandise available in more than 30 countries through a global network of license partners. Additionally, the company operates a robust e-commerce business across its brands. For more information, visit aeo-inc.com.

AEO ICON Finalist: Alexis Tragos, Senior Director – Corporate Communications

Our people are the heart of AEO, and the AEO ICON award gives us the opportunity to recognize associates who champion our values while making an incredible impact on our business. We are proud to celebrate and spotlight the top three finalists of 2025.

Alexis Tragos, Sr. Director – Corporate Communications, is the strategic architect behind AEO’s global reputation and is a passionate advocate for advancing our corporate culture. As the vital force behind connecting all corners of the business, she acted as a catalyst for collaboration between our brands and associates throughout 2025.

Media Excellence: Alexis elevated AEO’s presence in top-tier media, securing positive features in The Wall Street Journal, CNBC and WWD, among others, furthering our reach and enhancing our reputation with external audiences. 

Culture Building: She successfully built the foundation for our the evolution of AEO’s employer/employee value proposition and elevated our internal communications platform while amplifying our brands, celebrating our associates and driving a deeper connection to our core values.

Data-Driven Engagement: Alexis oversaw nearly 800 pieces of internal communication, achieving an incredible 82.3% engagement rate across our associate population.

High-Impact Stretch Assignment: She stepped in to support Investor Relations, ensuring the seamless execution of earnings calls and cross-functional messaging alignment during critical periods for the business.

Each year, the AEO ICON award honors the very best of who we are: associates who champion our values, inspire our teams to work better together and deliver outstanding results that move us forward as a company.

AEO ICON Finalist: Bolivar Izurieta, Director – Facilities

Our people are the heart of AEO, and the AEO ICON award gives us the opportunity to recognize associates who champion our values while making an incredible impact on our business. We are proud to celebrate and spotlight the top three finalists of 2025.

Bolivar “Boli” Izurieta, Director – Facilities, known for his can-do attitude and unmatched passion for his work, spent the last year being the ultimate bridge and connector for teams, orchestrating some of the most complex office transitions in AEO’s history with the opening of the 63 Madison office in NYC. 

Major Office Transitions: Boli managed the seamless move of teams from multiple office locations in NYC to 63 Madison, while simultaneously maintaining operational excellence at the 401 5th Avenue location.

Todd Snyder Expansion: He scaled the Todd Snyder presence at 25th Street from one floor to three and led their successful first-wave transition to our new space at 63 Madison.

Future-Proofing 63 Madison: Boli served as a critical pillar of the “small but mighty” design and transition team, utilizing his deep institutional knowledge to help design a functional, future-ready workspace for hundreds of associates.

Strategic Decommissioning: While building the future, he managed the quiet, complex behind-the-scenes work of decommissioning the 401 5th Avenue office (NYDO) with elite execution and strategic foresight.

Each year, the AEO ICON award honors the very best of who we are: associates who champion our values, inspire our teams to work better together and deliver outstanding results that move us forward as a company.

AEO ICON Finalist: Luke Klein, Senior Director – Marketing Growth Strategy, Aerie

Our people are the heart of AEO, and the AEO ICON award gives us the opportunity to recognize associates who champion our values while making an incredible impact on our business. We are proud to celebrate and spotlight the top three finalists of 2025.

Luke Klein, Sr. Director – Marketing Growth Strategy, is a visionary strategist for Aerie and OFFLINE, known for turning complex data into a cohesive brand vision. As an exceptional collaborator, he leads with infectious passion and integrity, re-engineering marketing strategies to drive financial wins while always keeping the customer at the heart of the business.

Strategic Pioneer: Luke spearheaded an incredibly successful post-holiday shift that positioned Aerie as a destination to refresh and reset in the new year.

“Gold Star” Partnership: He built deep, trusting relationships across Merchandising, Planning, Finance and Corporate Strategy, creating a cross-functional operating model now recognized as the organization’s “gold star approach.”

Visionary Brand Storytelling: Luke served as a driving force behind the Aerie and OFFLINE brand vision for 2026 and beyond, transforming essential insights into powerful narratives that inspire action across the entire portfolio.

Operational Transformation: He re-engineered retention and brand marketing strategies with a focus on long-term strength, significantly exceeding the Fall season plan.

Each year, the AEO ICON award honors the very best of who we are: associates who champion our values, inspire our teams to work better together and deliver outstanding results that move us forward as a company.

Glossy: Pamela Anderson fronts Aerie’s anti-AI push as it bans generated bodies

By: Zofia Zwieglinska | Link to article

Aerie is taking a clear stance against AI-generated bodies.

In October 2025, the American Eagle Outfitters–owned intimates brand formalized its latest commitment: “100% Aerie Real,” a pledge to never use AI-generated people or bodies in its marketing. The move builds on its 2014 decision to stop retouching models, a policy that helped define the brand’s identity and set it apart in the intimates market.

Now, the company is scaling that message with its most visible campaign to date, anchored by a film starring Pamela Anderson. The spot opens inside a stark, AI-generated interface that mimics a prompt exchange, with Anderson’s voice directing the system to generate models, adjust their look, and refine their mood and energy. Each output appears instantly, but none feels fully human. A camera shutter interrupts the sequence, collapsing the artificial setting and cutting to a live Aerie shoot, where the same models reappear as real models, moving and interacting on set. Anderson is revealed at the center of it, delivering the line, “You can’t prompt this.”

Her recent reintroduction into culture on her own terms inspired the casting. Over the past three years, Anderson has stepped away from heavy styling and digital polish, appearing publicly without makeup and speaking openly about rejecting artificial beauty standards, a shift that has resonated across fashion and media.

Jennifer Foyle, president and executive creative director of American Eagle and Aerie, tied the pledge to the brand’s long-standing approach. “Aerie set a new standard for the industry in 2014 when we promised to never retouch our models, and it hasn’t wavered from keeping authenticity at the forefront of everything the brand stands for,” she said. “Now, the commitment to 100% Aerie Real is a reaffirmation that everything our community sees from us is the same ‘real’ they see when they look in the mirror.”

The push comes as generative AI tools continue to blur the line between real and synthetic content. Since 2024, brands including H&M and Mango have tested AI-generated models in campaigns, while Zara and Nike have expanded AI across marketing and product development, according to The Guardian, Business of Fashion and Business Insider.

Stacey McCormick, Aerie’s CMO, said the industry changes prompted the brand to make its position explicit. “Now, more than ever, we get a sense that people don’t know what they see today. Is it real? Is it not? Is it generated?” she said, talking about how brands show up on social media and their sites. “We want people to feel confident when they look at our images and our marketing. It should make them feel assured that what they see is what they get.”

Inside the business, the commitment extends across teams and processes. “It really is shifting the culture of the company,” McCormick said. “It’s an operational commitment that touches leadership, partnerships and the creative process. We’ve had to define very clearly what we will do and what we won’t do.”

That includes drawing a clear boundary around how AI is used. “We’re not resisting AI,” she said. “We are redefining the value of AI. In an industry where everything is generated, real becomes unique, and real becomes special, and real becomes rare.” The guidelines prohibit the use of AI-generated people or bodies across campaigns and creator content, while allowing AI tools in areas like media buying, analytics and performance marketing.

The same standards apply to external partners. Creators working with the brand are required to avoid AI-generated content, even as platforms introduce more generative tools into their ecosystems. Instagram, owned by Meta, has rolled out AI-powered editing and image-generation features for creators, while expanding AI across advertising and content production. At the same time, Instagram head Adam Mosseri has said in recent posts and interviews with Business Insider that the rise of AI-generated content is making it harder to distinguish what is real, as the platform pushes toward greater transparency around synthetic media.

The strategy is also supported by continued investment in physical retail and in-person experiences. Stores account for roughly half of the business, according to McCormick, and Aerie continues to open more than 40 locations a year, alongside IRL events designed to deepen community connection.

Since introducing the message in October, the brand has seen double-digit growth in awareness, alongside consistent engagement across social channels. McCormick pointed to trust as a key factor at the point of purchase. “If you’re looking at something on your screen and about to hit go, but you can’t quite tell if that’s a real garment or something that’s been generated, that matters,” she said. “Trusting what you see is very important.”

Foyle said the goal is to reinforce that relationship with customers while setting a clear standard. “As AI and digital technologies blur the lines of creativity and reality, we knew it was time for Aerie to take a clear stance on our values and our marketing,” she said. “If our commitment strengthens our relationship with our customers and helps drive more transparency across the industry, then we’ve done what we set out to do.”

The campaign will run across paid and owned channels, including YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, Disney, HBO, NBCUniversal, Roku and Samsung, alongside Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest. The 100% Aerie Real pledge will continue to appear across all brand touchpoints, from national campaigns to in-store messaging.

For Aerie, the message is straightforward: what customers see is real.

Vogue Business: Aerie Takes a Stand Against AI Marketing With Pamela Anderson

By: Amy O’ Brien | Link to article

What does “real” mean in the AI era? For Aerie, American Eagle Outfitter’s loungewear and lingerie brand, realness is entirely human — untouched or altered by AI. As consumers and brands wrestle with how to approach the rapidly advancing tech, the brand is taking a stance against it. In October last year, Aerie expanded its “100% Aerie Real” anti-retouching pledge to never use AI-generated bodies or people in their marketing. And today, the brand is taking it one step further with the release of a bold new anti-AI film campaign, starring untouched beauty advocate Pamela Anderson.

What does “real” mean in the AI era? For Aerie, American Eagle Outfitter’s loungewear and lingerie brand, realness is entirely human — untouched or altered by AI. As consumers and brands wrestle with how to approach the rapidly advancing tech, the brand is taking a stance against it. In October last year, Aerie expanded its “100% Aerie Real” anti-retouching pledge to never use AI-generated bodies or people in their marketing. And today, the brand is taking it one step further with the release of a bold new anti-AI film campaign, starring untouched beauty advocate Pamela Anderson. 

“I thought it was a clever way to draw attention to [AI images] because it’s very worrisome,” Anderson tells Vogue. “To me, as a woman, as a consumer, as a mother, I always think, what is happening? What is the difference between AI and real? How are we supposed to know? It was already disheartening at times to look at fashion magazines and see celebrities and models with retouching, but this is another level.”

Ever since appearing at Paris Fashion Week makeup-free in 2023, Anderson has become a leading voice for natural beauty and ageing authentically. In the film, which will live across Aerie’s social channels, as well as placements on YouTube, Amazon Prime, Netflix, Disney, and HBO, her voice acts as the prompting force issuing commands into a supposedly AI-generated world, unable to achieve the authentic human “real-feeling” result she wants from a scene with lifeless models. The scene then dissolves into a “real” Aerie set, where the models come alive, and Anderson appears before the camera to say: “You can’t prompt this.”

A large part of luxury marketing is amping up its messaging around craft, process, and humanity, with brands like Loewe, Bottega Veneta, Jacquemus, and Miu Miu all centering their recent campaigns around these values and showcasing the handmaking processes behind their products. Another tranche have leaned into AI imagery — most recently Prada, via its Spring/Summer 2026 campaign with artist Jordan Wolfson, as well as Gucci and Valentino — but faced backlash from creatives and consumers online. Aerie, however, is one of the first fashion brands to adopt an explicit anti-AI stance as the central message in its marketing. It’s a bold tactic that seems to be resonating with consumers. The brand dropped its first “real people” anti-AI Instagram campaign in October last year, which quickly went viral.

“Since we soft-launched the anti-AI message in October, we’ve seen double-digit growth in brand awareness,” says Stacey McCormick, Aerie’s Chief Marketing Officer. The Aerie brand reported a 23% increase in sales in the fourth quarter of 2025. “We’ve also seen a very strong shift in our awareness and consideration.”

I sit down with Pamela Anderson and Stacey McCormick to find out more about the new film, and the branding strategy behind Aerie’s anti-AI marketing pledge.

Vogue: We live in a world where you open up Instagram and you’re unsure if what you’re seeing is real or AI. What’s your take on what that’s doing to young people’s views on beauty standards?

Pamela: I think you have to create your own beauty standards. I mean, why do we want to look like other people? It’s all subjective. What is beauty? I’m almost 60 years old. I’ve gone through my life lessons, but I am happier now after peeling it back. It’s still a process and a practice to be self-accepting. In a digital world, it’s even harsher than back in the day when things were filmed. What you see to the naked eye isn’t even what you see on your camera phone. So we’re all being hypercritical of ourselves, and I think we need to do less of that.

I don’t mind taking one for all of womenkind. I’m not retouching or filtering. This is just what it is, and it’s so freeing. It’s so much more interesting to look perfectly imperfect. I like to align myself with brands who are trying new things and the messaging has to be something more than just selling clothes or selling a brand. I just really want it to be educational and inspirational in some way.

Stacey: The other part for us is the impact on mental health, and the negative impact on self-esteem and confidence. It’s almost like it’s completely flipped, where we thought we were making so much progress with challenging artificial beauty standards, and then AI happens. How do you even compete with a fake, AI-generated model? The impact on youth and anybody consuming that content is real. So we advocate for others to join us and to help preserve real content and real beauty and show up in a real space, to help as consumers are now navigating the world of AI-generated content.

Vogue: It’s interesting what you say about the subjectivity of beauty, because a lot of the AI imagery we see is trained on very polished stock or editorial campaign images. What’s your view on what this convergence means for consumers and professional models?

Pamela: We always romanticize our golden years, but I remember in the ’90s — everyone looked different. But over the last few years, it’s like, wow, we’re starting to look the same. So I think it’s rebellious to just look like yourself and really double down on that and not fall into the trappings, which is hard when you’re young.

That’s why I thought this campaign is a much-needed conversation. I’m an analog girl, I have my transistor radio that I listen to. There’s so many little things you can do like that, which help to not kind of get sucked up by the machine. And so drawing attention to things like this is important because it’s eye-opening, friendly, and accepting. I can’t even imagine being a young person in these times. So as long as you’re aware of where AI is used, then you can make better choices.

Vogue: We’re in a phase of lots of AI image experimentation. Do you think the consumer actually wants that? Do you reckon more are going to make a stance like Aerie’s?

Pamela: I don’t think you can ever replace human beings. Maybe AI will start becoming imperfect like humans. That would be scary. But you can’t replace human beings, and I feel like there will not necessarily be pushback. The only person you can control is yourself and in your own small way, you can make a stand for what you believe in. How boring would it be if everything was just perfect? It’s all subjective, and you’ve got to imprint yourself with unique things. Go to museums, galleries, watch old movies. You’ve got to kind of balance it all out with the AI you’re being subjected to.

Stacey: My gut tells me that as long as this younger generation continues to value transparency and trust and authenticity, AI is not going to make it very far in the fashion landscape unless it’s transparently disclosed — and unless it’s stated that you’re looking at AI. We’ve seen that consumers question the integrity of the product itself when they can’t trust if what they’re looking at is real. So I think as soon as they feel that what they’re looking at may not be real, it would be a quick pivot away.

Vogue: Stacey, why did Aerie decide to make anti-AI the central marketing message for Aerie?

Stacey: For the past 10 years, we’ve built being real — with no retouching — into our brand purpose, and it’s our number one marketing pillar. So when AI started creeping up in the conversation around two years ago, we really had to establish our boundaries and think about what had to change operationally. AI was getting thrown at us like crazy, so what do we stand up from a brand standpoint? So that’s where it became a no-brainer: no retouching and no AI- generated people or bodies, ever. You will see real content from us created by real people in a real environment. We have really thought about how in this industry, where everything is becoming generated, real becomes more rare and unique. So it’s not that we’re resisting AI, we just feel very strongly that we want to redefine ‘real’ in the AI world. It’s gone from no retouching to always using real people.

Vogue: How has this ‘real’ and anti-AI stance resonated with customers so far?

Stacey: We soft-launched the anti-AI campaign in October on our social media for millions of people to see, targeting a wide audience. Since then, we’ve seen double-digit growth and brand awareness. We’ve seen brand consideration upwards of 10% increase going into and through Q4 2025. So we’ve seen some strong KPI shifts since we’ve amplified this message. Now, can you attribute that to amplifying more or the marketing message? We didn’t test one against the other, but we can safely say since we’ve amplified this marketing message — we’ve seen a very strong shift in our awareness and our consideration.

Then, for our Gen Z customers, they’ve really grown up through that era doubting everything, not trusting anything — brands have to have purpose and integrity. Now, more than ever, they see through every single thing — especially AI.

Vogue: Do you carry this stance through to your work with external partners?

Stacey: We control all our campaign content in-house. Our photographers are in-house. We shoot in-house — we take them on the road, we shoot our campaigns in-house. Retouching doesn’t exist in our world. We call it image processing, where we color and get the consistency there and convert to res that’s ready to post, that’s all in-house. We don’t third-party, any of that, which is important for us to be able to control where it’s used. Then, with our creators, we have a strict creator rule for editing content with no retouching or AI, and only shooting it in environments that are real. All of our influencer, PR, and talent agencies follow that as well.

We like to think that we are keeping it really tight, but it’s exactly the concern as more hands get brought in and more tools get brought in, how much control can you have if you’re not able to know who’s actually doing the work? It’s definitely a real concern, as people are thinking about the challenges of scale and how do you do more, faster, with budget cuts. We’re figuring that out within our own organization, and we’ve been very clear that we need to preserve the creative content budget in its real state.