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Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.

How Fashion Is Navigating Its Summer of Scandal

American Eagle, Adidas and Swatch are among the companies that have found themselves at the centre of controversies. Crisis management experts explain why this keeps happening, and how brands should respond.
Sydney Sweeney on a virtual billboard in New York City's Times Square as part of American Eagle's latest marketing campaign.
Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle Jeans campaign has been one of the most controversial marketing stories of the summer. (TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP)

This summer, fashion’s marketing machine has had an unusual number of misfires.

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Further Reading

Swatch’s Racism Controversy Ticks Up Growing Challenges

The Swiss watch giant is under fire for an ad depicting an Asian model pulling their eyes into slits — sparking outrage in China, its biggest market. The backlash comes as tariffs, a strong franc and weak demand weigh on the watch industry like rarely before.

About the author
Mike Sykes
Mike Sykes

Mike Sykes is the Sports and Fashion Correspondent at the Business of Fashion. He is based in Washington, D.C. and is laser-focused on covering the sportswear world where it intersects with fashion, tech and more.

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