Fashion People Podcast: “Do Celebrity Fashion Campaigns Still Work?”
Host: Lauren Sherman (Puck, Line Sheet)
Guest: Greg Krellenstein (GKLD founder, The Misshapes)
Date: November 7, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the evolution, impact, and current realities of celebrity fashion campaigns. Host Lauren Sherman is joined by esteemed casting director and nightlife legend Greg Krellenstein to discuss the origins of Greg’s career, the continuing allure of celebrity-fronted campaigns, the business mechanics behind casting, and how the definition of “celebrity” in fashion has grown more complex and fragmented.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Greg’s Background and Scene Origins

• New York Upbringing & the Birth of The Misshapes
  • Greg grew up in Brooklyn, attended NYU for Communications and Media Studies, and started his career in film publicity while becoming a fixture of New York’s nightlife scene.
  • On serendipity of the era:

    “It was sort of at the advent of the beginning of social media... at the time it was MySpace and then it was Facebook and then it was Gawker. And…I think it was sort of my first exercise in casting…” (09:08)

  • The Misshapes' iconic DJ nights at Don Hill’s were not just parties but cultural events, where their DIY photo galleries became legendary.
• Pre-Instagram Pop Culture (13:20-17:00)
  • Greg reflects on the heyday of Gawker and the transition from “going out without your phone” to the curated world of social media.
  • Memorable anecdote: Madonna attended one of their parties (“That did happen.” – 12:15).

2. Transition to Casting Director

• Early Days at Starworks, Bridging Hollywood & Fashion (18:08-22:35)
  • Starworks played a pivotal role in merging celebrity and fashion industries, being one of the first agencies to seriously bridge editorial, talent, and Hollywood.
  • Greg’s perspective:

    “The company… was pretty revolutionary. They were… one of the first to sort of recognize… bridge really Hollywood and fashion.” (18:29)

• The Starworks Formula:
  • They were involved in casting major early 2000s Miu Miu campaigns (“Selma Blair, Evan Rachel Wood, Kim Basinger…” – 22:51) and established today’s now-ubiquitous model of using celebrities extensively in campaigns and magazines.

3. The Shift in Celebrity Campaigns

• From Singular Stars to Casts of Characters (25:18-26:41)
  • Greg argues that while the mechanics have become more complex, the reasoning remains the same: celebrity sells.
  • Notable shift:

    “The range of personalities... every single brand needs to have not only the marquee star, but the K-pop star, but also the upcoming star and the influencer.” (25:18)

  • Calvin Klein’s ensemble campaign a decade ago set the stage for today’s multi-level, multi-platform casting strategies.

4. Redefining “Street Casting” and "Real People"

• Authenticity & the End of Anonymity (28:09)
  • The line between celebrity and real-people casting has blurred:

    “It feels to me like streetcasting is an outdated term… the definition of celebrity has just expanded and changed.” (28:09)

5. The Realities of Casting: Brands, Trends & Cultural Fragmentation

• Brand Objectives & The Crystal Ball Effect (29:27-31:05)
  • Greg describes casting as predicting the future—choosing talent that will be relevant months ahead.
• On Fragmented Celebrity Culture:
  • Brands are keenly aware of the fractured cultural landscape and thus, diversify campaigns by targeting multiple micro-audiences. However, sometimes they misfire:

    “Sometimes I do see a campaign where, like, they hire the most famous person in the world, and you’re like, ooh, that’s not the right person for you.” (34:48)

6. Authenticity and Brand-Talent Fit

• Strategic, Not Accidental Partnerships (36:09)
  • Both brands and celebrities now approach deals with greater intention, aiming for authentic, mutually beneficial relationships.

    “...there’s a genuine connection between the designer and the talent. And you can sense that.” (36:09)

7. The Role and Value of Magazines

• Magazines as Brand Extensions & Tastemaker Hubs (39:09-42:00)
  • In an era of declining print ad spend, niche and cultural magazines are still prized for their ability to shape perception—serving as both traditional editorial and creative hubs for brands.

    “I actually think [print]’s become almost more important…I work in a lot of niche magazines, I would say, and still very tastemaker cultural important ones.” (39:47)

8. The Changing Dynamics with Celebrities & Their Teams

• Relationships with Agents & Publicists (42:00-45:11)
  • Celebrities and their teams increasingly understand the value of excellent fashion imagery—even as social media grants them more direct channels.

    “...they do realize the importance... that imagery is what’s getting them the campaign. And that actually is the one thing that hasn’t changed.” (43:21-44:14)

9. The Economics: Is This All Sustainable?

• Ballooning Budgets and ROI Pressure (45:26-47:47)
  • Sherman raises whether campaign budgets are out of control. Greg suggests the global ubiquity and impact of celebrity justify the spend—at least for now.

    “I just don’t think you can underestimate that. So I think for the brands... it is the thing you still will see on the feeds whether Gwyneth Paltrow and Demi Moore at the Gucci show.” (46:45)

10. Where’s It Going Next?

• No Peak Yet—But Strategy Will Be Key (48:49-50:15)
  • Greg believes the next phase isn’t necessarily bigger, but more strategic—especially for smaller brands looking to compete against the heavyweights with blockbuster contracts.

    “What the most interesting thing is… how do you compete with the bigger ones that have all those A-listers on contract? ...Carving out their own unique identity will kind of be the biggest challenge that we’re working on, but I think the most exciting one.” (48:49)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the chaotic Gawker era:

  “It was really just like this crazy, you know, a media site that at the time documented local sort of New York 'celebrities', I guess what they'd be called, you know, influencers now. And kind of like, you know, said some pretty mean things actually in a way that, you know, you can't really talk about people anymore...” —Greg (14:29)

• Reflecting on cultural fragmentation:

  “There are all these TikTok stars. Even within celebrity culture, there is so much fragmentation. We live these very individualistic lives.” —Lauren (34:48)

• On the inevitability of bigger celebrity campaigns:

  “I don’t think we’ve reached the peak. And I do think that, like, that somehow there will be, like, there are tons of brands that are… signing more ambassadors by the day.” —Greg (48:49)

Recommended Listening Timestamps

• Greg’s Origins & Misshapes, New York Nightlife: 05:06-14:29
• Early Celebrity Campaigns & Starworks: 18:08-23:53
• Breaking Down Why Celebrity Campaigns Work: 25:18-26:41
• Definition of Celebrity & Street Casting Today: 28:09-29:27
• The Economics of Celebrity Campaigns: 45:26-47:47
• Strategic Future of Casting: 48:49-50:15

Episode Takeaways

• Celebrity fashion campaigns aren’t going anywhere; instead, their composition and strategy are evolving to address cultural fragmentation.
• Authenticity and strategic alignment between talent and brand are more valued than ever.
• The economics of celebrity campaigns are daunting, but brands still see (or hope for) ROI in ubiquity and relevancy.
• For up-and-coming brands, the opportunity lies in carving out distinct, authentic brand identities—sometimes by recalibrating, rather than outspending, the big competitors.

In Lauren’s words:
“You always think, I’ve had enough. And then next week there’s more.”

Greg’s parting thought:
“You can always be the bigger brands with the bigger checks. But I think where we kind of fit in best is when we’re asked to… help with repositioning or… expanding the brand’s language that they already have.”

For those interested in the ever-changing intersection of celebrity, culture, and commerce in fashion, this episode is a must-listen.