Podcast Summary: Let’s Get Dressed

Episode: 2025’s Best Fashion Marketing Moments: Gap x Summer Fridays, The Devil Wears Prada, The Row & More

Host: Liv Perez

Guest: Lydia Berry (Social Marketing Expert)

Date: December 8, 2025

Episode Overview

This lively, insightful episode of Let’s Get Dressed reviews the most memorable fashion marketing moments of 2025. Host Liv Perez and guest Lydia Berry (a member of Liv’s team and self-proclaimed “social marketing guru”) analyze hot brand collaborations, industry-defining marketing campaigns, the return of analog marketing techniques, and the ever-evolving world of digital and social-first strategy. Their candid conversation is packed with nostalgia, personal stories, trend critiques, and sharp takes on what makes a brand or campaign stand out in the crowded landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Top Three Eye-Catching Brands and Campaigns of 2025

• Immediate standouts:

  • Gap: Revival through nostalgia, effective collaborations, and the return of iconic dancing campaigns.
    • “When I think about this year that's really, like, reinvented themselves, I think of Crown Affair. They're another brand that continuously, I feel like almost like one ups themselves every time.” (B, 01:52)
  • Crown Affair: Praised for slow, thoughtful and conversion-driving creativity in an “Instagram world where everything is so fast and so clickbaity.”
    • “They, to me, stand out as somebody who is able to still get conversions and sales while still having very beautifully produced content.” (B, 02:41)
  • J.Crew: Has become noteworthy through Olympia Gayot’s curation, smart use of vintage catalog nostalgia, and active engagement with untapped archives.
    • “She's one of my favorite social media followers… I'm like, wow, does the inside of your brain look like that? Because the inside of my brain would look like a dumpster fire.” (A, 03:52-03:57)

• Archives & Brand Heritage:

  • Importance of brands maintaining their archives for heritage and future storytelling. Brands like Kate (Spade) and The Row are speculated to be actively building their archives.
    • “A lot of high end designers are having to buy back their archive from vintage sellers… it’s so crazy and over backwards to build back their archive.” (A, 05:01)

2. Deep Dive: Gap x Summer Fridays Collaboration

• Why the Hype?
  • First ever beauty collaboration for Gap; Summer Fridays’ signature colors and products merged into apparel and accessories at the perfect holiday moment.
    • “Everything is in the Summer Fridays colors… the clothes match those colors and everything says Summer Fridays.” (A, 07:46)
• Multi-Generational Appeal:
  • “What's really... so amazing is that the products are multi-generational... which is just a testament to the brand those girls have built.” (B, 08:44)
• Nostalgic Parallels:
  • Comparison to iconic products of the past (Lip Smackers, Maybelline, Glossier), but highlighting the unique, unified brand presence of Summer Fridays with Gen Z.
• Cultural Impact:
  • The collaboration led to “feral” demand among teens, evoking nostalgia for simpler beauty icons.
    • “These girls were at my door every single day asking if I had any leftover Summer Fridays in my drawer. They were feral.” (A, 09:17)

3. Trend Watch: Beauty Brands for Kids & The Crown Affair Effect

• Shay Mitchell’s Beauty Brand for Kids:
  • Mixed feelings—acknowledges the desire for kid-safe products but concerns about accelerating consumerism and skipping the “awkward phase.”
    • “We have a consumerism problem. And it is... At the same time, you know, we're seeing girls skip the awkward phase... I did NOT look like that as a teen.” (B, 11:37, 12:47)
• Crown Affair’s Success Formula:
  • Slow, intentional growth, excellent product quality, Glossier-influenced “world building,” and founder Diana Cohen’s creative leadership.
    • “She disrupted common hair care routines… but she didn’t reinvent the wheel… she gave us a better way to do it.” (A, 15:59-16:57)

4. Minimalism & Focused Branding

• Renewed value in brands doing one thing exceptionally well, rather than chasing endless SKUs.
• Spotlight on focused brands: Noor Hamore (leather jackets), Lisette (t-shirts & loungewear), Summer Fridays (single hero product at launch).
  • “You gotta be really good at one thing, one really great product.” (A, 19:32)
  • “To stand out and be successful now as a brand, you really have to do one thing very well.” (B, 19:12)

5. Defining Fashion Marketing Moments of 2025

• The Row Sample Sale:
  • Cited as a generational marketing moment, will be “studied in textbooks.” (A, 20:20)
• Chanel’s Viral Rebirth & Matthieu’s Debut:
  • Universally celebrated for being “aspirational but still gritty,” bringing new energy and inclusivity, e.g. the subway show.
    • “Every touch point... is working. It's not lo-fi either… there's something about the approach that feels younger and cooler.” (A & B, 23:42-23:57)
    • “That show in the subway was a perfect example…I don't necessarily think the Chanel woman is using the subway. But…maybe the new Chanel woman does.” (A, 24:04-24:13)
• The Devil Wears Prada x Valentino “Rockstud” Press Campaign:
  • Orchestrated product placement with a viral trailer sparking debate about nostalgia vs. contemporary relevance; discussion around viral moments not always translating to physical product traction.
    • “The fact that they put her in a rockstud…was this paid for by Valentino? Is the movie set…why is she in a rockstud?... I would have loved to see her in a Prada shoe.” (A, 22:13-22:30)

6. Digital Marketing, TikTok Shop & Substack

• Rise of Live Shopping:
  • TikTok Shop becoming Gen Z’s QVC; skepticism about authenticity and sustainability of live shopping but curiosity on its potential for real-time engagement.
    • “TikTok Live does feel like a FaceTime call. TikTok Shop has been trying to really blow up… They’re incentivizing creators...” (B, 26:43)
• Creator Strategies:
  • Importance of being a “first mover” on new platforms (from Tamara Kalinic episode insight).
    • “You have to be a first mover to things. No one's gonna remember if you tried it and flopped.” (A, 27:35)
• 2025: Year of Substack:
  • Explosive adoption among both emerging voices and celebrities; praised for community, depth, and supporting independent writers.
    • “Substack feels like the antidote to so many things…people want community…Substack is this really beautiful world for you to enter.” (A, 33:26)
    • “Pamela Anderson has a great substack. Talk about soft girl, slow life.” (B, 33:43-33:47)

7. Return of Physical Marketing & Nostalgia

• Wild Posters/Postings are Back:

  • Outdoor and wild posting—out-of-home marketing making a major comeback and bridging digital and IRL moments.
    • “Billboards are back, baby… as a creative, I’m like, yes.” (A & B, 36:18-36:20)
    • “For a brand, it’s an instant win for so many reasons… It’s a social media moment.” (A, 36:03-36:29)

• Oversized IRL Installations ‘Are Over’:

  • Both hosts agree: trend has reached saturation.
    • “If I see one more, like, oversized bag going down Madison Avenue… it’s a little gimmicky now… We can say goodbye to that.” (A & B, 34:41-34:54)

8. Brands to Watch for 2026

• The Row:
  • Now “more touchable” and under scrutiny for controlling its image as it grows beyond insider culture.
    • “The Row used to be something that… only the, like, inside highly fashionable girls knew about… now my peers… know the Row.” (B, 37:24)
• Toteme:
  • Fashion insiders’ favorite, still on the rise and potentially looking at a broader reach.
    • “Totem is… still very fashion, and I think it could… reach more people.” (A, 39:16)
• Coach:
  • Executing a successful Gen Z marketing playbook, strategic partnerships, strong product focus—not just in bags but also outerwear. Hosts are curious about future Gen Z and Gen Alpha strategies.
    • “Coach has been making a lot of money… Their strategy has been to tap Gen Z… They’ve done a really good job of identifying strategic partnerships.” (A, 39:50-40:27)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Brand Archives:
  • “Back in the day they would just… gift models a dress as their fee for walking…and now they're having to build back their archive… that's crazy!” (A, 05:01)
• On Finding Originality in Moodboarding:
  • “She said she gets so excited when, as she’s collaging, she finds a reference or an image that hasn’t necessarily been circulated before. That, like, altered my brain chemistry.” (B, 04:02)
• On Product Longevity:
  • “It's so hard to build a multi-generational product… what an amazing alignment with Gap that also, I would argue, is multi-generational in a sense.” (B, 08:44)
• On Viral Campaigns vs. Real Impact:
  • “There’s a very big distinction between something that goes viral… vs. actually liking it and bringing it into their lives.” (A, 23:30)
• On Modern Celebrity/Creator Strategy:
  • “You have to be an A plus student in the lane that feels right to you… how inauthentic of you to be showing up on YouTube in a way that…is just not comfortable or native to who you are.” (A, 32:06)
• On Substack Community:
  • “We have a chat for Let's Get Dressed on there. People post all the time… that feels real. Like, real community that, for me, I haven't really been able to find elsewhere.” (A, 34:02)
• On Nostalgia in Marketing:
  • “We love these things that are out of our phones in real life… physical things come back.” (A, 36:30)
• On the End of the Oversized IRL Trend:
  • “In the garbage. If I see one more, like, oversized bag going down Madison Avenue…” (A, 34:43)
• On Coach's Success:
  • “That bag is exquisite. I want to travel just to wear that bag.” (B & A, 42:18-42:24)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:41]—Top 3 brands of the year gut reactions
• [07:13]—Gap x Summer Fridays embargo & analysis
• [11:37]—Shay Mitchell’s kids’ beauty brand + cultural critique
• [13:58]—Crown Affair’s new cult status & commentary
• [17:28]—Intentional branding and product focus trend
• [20:19]—The Row sample sale; Chanel’s marketing viral moment
• [21:52]—The Devil Wears Prada x Valentino “Rockstud” campaign
• [24:04]—Chanel’s subway show and generational shift
• [26:00]—TikTok Shop and live shopping for Gen Z
• [31:08]—The rise of Substack for creators and celebrities
• [34:41]—Oversized IRL trend backlash
• [36:18]—Wild posting/billboards trend analysis
• [36:54]—Brands to watch (The Row, Toteme, Coach, etc.)
• [39:45]—Coach’s playbook and the future of Gen Z/Alpha marketing

Tone & Style

The conversation is smart, friendly, energetic, and humorous—packed with honest industry critique, gentle sarcasm, and meta self-awareness typical of fashion “insiders.” The hosts mix substantive trend analysis with plenty of real-life anecdotes and playful banter, especially around nostalgia and the intersection of digital culture and IRL experiences.

For the Listener

This episode is a must-listen for anyone invested in fashion, branding, influencer marketing, or the evolving landscape of social and digital culture. It delivers practical insights for creators, marketers, fashion fans, and anyone curious about what makes a campaign resonate in an oversaturated, chronically online world.