Influencer and blogger Chiara Ferragni is the new ambassador for Hublot, joining Pelé, Novak Djoković, Dina Asher-Smith, Usain Bolt, and three Michelin-star chef Clare Smyth.
   Ferragni came to prominence 12 years ago with her blog, The Blonde Salad, and became one of the most influential fashion bloggers in the world. She created a fashion label off the back of her first venture in 2013, with international pop-up stores three years later, and flagship stores in major cities in 2017. She can boast nearly 25 million Instagram followers.
   In July 2020, Ferragni wore the limited-edition Hublot Big Bang Millennial Pink watch on Instagram, ultimately getting over a quarter of a million likes. That formed the genesis of the two parties’ cooperation, with the watchmaker saying that they ‘simply understood that there were many similarities between their worlds.’
   In a release, Ferragni said, ‘Everything I do, I do to share. The things I love, the people I love, the things I experience, my daily life, my children, my work: I put my heart into everything to inspire others, to believe in themselves and their dreams. I found my ikigai in 2009. I managed to combine my passion with my talent in response to a need and now it has become my business. By opening the door to who I am and what I experience, I am also hoping to inspire the women of today not to choose between being a wife, a mother or an entrepreneur. All these roles complete me, just as they complete each other. Beauty drives everything I do. Not only inner beauty, but everything I see around me. That is reflected in my collaborations, my words, my charity work and my daily life.
   ‘Why Hublot? Because Hublot is not like any other watch brand, it follows its own distinctive path, with determination: it follows its dreams of innovation, while respecting traditions; it seeks beauty both inside and out, by showcasing much more than athletic performance or the success of a family member, it celebrates the reasons for this performance and success, in other words, the ability to be first, different and unique. Hublot’s messages and values speak to me, that’s why I have chosen to join this family today. A fusion of passion and determination has shaped who I am, across all my roles, and forged the businesswoman I have become. This same fusion has also made Hublot the company it is today.’
   Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe added, ‘Who does not know Chiara Ferragni? Her extraordinary destiny is not down to luck, this visionary and determined woman is someone who learnt how to grow and evolve with her time. By portraying and sharing who she is and what she loves, she has realized her dream, inspiring the men and women of her generation to believe that anything is possible. As someone who is both authentic and spontaneous, she has turned her happy, positive and generous nature into her trademark. As a visionary and pioneer, she has been able to move with the times by dominating the digital platforms and turning her passion into a real business. Her passion became her job, and her natural talent transformed into a success that is seemingly within everyone’s reach. Her inspiring journey proves that anything is possible; it’s the stuff of dreams, while being very real. Who wouldn’t want to live and realize their dreams like Chiara Ferragni? At Hublot, we love inspiring women and men who believe in their dreams and move heaven and earth to fulfil them, who assert their distinctive personality, are willing to go out on a limb, who are not afraid of what people will say and who follow their path with authenticity and passion. That’s why Chiara fits so well into our family.’
   Ferragni will front Hublot’s upcoming global campaign.
   Earlier this year, Ferragni became GHD’s first global brand ambassador.

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Adut Akech is Estée Lauder’s newest brand ambassador, joining the beauty company’s current roster of models, including Ana de Armas, Anok Yai, Bianca Brandolini d’Adda, Carolyn Murphy, Diana Penty, Grace Elizabeth, Karlie Kloss, Kōki, and Yang Mi.
   Her campaigns for make-up and skin care will begin in July.
   Akech was named model of the year at the Fashion Awards in 2019 and featured on the Time 100 Next list the same year.
   South Sudanese by ethnicity, Akech was born en route to the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya. Her family then settled in Adelaide, South Australia, where she joined a modelling agency and walked in Melbourne Fashion Week. In 2016, she was cast as a catwalk exclusive in the Yves Saint Laurent spring–summer 2017 show, making her fashion week début. Akech has regularly walked for major labels and appeared in campaigns. She has modelled in editorials in at least seven international editions of Vogue, and covered at least three; she has also appeared in I-D, Elle Hrvatska, L’Officiel Singapore, Numéro, and many others. She recently began working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to promote causes supporting refugees around the world.
   ‘To be part of the Estée Lauder family is a dream come true. Estée Lauder has such an amazing heritage, and the story of Mrs Estée Lauder continues to be an inspiration to women around the world. Like her, I hope to inspire girls everywhere to never give up on following their dreams,’ said Akech in a release.
   ‘Adut is one of fashion’s biggest and most influential stars,’ said Stéphane de la Faverie, group president for the Estée Lauder Companies, and global brand president, Estée Lauder and AERIN. ‘We believe her incredible story, personality and beauty will help us continue to inspire and connect with our consumers and establish her as a beauty icon of her generation.’

Chiara Ferragni, who has regularly featured in Lucire’s pages in both print and online, is the new global ambassador for GHD.
   Ferragni, who originally came to the industry’s notice as a blogger, has since branched out into designing and Instagramming (where she has nearly 24 million followers). As a fan of GHD, she said in a release: ‘I’ve used GHD for years and have always shared my good hair days with my community. I’m so pleased to announce that I am the international brand ambassador for GHD.’
   It marks the first time GHD has appointed an international brand ambassador. The announcement coincides with the 20th anniversary of the brand.
   ‘We are thrilled to welcome Chiara Ferragni as GHD International Brand Ambassador during our 20th anniversary year—she is the ultimate global fashion trendsetter who speaks directly to the social media generation and our digital-savvy consumers,’ said Jeroen Temmerman, CEO of GHD. ‘With Chiara’s unparalleled global appeal and GHD leading technology, we are confident this new partnership, and impending new product launch, will help GHD to deliver more good hair days around the world.’
   GHD’s chief marketing officer Montse Passolas added, ‘Chiara Ferragni is an entrepreneur with an undeniable spirit, attitude and unique sense of style—she perfectly embodies the essence and energy of GHD. Chiara was a natural choice for GHD to become international brand ambassador. Chiara loves the brand and genuinely uses it to style her hair, so that it is always flawless and in great condition. She relies on ghd for safer for hair heat styling and long-lasting sleek results.’

Zalando’s new summer 2021 campaign, Activists of Optimism, is yet another effort signalling hope as COVID-19 vaccines get rolled out among many countries. It aims to spread optimism, ‘through the simple act of making people smile,’ according to the retailer.
   The campaign launches May 23, and comprises 22 videos of 15 seconds each, which have been put together into a single TV commercial shot by Lucy Luscombe, set to the song ‘Show Me Love’ by Robin S., and stills by Jorde Pérez Ortiz. Eleven ‘positive action takers’ feature, including Dutch model Rianne Meijer, British author and influencer Naomi Shimanda, and French dancer Salif Gueye. There is also a Festival of Optimism, a series of events throughout Europe to inspire people to dance, single and smile, culminating in a virtual celebration on June 21, the summer solstice.
   Ralph Rijks, Zalando’s vice-president of global marketing, said, ‘We define activist of optimism through people who bring joy to others and themselves—whether it is a song, a dance, or an innovative make-up tutorial on TikTok, it is these small optimistic acts that connect us and spread joy. The campaign brings to life our 2021 overarching narrative of turning optimism into positive action (for yourself and others) through the joy of living life.’
   German agency Kolle Rebbe collaborated on the campaign.

Both Megan Thee Stallion and Sofia Carson appear in new fragrance campaigns for Revlon: Stallion for Reign On and Carson for One Heart.
   ‘Revlon’s Reign On is the perfect fragrance for all my Hot Girls. It is fresh and flirty and will complement any summer vibe,’ said Stallion in a release.
   ‘One Heart embraces you with love, a love that we all long for, now more than ever. Every time I wear this fragrance, its beautiful florals and musks comfort me with an undeniable feeling of tenderness and hope,’ added Carson.
   Reign On is a fruity fragrance with top notes of lemon confit and drenched bamboo leaves, middle notes of bright jasmine petals, waterlily and butterfly flower, and basenotes of sheer musks, blonde woods and salty moss. The 30 ml eau de toilette spray retails for US$25 and the 256 ml fine fragrance mist for US$9·99.
   One Heart is a woody floral, with top notes of pink pepper and pear blossom, middle notes of lily of the valley, peony and heliotrope, and basenotes of orris, sandalwood and milky musks. Sizes and prices are the same as for Reign On: the eau de toilette for US$25 and the mist for US$9·99.
   They are available through Amazon and select CVS stores. Hashtags for the pair are #RevlonxMeg and #RevlonxSofia respectively.

Dan Beleiu

Zalando, the online fashion platform HQed in Berlin, has launched its spring 2021 campaign, Here to Stay, championing diversity, inclusion and the empowerment of women, hoping to inspire and encourage people to broaden their views on gender fluidity and body positivity.
   Launched on Sunday, March 21, the campaign has been shot by Dan Beleiu, featuring real-life pairings. Each image has a statement complemented by the sentence, ‘Here to stay,’ e.g. ‘Sustainability. Here to stay,’ or ‘Acceptance. Here to stay.’ There is also an accompanying film directed by Terence Neale and Emilie Badenhorst, featuring dancer and model Luc Bruyere, Yann Horowitz, an openly gay skateboarder, and body positivity advocate, Yolisa Mqoco. The film’s soundtrack is written and produced by queer British rapper Mista Strange, who also appears.
   ‘This campaign is a celebration of values which are at the core of Zalando, specifically embracing diversity and inclusivity,’ said Barbara Daliri, the company’s senior VP of sales and marketing. ‘These values and the stories of real people matter a lot to us and allow us to engage with our diverse customers. Our values are intrinsic to who we are and how we work: Zalando actively supports an inclusive corporate culture with employees from 130 countries. Last year, we published the Do.Better Diversity and Inclusion Report, laying out our long-term commitment to change towards our employees, partners and customers. This spring initiative further underlines our ambition to be the starting point for fashion for everyone.’
   Anomaly Berlin was the creative agency for the campaign.