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Is Selena Gomez Worth $10 Million?


Selena Gomez has maintained a relatively low profile in the last year. She took time off from her career to focus on her health and well-being but made a triumphant return to the red carpet at the AMAs last month to accept the award for Favorite Female Artist — Pop/Rock. It looks like the star isn’t planning to shy away from the spotlight again anytime soon, as she reportedly recently singed a $10 million deal with luxury fashion retailer Coach, according to Page Six.

The 24-year-old will not only be the face of the brand but will also create her own line for the retailer, Vogue has confirmed. Considering Gomez has a massive fan base and is the most popular celebrity on Instagram — with more than 100 million followers — it’s not surprising that the fashion house would look to the star to bring in customers.

The pop star recently signed a large deal with fashion retailer Coach. (Photo: Getty Images)
The pop star recently signed a large deal with fashion retailer Coach. (Photo: Getty Images)

In recent years Coach has made efforts to broaden its customer base by attempting to appeal to younger customers while keeping in tune with its mature audience as well. According to creative director Stuart Vevers, the brand is looking forward to “a new day at Coach.”

“When I first joined, I used our history as a touchstone, so it was for me to discover the things that would be believable at Coach,” Vevers told British Vogue. “I felt it was important to be bold and look forward and explore what the next generation want from luxury and fashion.”

The heightened attention on serving the younger customer shows how dramatically the brand’s focus has shifted within the past 10 years.

Michael B. Jordan and Stuart Vevers at the after party for Coach 1941 Women's Spring 2017 Show in New York City. (Photo: Getty Images)
Michael B. Jordan and Stuart Vevers at the afterparty for the Coach 1941 Women’s Spring 2017 Show in New York City. (Photo: Getty Images)

A number of hot young actors, musicians and influencers, like Michael B. Jordan, musician Diplo, Drew Barrymore and Zoë Kravitz, gathered to celebrate the brand’s recent 75th anniversary celebration. By garnering this star power, the brand is sending a message to customers that even though some might find it dated, it’s making a comeback.

Coach isn’t the only fashion retailer tapping younger celebrities and models to appeal to younger customers.

Classic American brand Tommy Hilfiger teamed up with young model and social media star Gigi Hadid for a shoppable Fall 2016 collection that debuted at New York Fashion Week earlier this year. The collection helped the brand to experience double-digit growth in retail and e-commerce performance, with traffic exploding on Tommy.com with a 900 percent increase in the 48 hours following the show, according to WWD.

As a global ambassador for the brand, Hadid has starred in many adverts for Hilfiger and regularly promotes her collaboration at appearances worldwide. The designer and model’s first collection was so successful that the duo is slated to show a second Tommy x Gigi collaboration in Spring 2017.

Designer Tommy Hilfiger and model Gigi Hadid walk the runway at #TOMMYNOW Women's Fashion Show during New York Fashion Week earlier this year. (Photo: Getty Images)
Designer Tommy Hilfiger and model Gigi Hadid walk the runway at the #TOMMYNOW Women’s Fashion Show during New York Fashion Week earlier this year. (Photo: Getty Images)

The lucrative partnership has obviously been beneficial for both parties, as Gigi Hadid was named one of the world’s highest-paid models of 2016 and Tommy Hilfiger’s popularity has exploded due in part to the collab with the 21-year-old model.

Signing popular models and social media stars to appeal to different consumers and boost business is a trend that’s not only prominent in the luxury retail industry but also within the athletic wear industry.

Earlier this year, Kylie Jenner signed a multimillion-dollar contract with Puma — a sports brand that’s often overshadowed by global giants Nike and Adidas. When the partnership was announced, the brand’s global director of brand and marketing said in a statement that Jenner “represents a fresh and exciting new era for fashion, and we couldn’t think of a more fitting and influential female to headline this campaign for Puma.”

Kylie Jenner stars in an ad for Puma's Fierce KRM training shoes. (Photo: Courtesy of Puma)
Kylie Jenner stars in an ad for Puma’s Fierce KRM training shoes. (Photo: Courtesy of Puma)

The 19-year-old has starred in a number of ads for the brand and regularly promotes products on her social media channels, which has helped to dramatically increase sales.

Partnerships and commercial projects with models and brands are common in the retail industry, as the brand often draws in a wider audience and the model is often paid handsomely for his or her own star power.

Shelling out millions for a young star’s face might seem unconventional — maybe even unreasonable — but it clearly pays off for many brands.

We have reached out to Coach for confirmation on the Gomez partnership and will update when we hear back.

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