CAIT’S BIG BREAK
Jenner is positioned to become a spokeswoman for fashion and beauty companies, experts say,
Never mind the forthcoming reality show, Caitlyn Jenner’s next big platform could be as a spokeswoman for high-end fashion and beauty brands.
According to the New York Post, the 65-year-old former Olympian is in discussions with MAC Cosmetics for a role in keeping with that of her teenage daughter Kendall Jenner, who is the face of Estée Lauder, which owns MAC.
“I’m not surprised; this is a fit for them,” said Stephen Brown, president of Toronto’s FUSE Marketing Group. Brown chaired Fashion Cares, once Canada’s largest HIV/ AIDS fundraiser and sponsored by the hip makeup company.
But having unveiled a provocative new image on the cover of Vanity Fair on Monday, Jenner, whose E! network documentary series I Am Cait debuts July 26, isn’t limited to LGBT-friendly firms, say Toronto fashion and advertising experts.
“She’s prime for any cosmetic brand, given her huge following and influence; anything from hair care, makeup, skin care or more,” said Bahar Niramwalla, editor in chief of BeautyDesk.com.
“No matter if straight, gay, transgender or otherwise, I think we’d all like to continue to see this upswing of brand collaborations with older spokespersons rather than constantly using the 19-year-old model with perfect bone structure and flawless skin,” Niramwalla added.
Jenner’s debut as a woman exhibited a sophisticated, corseted image on the cover of Vanity Fair. This image is unlikely to transfer to her previous collaborations as an awardwinning decathlete with juice and cereal sponsors Tropicana and Wheaties, said Brown. He foresees Jenner doing ads for the likes of Jimmy Choo and Louis Vuitton.
“I suspect there’s going to some easy cliché (endorsements) that she’s going to avoid. There might be a pull from some brazen sports brands, but that doesn’t fit with who she is now. And nothing with any kind of business in a transformational state which would be humourous, but distasteful.
“She’s tracking social clout bigger than anyone right now. I can see a fit with a younger brand even though she’s not young.”
Jenner can “inspire consumers of all ages,” said Ben Barry, an assistant professor at Ryerson University’s School of Fashion.
“Yet I think (signing her) is really acknowledging that the over-65 demo is engaged in fashion and
“This isn’t new territory for people in the know; this is new territory for brands and this is new for the mainstream.” STEPHEN BROWN PRESIDENT, FUSE MARKETING GROUP
beauty; they’re vibrant; they’re living their lives; they’re sexual.”
Jenner joins the ranks of other glamorous, high-profile trans women such as supermodel Andreja Pejic and Orange is the New Black actress Laverne Cox. But the trans community is not unanimous in embracing their traditional approach to femininity, which, in the case of Jenner, involved expensive facial reconstruction and breast augmentation.
“There are many trans folks, because of genetics and/or lack of access, who will never be able to embody these standards . . . It is important to note that these standards are also informed by race, class and ability among other intersections,” Cox wrote on Tumblr.
In the long run, Jenner’s visibility should be an asset for trans people, Barry said. “I think a fashion brand could really engage with some of this criticism by maybe not just having her in the campaign, but including other transgender individuals that may represent different groups of people maybe that don’t have that same amount of access to go through some amount of surgery, or different wishes in how they want to represent their gender.”
Of course, some firms will worry about alienating their more conservative consumers, said Brown.
“That’s going to be the other side: ‘But yes, we still sell massive amounts of our products to both middle America and traditional America, but even moreso the international set.’ That will be the debate. Generally I’ve found brands that want unique and different will always push it and deal with the consequences after,” he said.
“This isn’t new territory for people in the know; this is new territory for brands, and this is new for the mainstream. This is an easy win, but the question will be do they promote it as much internationally?”