Before sustainability was a marketing strategy and before women's performance apparel was taken seriously as a design category, adidas by Stella McCartney was making the argument that female athletes deserved both. I led public relations for the collection at a moment when that argument still needed to be made loudly and well.
The work didn't stay neatly in one lane. It extended into sport performance and Y-3, the collection Yohji Yamamoto and adidas built at the exact intersection of high fashion and athletic function. Telling those stories across three distinct creative worlds became my early education in how product, identity, and culture speak to each other.
Building a Narrative the Industry Wasn't Ready For
The story was the product's greatest asset and its greatest challenge. Female athletes had been underserved for so long that making the case required more than good product. It required a narrative that reframed what performance apparel for women could be. I shaped that narrative across every channel we had, translating the design vision into language that reached the people it was made for.
Reshaping the Industry Landscape
The partnership said something clearly that the industry had been avoiding: that performance and femininity were not in conflict. I worked across editorial, event, and influencer channels to build that story from the inside out rather than broadcasting it from the outside in.
Amplifying Media Presence
I built a campaign approach that prioritized authentic voices over traditional advertising. The collections reached publications and communities that the adidas brand alone couldn't access, because the Stella McCartney story gave the work permission that pure sportswear didn't have yet. Over 100 million media impressions and a positioning that elevated the collection beyond product into something the industry was still catching up to.
Cultivating Relationships through INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES
Against the backdrop of New York Fashion Week I helped produce events that brought the Stella McCartney community into direct contact with the performance story. Soccer, music, celebration, and sport in the same room. These moments created relationships and earned coverage that extended well beyond any single collection cycle.
What This Work Taught Me
The most lasting product impact happens when the story and the product are indistinguishable from each other. This collection didn't just sell. It shifted what people believed was possible for women in sport. That is the standard I try to hold in every room I'm in.
