Abercrombie & Fitch taps TikTok celebs for its first social brand

Abercrombie & Fitch is getting social.

The company’s Hollister Co. division is launching a new brand, called “Social Tourist,” that will feature trend-forward fashions inspired and co-created by two social media stars and influencers. TikTok celebrities Charli and Dixie D’Amelio, who have a combined 250 million followers across their social media handles, will star in the brand campaign. The sisters have been involved in every aspect of Social Tourist, including product selection, design, branding, positioning and marketing, according to Abercrombie. (Their father Marc D’Amelio, an apparel industry veteran, will serve as a consultant for Social Tourist.)

The new brand has been “imagined and inspired” by Charli and Dixie’s experiences at the epicenter of social media, and also reflects Gen Z’s unique lens of living in a digitally native environment, Abercrombie said. It will have four distinct apparel lines: gender-inclusive items; trend pieces such as dresses and skirts; everyday essentials featuring premium basics; and swimwear. Each collection will include limited-edition items, with new products dropping approximately every month.

Social Tourist reflects Abercrombie’s digital-first strategy. In 2020, the company’s digital sales increased to 54% of its annual revenue. The new brand will launch on May 20, available exclusively in Hollister stores and online.

“Charli and Dixie are the quintessential example of what it’s like to grow up in the digital world, and we've always believed they authentically represent our teen customers’ mindset both online and in real life,” said Kristin Scott, global brand president at Abercrombie & Fitch Co. “We’re thrilled to unlock new opportunities for all of us beyond our co-created products, which strongly resonated with our global customers. Given the high demand, we knew we could take our relationship further.”

The D’Amelio sisters have worked with Hollister since 2020, and served as “chief jeanealogists,” where they tested and approved every aspect of Hollister’s denim. They also launched the #MoreHappyDenimDance TikTok challenge, which garnered over 5.4 billion views worldwide; and dropped a series of limited-edition, co-created collections

The launch of Social Tourist marks the beginning of an exclusive, multi-year apparel agreement between Abercrombie & Fitch Co. and the D’Amelio sisters.