Un‑American Eagle: Fashion’s DNA Doesn’t Belong to One Race
A still from the now-deleted Sydney Sweeney campaign—American Eagle’s attempt at clever turned controversial, sparking global backlash and raising questions about fashion, privilege, and who gets to wear the narrative.
When American Eagle launched its Sydney Sweeney campaign with the slogan “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,” they likely thought they were being clever. Instead, they ignited a cultural backlash—one that has fashion insiders and everyday consumers asking: Since when did fashion start depending on genetics?
In a moment where diversity is the industry’s gold standard and representation is non‑negotiable, the not‑so‑subtle pun between jeans and genes reads less like a wink—and more like a slap in the face.
When the Punchline Becomes an Insult
Let’s be clear: fashion doesn’t have genes. It has influence. It has evolution. It has rebellion. But it has never belonged to a single lineage—certainly not one steeped in Western beauty ideals. The idea of praising someone's genetic superiority—especially in an ad campaign—feels like a throwback to outdated, dangerous narratives rooted in white supremacy.
The campaign’s imagery, featuring Sweeney’s pale skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes as a standard of "greatness," sends an unmistakable message: this is the beauty we celebrate. Everyone else? Be grateful to try on the jeans.
That’s not fashion. That’s erasure.
A Campaign That Ignores the Global Fabric of Fashion
From Nigerian streetwear to Japanese denim artistry, from Indian embroidery to Dominican runway flair—fashion is a global conversation. It thrives when cultures collide, evolve, and inspire one another. To reduce it to genetics is not just reductive—it’s offensive.
This campaign doesn’t just alienate—it insults. It implies that fashion greatness is born, not created. That to wear it well, you must look the part. And in doing so, it betrays everything American Eagle once stood for: accessibility, inclusivity, youth empowerment.
Sydney Sweeney: Starlet or Symbol?
Sweeney herself didn’t write the slogan, but she embodies it—and that’s where the conflict arises. She has become a symbol for a specific kind of American femininity that’s long been exalted in pop culture: white, blonde, and traditionally beautiful. It’s not her fault, but in this context, her image reinforces a message that many people—especially BIPOC consumers—are tired of seeing: You don’t belong in the spotlight.
American Eagle's Deafening Tone-Deafness
In its rushed response, American Eagle insisted the campaign was about “great jeans,” not genes. But in 2025, brands don’t get to hide behind clever wordplay. Intent doesn’t erase impact. And the impact here was alienation, anger, and disappointment—especially among the very consumers that American Eagle claims to champion.
Denim Was Born From Diversity
Let’s not forget: denim itself is a story of labor, resistance, and reinvention. Worn by miners, mechanics, rebels, rockstars, and runways—it’s always been about function meeting freedom. To reduce it to a symbol of elite genetics is to erase its working‑class soul and global journey.
Fashion is not about inheritance—it’s about innovation. It’s not what you’re born with—it’s what you create, remix, and wear with pride.
Bottom Line: Fashion Has No Genes—It Has Guts
The Sydney Sweeney campaign wasn't just a misstep in marketing—it was a cultural failure. In a time when the fashion world is embracing Afro‑futurism, Indigenous craftsmanship, body diversity, and queer expression, American Eagle’s nostalgic nod to "good genes" feels not only tone‑deaf, but un‑American.
Fashion belongs to all of us. And we won’t be edited out.