Express Unveils "The Expressionists" Campaign Celebrating Community-Driven Style
MARKETING
Ciara Miller, Carl Radke and Venita Aspen at the Express x Who What Wear Styling Suite at Fashion Week. Credit Casey Kelbaugh / @photo_by_cka.
Express is redefining how fashion brands connect with their audiences. The apparel retailer has launched "The Expressionists," a community-focused initiative that moves beyond traditional influencer marketing to spotlight the people who genuinely bring the brand to life every day, from high-profile talent to everyday customers who use fashion as a form of self-expression.
Launching in Spring 2026, The Expressionists program combines high-impact partnerships, elevated fashion moments, and community-driven storytelling. It's designed to show up in the moments that matter, whether that's football's biggest weekend, New York Fashion Week, or a customer's personal milestone.
Beyond Traditional Influencer Marketing
The campaign kicked off during Super Bowl weekend with Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs and model Nicole Anderson, alongside Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Hollywood Brown. Campaign favorites Barbara Palvin and Dylan Sprouse also joined, all styled in spring Express looks.
But The Expressionists isn't just about celebrity partnerships. The program is built on the idea that Express customers are the real voices of the brand, people who use clothing to navigate their careers, relationships, and everyday moments with confidence.
"Our community has always been at the center of everything we do at Express," said Joe Berean, SVP of Marketing & Creative at Express. "The Expressionists celebrate the people who bring our clothes to life every day. Their creativity makes the brand feel personal, relevant and of the moment."
Fashion Week Activations and Social Commerce
To celebrate New York Fashion Week, Express partnered with Who What Wear, Future's leading fashion and lifestyle destination, on an in-person Styling Suite in New York City. The immersive experience brought together influencers and media to preview the Express spring collection, with guests including Ciara Miller, Venita Aspen, Carl Radke, Andrea Denver, Sonya Esman, and Natalie Lim Suarez—all styled head-to-toe in pieces from the new collection, including the Editor Collection, Modern Tech suiting, fashion dresses, and elevated tops.
The Expressionists will roll out across social platforms, digital experiences, and in-real-life activations throughout the year, delivering a steady stream of outfit inspiration, styling guidance, and community-led moments. Express plans to expand through social commerce, including livestream shopping, future commerce integrations, in-store events, and digital shop-in-shop experiences—making it easier than ever to discover, shop, and #DressToExpress.
A Brand Built on Self-Expression
Express operates over 400 retail and outlet stores across the United States and Puerto Rico, alongside its e-commerce platform and mobile app. The company has long positioned itself as a brand dedicated to creating confidence and inspiring self-expression, a positioning that The Expressionists campaign takes to its logical conclusion by putting real customers and their personal style journeys at the center of the narrative.
As fashion marketing continues to evolve, brands are moving away from one-directional campaigns toward participatory experiences where customers feel like active contributors rather than passive consumers. Express is betting that by celebrating the creativity of its community, whether that's an NFL player getting dressed for game day or someone styling a look for a job interview, it can build deeper, more authentic connections with the people who already choose to wear its clothing.
The Expressionists represents Express showing up authentically in culture: not by telling people how to dress, but by celebrating how they already do.