Reformation just unveiled its preppy fall collection,“Good Sport,”and the star of the lineup is a limited-edition crewneck printed with one loaded word:“college.”The campaign features Olivia Jade modeling cashmere sweaters and tailored separates, a full-circle moment given that she became a household name in 2019 when her family was caught up in the college admissions scandal. The brand leaned into the history on Instagram Stories, describing it as“the kind of crew that suits her better.”
The internet responded fast. Fans flooded the comments calling the move cheeky and self-aware, with one commenter describing it as“the epitome of making lemonade out of lemons.”Not everyone is sold on the wink, though. Six years ago, Jade and her sister were admitted to USC as rowing recruits despite never playing the sport, and her parents Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli faced legal consequences. For some, a punchline can’t fully paper over that chapter.
The saving grace for the skeptics? Reformation is donating 100% of net proceeds from the crewneck to YES Scholars, a nonprofit that helps students from under-resourced communities get to college. So a joke about the admissions system is now funding the people navigating it the hard way. Does that make the campaign clever, complicated, or a little of both?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.