Will the fashion industry get what it wants from “Euphoria”? Season 3 is coming soon, there are plenty of dramas, and even more sponsorships

In addition to having preyed upon Petra Collins’ artistic imagery, Euphoria is a series where costumes have played a fundamental role over the years. Between 2019 and 2022, the show became legendary for turning the outfits of its troubled high-school protagonists into an expressionistic explosion of archival pieces, styling choices, and makeup that significantly influenced overall fashion trends. The over-the-top costumes gave rise to an entire meme genre that mocked the absurd dress code of Euphoria High — a place where the rules of reality are not merely suspended, but thrown out the window entirely. And today, four years after the second season, a third season is about to arrive, concluding the entire story.

But a lot has happened in these years: the actors have entered Hollywood’s A-list, each of them involved in major partnerships with leading luxury brands. Already from the new season’s trailer, fashion has taken on a much more institutional and promotional role than in the past. Jacob Elordi’s character, for example, appeared in at least three full Bottega Veneta looks, the brand for which he is an ambassador; while Balenciaga presented an official collaboration with the series during its latest FW26 show. It is clear that fashion has noticed the Euphoria phenomenon, but will it manage to get what it wants from the hype surrounding the series?

From Costumes to Creative Partners

Fashion noticed Euphoria too late, but Euphoria noticed fashion well in advance. At the time of the second season, neither Zendaya, Jacob Elordi, nor Sydney Sweeney had a real stylistic identity yet. Zendaya had yet to become the founder of method dressing alongside Law Roach, Jacob Elordi had just begun his relationship with Bottega Veneta, and Sydney Sweeney was about to partner with brands like Miu Miu and Armani Beauty.

Today things are radically different, and fashion’s relationship with the series is much more institutionalized. It must be said that in these four years HBO has discovered the enormous potential of fashion shout-outs in its shows: Succession popularized Loro Piana and Brunello Cucinelli, And Just Like That became a fashion magazine in episodes, and in The Idol, also by Sam Levinson, brands like Chanel and Valentino played a leading role that went far beyond simple costumes. With the third season of Euphoria, however, the accelerator has been pushed to the maximum.

Both the extension of Jacob Elordi’s partnership with Bottega Veneta into the actual on-screen costumes and the official collaboration with Balenciaga signal that what was once a creative dialogue between the series and the luxury industry has turned into a business relationship. This has immediately created a sense of artificiality and inauthenticity in tone and style that struck the audience right away. How can these characters afford entire wardrobes full of fresh runway pieces? The real question concerns the sincerity and creative freshness of the series, at risk of being buried under sponsorship contracts and essentially turned into a commercial.

Euphoria’s Many Dramas

There has been a lot of talk about the almost non-existent promotion for the new season’s release. The main point of gossip concerns Zendaya’s alleged unwillingness to publicly associate with Sydney Sweeney due to their respective political affiliations. The Daily Mail reported that the two actresses did not want to appear close on the red carpet or even in photos, and that Zendaya in general did not want to participate in promoting the show. On March 12, a cast photo without Sweeney reignited the rumors, which were later debunked by yesterday’s Variety article confirming that the entire cast will attend tonight’s Los Angeles premiere - an event that initially neither Elordi nor Sweeney were scheduled to attend.

In addition to the controversy involving Labrinth, the composer of the soundtrack, who harshly and cryptically criticized the series in an Instagram post, the feeling is that everyone wanted to get out of the show as soon as possible and return to their personal commitments. While expressing moderate appreciation, Zendaya appeared more polite than enthusiastic about the series. The actress has four back-to-back films coming out this year and it seems Euphoria is not among her top priorities. She also told the Drew Barrymore Show rather curtly that this will be the last season for her, almost distancing herself from it. Overall, beyond the trailer and a few red-carpet comments, there doesn’t seem to be any palpable enthusiasm coming from the cast.

It is known that the season will be watched by many, but it is still uncertain whether it will be liked by many. That doesn’t matter much to the brands, however. As Vogue explains: «At the Season 2 premiere in 2022, the Balenciaga look worn by Alexa Demie generated the highest media impact value of the cast at $422,000; Sydney Sweeney’s Miu Miu look generated a MIV of $410,000; while Hunter Schafer and Zendaya both generated a MIV of $298,000, wearing Prada and Valentino respectively.»

And here we get to the point. In the Vogue article, Eloise Gendry-Hearn, senior talent and digital specialist for The Digital Fairy, openly states that fashion is not looking for direct advertising but wants the online discussions around the series to “super-charge” the brands’ relevance. The verb, however, suggests that this relevance derived from online chatter is a sort of empty digital volume: fashion is more interested in the volume of the message than in its actual substance. Online conversations are simply more engaging than simple product placement or a media campaign. But can quantity alone overshadow quality? Or will the emphasis on sponsorships deprive the series of the cultural relevance that brands are seeking?