Fashion and beauty may be brewing at Starbucks. As reported by ModernRetail, the coffee giant has hired Neiv Toledano—formerly a senior manager at e.l.f. Cosmetics—as its new senior marketing manager of fashion and beauty.
The role is a first for Starbucks, marking the company’s most explicit investment yet in beauty- and fashion-led collaborations as a driver of cultural relevance. While Starbucks has long dabbled in lifestyle partnerships with designers like Zac Posen and brands like Farm Rio, this dedicated position underscores a shift toward treating beauty not as a one-off activation, but as a strategic growth lever.
According to Modern Retail, at e.l.f., Toledano helped shepherd buzzy collaborations with brands like Stanley and Liquid Death—partnerships that blurred category lines and drove outsized social engagement. In a LinkedIn post announcing the move, she said she’s excited to be “combining my greatest passions to drive culture, fandom and buzzworthy moments” for Starbucks, hinting at a more intentional, fandom-first approach.
Toledano will sit on Starbucks’s Brand Activation team, led by Candice Beck, VP of brand engagement, partnership marketing and experiences. Beck joined Starbucks earlier this year from Yahoo’s Creative Lab and previously led social and influencer strategy at Chipotle—another brand known for turning food into cultural currency.
The hire comes amid a broader brand reset under CEO Brian Niccol, who stepped into the role in September 2024. As part of his “Back to Starbucks” turnaround plan, Niccol has emphasized an overhauled approach to marketing and a renewed focus on culture. While Starbucks’ North American comparable store sales were flat in the most recent quarter—an improvement from the 6-percent decline reported the year prior—the company is clearly betting that cultural relevance can help reignite growth.
Historically, Starbucks has tested the waters with fashion-forward partnerships, from a Diane von Furstenberg collaboration in Asia to Brandon Blackwood’s sling bottle bags in 2023. But the pace and ambition have accelerated. The brand made a splash at New York Fashion Week with a custom Zac Posen couture gown inspired by its logo, hosted a CFDA kickoff dinner and rolled out a Farm Rio merchandise collaboration across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Beyond fashion, Starbucks has expanded its cultural footprint through music and sports, becoming the official coffee partner of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games and hosting listening parties for Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl at select stores.
The move aims to position Starbucks as more than a food and beverage retailer, but rather as a lifestyle brand, staying current with trends and fandom. The company wants to generate excitement, buzz and stronger emotional connections with consumers, treating fashion and beauty as strategic drivers for growth, rather than one-off marketing stunts. As New Beauty reports, while Starbucks—and its competitors—lean further into beauty and fashion, one thing is clear: brands aren’t just vying for your caffeine fix anymore. They’re after a place in your daily routine that lasts long after the last sip.
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