Forever 21 named creator Riley Saurage its newest brand ambassador, launching the partnership with a back-to-school campaign built around trend-forward style and everyday value. Saurage, known for her connection with Gen Z audiences, debuted in a campaign featuring a curated assortment of wardrobe staples, with additional seasonal campaigns and appearances planned throughout the year.

As reported by License Global, the campaign is the first to launch under Forever 21’s new partner network, which the retailer has framed as a renewed focus on meeting customers where they are. The back-to-school assortment became available July 17 at Forever21.com, Walmart, and Amazon.

The multi-retailer rollout extends a distribution strategy built as Authentic Brands Group rebuilt Forever 21’s U.S. presence after its former operating company filed for Chapter 11 in March 2025. The retailer was also added to Target’s invite-only Target Plus marketplace this month, joining brands including Clarks and JanSport as Target expands the platform’s assortment. Target Plus, launched in 2019, lets invited third-party brands sell through Target’s site without the overhead of physical placement, and Forever 21’s addition follows the same asset-light logic as its Walmart and Amazon listings.

According to Retail Boss, that shift toward digital and marketplace-based distribution follows a period in which Forever 21’s e-commerce build-out lagged behind competitors. Reporting on the company’s finances has noted that online sales represented a small share of total revenue during the years its physical retail expansion was fastest, a gap that has been cited as a factor in both of its bankruptcies. 

Pairing a creator ambassador with a marketplace-first product launch positions the new partner network as a way to reach shoppers directly on platforms where they already browse and buy, rather than relying primarily on store traffic.

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