The Glossy 50 honors the year’s biggest changemakers across fashion and beauty. More from the series →
The Trendsetters: The work of these executives and creatives influenced competitors, or the masses.
Since being appointed president of the cult shoe brand Ugg in 2022, Anne Spangenberg has been busy.
Ugg’s sales in the second quarter of 2023 reached $610.5 million, a 28.1% jump year-over-year, as reported in November. That was nearly 56% of the total earnings of parent company Deckers, which had a record sales quarter.
And it’s not just new products making Ugg the shoe of the year — resale platform StockX recently named it the fastest-growing brand in its shoe category. In addition, Ugg has been climbing the Lyst Index of the hottest fashion products, reaching the No. 4 spot in the third quarter. And Lily-Rose Depp, Cardi B and Emily Ratajkowski, among other celebrities, were spotted in the brand this year.
Building on its momentum, the company recently rolled out a series of launches focused on inclusion and sustainability. They’ve included the Ugg Pride campaign, the Regenerate by Ugg shoe collection and monthly retail pop-ups called Ugg Feel House, which opened in Paris and New York.
For the Pride campaign, Ugg worked with influencers and LGBTQ+ activists to highlight the movement. The company also donated $125,000 to the It Gets Better Project, focused on empowering LGBTQ+ youth to reach their full potential.
The brand’s immersive Feel House pop-ups, meanwhile, featured Cardi B and rapper Offset, and hosted a series of panels focused on mental health in the creative industries.
“By creating spaces and platforms where our community feels valued, heard and safe, we are fostering deep connections with them,” said Spangenberg. Ugg has 1.7 million followers on Instagram and 194,000 on TikTok.
In addition, through a new partnership with the regenerative agriculture organization The Savory Institute, Ugg has contributed to the restoration of 310,000 acres of sheep farms in Australia. In October, Ugg launched the Regenerative by Ugg collection, with 1% of proceeds going to the Savory Institute.
“Supporting causes we believe in allows us to put our core values into action,” said Spangenberg.
Click here to see all 2023 Glossy 50 honorees.
