Justin Bieber takes advantage of scandal to launch new fashion brand: Master the game without falling?

Justin Bieber’s family has been in the news lately. From the happy news of his first baby, Hailey Bieber’s $1 billion sale of his Rhode beauty brand to Elf Beauty, to the launch of Justin Bieber’s Swag brand and album.

Along with those successes came a series of controversial moments: from viral videos capturing Justin Bieber in a strange state at Coachella and on the streets of Los Angeles, to fierce confrontations with paparazzi with the phrase “It’s not clocking to you that I’m standing on business” becoming a catchphrase on social media.

To the general public, all of this may seem like a “media crisis”. But the fact that “Standing on Business” was chosen as the title of a song on Justin Bieber’s new album is proof enough that he is in control of the game, not in a slump.

Justin Bieber is on the right track in a personal brand rebirth campaign, using one of the most controversial media tools: intentional scandal, or in other words, the art of “making a big deal out of it to get attention”.

Justin Bieber Creates SKYLRK Empire

According to NSS Magazine, before launching his new fashion brand SKYLRK – which includes sneakers, sunglasses, baseball caps and hoodies – Justin Bieber ended his collaboration with Drew House, the brand he co-founded with his former stylist Ryan Good in 2019.

If you look closely, there are many similarities between Justin Bieber’s direction and Kanye West’s – from the brand aesthetic (Drew House has been compared to Yeezy, as has SKYLRK now) to the behind-the-scenes scandals with his former collaborator.

Hailey Bieber continuously promoted SKYLRK outfits before the brand’s launch – Photo: IGNV

Both of them broke up with their partners due to misunderstandings, both liked to reveal new designs by trying them on themselves while walking around the street, and both used their girlfriends as “muses”: Hailey Bieber wore a series of SKYLRK “items” to post on social media or walk around the street – before the brand’s launch.

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Justin Bieber “played big” when releasing SKYLRK and the album Swag in less than 24 hours, after a series of dramas and media tricks that caused a stir in public opinion.

Only when he attracted enough attention did he drop some positive news: he had finally settled the financial dispute over the cancellation of his 2022 Justice World Tour due to health reasons – a loss of up to $ 31.5 million, the amount to be paid to former manager Scooter Braun.

Some items from Justin Bieber’s SKYLRK brand – Photo: MING’S

SKYLRK: Justin Bieber’s Old Strategy in a New Cover

All in all, there’s nothing too surprising here. History repeats itself: a Western star uses a familiar – and controversial – tactic to sell sneakers and T-shirts.

Few people know that SKYLRK has been “teased” since December 2023, when Justin Bieber was caught on the streets of Los Angeles wearing shoes designed by himself.

Throughout 2024, his street style continued to stir up social media, angering fashion critics, to the point of being rumored to be addicted. And by 2025, SKYLRK officially took shape through a series of carefully controlled images.

Justin Bieber’s series of noisy street outfits continuously make social networks explode and confuse fashion critics – Photo: GC Images

Many believe that the brand has been around since 2018, when Justin Bieber created a virtual character called Skylark Tylark on social media.

As the first independent fashion project after Drew House, SKYLRK attracts attention by keeping prices relatively low (from 40 to 200 USD), avoiding the “overpriced merch” rut.

With his wife – Hailey Bieber – and designer Finn Rush-Taylor (who worked for Puma, Adidas), Justin Bieber created a brand that bears his personal mark: half rebellious, half humorous.

Before SKYLRK debuted, Justin Bieber and his wife were seen wearing a variety of new shoes – tie-dyed slides, velvety white sneakers – and they all had one thing in common: no one knew where they came from – Photo: GQ

Recently, Justin Bieber and his wife have continuously caused a stir with their new fashion style, not wearing any luxury brands – Photo: GQ

Just looking at the recent viral photos: Justin Bieber staggering next to his wife with a bewildered look, while Hailey looks like a diva stepping off the catwalk, is enough to see that SKYLRK reflects his personality.

Like Drew House in its bold colors and playful designs, SKYLRK continues to play a familiar game: using noise as a branding tool.