Cara Santana x Apt. 9 for Kohl’s

National Retail Launch + Campaign Strategy + Production

Cara Santana’s first fashion collection launched nationally through Apt. 9 at Kohl’s, offering fashion-forward, affordable pieces designed to look and feel good on a wide range of bodies.

I worked alongside Cara from the initial partnership meeting through collection development, campaign planning, creator gifting, launch-event support, and social rollout- serving as a central liaison between Cara, Kohl’s, Reunited Clothing, talent, and the broader production team.

Role: Collection Development • Brand Positioning • Talent + Partner Liaison • Creator Gifting • Launch Strategy + Content

Responsibilities:

  • Supported campaign development and positioning

  • Helped shape casting recommendations and talent selection

  • Coordinated shoot logistics and communication across talent, creative, and production

  • Managed on-set schedules and a high-volume shot list

  • Captured behind-the-scenes and social content

  • Supported Cara’s styling and strategic social rollout surrounding the collection

FROM THE INITIAL IDEA TO “FOR EVERYBODY”

Ahead of the first partnership meeting, I helped Cara prepare inspiration, references, and ideas that communicated what she wanted to create: a genuinely fashionable collection that remained affordable and worked across different body types.

I participated throughout the collection-development and fitting process, attending working sessions with Cara, Kohl’s, and Reunited Clothing and helping communicate Cara’s feedback and creative priorities. Because Cara and I have very different body types, we would both try on pieces during fittings and provide feedback on how the clothing looked, fit, and felt on each of us.

That commitment to creating clothing for more than one kind of woman helped shape the collection’s central “For everyBODY” positioning.

BUILDING THE “FOR EVERYBODY” CAMPAIGN

When it came time to develop the campaign, Cara and I felt strongly that the collection’s promise needed to be reflected in the women wearing it.

I helped shape the casting approach and build a talent list featuring women across different body types, ages, ethnicities, professions, identities, and lived experiences.

On set, I served as Cara’s liaison and an extension of her creative point of view- communicating with the brand and production teams, supporting the featured talent, making sure everyone felt comfortable, and helping ensure that Cara’s intentions were carried through throughout the day. I also captured film, behind-the-scenes, and social content during the shoot.

CREATOR GIFTING + RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT

I coordinated gifting directly with creators and personal contacts Cara wanted to introduce to the collection. I managed individual communications, shared available pieces, collected selections and sizing information, and maintained the relationships throughout the process.

Reunited Clothing handled the physical fulfillment and deliveries, while I managed the creator-facing side of the program on Cara’s behalf.

LAUNCH EVENT SUPPORT

Cara and I worked together alongside her Manager Nikki Bohannon to define what we wanted the collection’s launch event to feel like, partnering with the brand and manufacturer’s event-planning team on the execution.

I managed communications and invitations across Cara’s personal creator and talent network, captured film and behind-the-scenes content, and served as Cara’s right hand throughout the event- supporting her, her guests, and the broader launch as needs arose.

SOCIAL ROLLOUT + CONTENT CREATION

I supported Cara’s full social rollout for the collection, translating the larger retail campaign into content that felt natural to her existing audience.

In addition to formal campaign and event assets, I regularly created nimble, social-first content through smaller guerrilla-style shoots- finding locations, developing styling ideas, capturing Cara in the collection, and creating additional moments that kept the launch active beyond the primary campaign.

AN UNPLANNED PRE-LAUNCH PRESS MOMENT

During New York Fashion Week, Cara needed a look for a YSL Beauté event. I suggested that she wear the collection’s navy satin suit- even though the collection had not yet been announced- and that we simply not identify what she was wearing until the partnership became public.

The look was photographed at the event and subsequently included in Vogue’s coverage. It gave the collection an unexpected high-fashion placement before launch, with Cara appearing at a major YSL event in a Kohl’s suit that retailed for less than $100.

Kohl’s was thrilled with the early visibility and the way the moment demonstrated exactly what we wanted the collection to represent: fashion-forward clothing at an accessible price.

RESULTS

  • More than 300,000 units sold

  • Broke internal sales records

  • Led Kohl’s to continue the partnership with additional collections

  • Earned national fashion and business press

  • Featured eight women representing a wide range of backgrounds and experiences

  • Generated organic creator visibility through relationship-led gifting

  • Generated significant earned media value when Vogue featured Cara wearing the collection pre-launch during NYFW

Official Campaign Imagery by Mike Rosenthal

Next

The Cara Santana Collection — DTC