Selena Gomez is one of the most famous women on the planet. Amid her awards season buzz and a high-profile engagement, Vogue Business breaks down her impact.

Disney star, chart-topping singer, award-winning actress, producer, cooking show host, mental health advocate, beauty mogul, philanthropist: no wonder Selena Gomez is the most-followed woman on Instagram, with over 422 million followers.

And lately, she’s been on a tear. Her starring role in quirky mob film Emilia Pérez has already earned her a Golden Globe nomination, with a potential Oscars nomination to follow. And amid the awards season buzz, last month, Gomez announced her engagement to music producer Benny Blanco. Announced on Instagram with a photo of a pavé-set marquise-cut diamond ring (a subtle nod to her song ‘Good For You’, in which Gomez describes herself as a “marquise diamond”), it quickly became one of her most-liked Instagram posts, amassing 23.2 million likes. Best friend and global pop star Taylor Swift’s “Yes, I will be the flower girl” comment added another layer of excitement, garnering over two million likes on its own.

The announcement has become one of the most visible high-profile celebrity engagements, generating $30 million in earned media value (EMV), according to influencer intelligence firm Lefty. EMV is the advertising spend that generates an equivalent number of impressions to those gained from social media posts. For context, Justin and Hailey Bieber’s 2018 engagement generated $14 million in EMV, while Zendaya and Tom Holland’s recent announcement generated $11 million.

This engagement frenzy is a testament to Gomez’s star power. And as she attends further award shows and plans her own special day, 2025 presents a fresh opportunity for fashion brands to build resonance with one of the most committed fan bases on the internet.

Relatable and resilient

You might question why Gomez, above all others, has built such a following. But experts agree that despite the accolades and the mega-fandom, Gomez’s decades-long career (note: she’s only 32) has been defined by relatability and resilience, making her a trusted figure for Gen Z.

“Gen Z essentially grew up alongside her,” says Tori D’Amico, managing content editor at Gen Z and millennial market research agency YPulse. “In that time, they saw her struggle with both her physical and mental health and be open about it,” she continues. Gomez was diagnosed with lupus in 2013, a chronic autoimmune disease, as discussed in her My Mind & Me documentary, which also unpacks her bipolar disorder. “[Fans] also saw [relatable] relationship dramas and friendship dramas, which made her lifestyle and success seem attainable in some capacity.”

This relatability is central to Gomez’s business ventures, particularly her makeup brand Rare Beauty, which she launched in 2020. Rare Beauty has consistently outperformed competitors in the celebrity brand space. In 2024, the brand claimed the top EMV spot for celebrity beauty brands, surpassing Kylie Cosmetics, Ariana Grande’s R.E.M, Rihanna’s Fenty and Bieber’s Rhode at $282 million in EMV, despite a 16 per cent reduction in visibility compared to 2023, according to data provided by Lefty.

(Left) Gomez wears a Self-Portrait white knit peplum dress to the 77th Cannes Film Festival. (Right) Gomez attends the annual Women in Entertainment Gala in a monochrome chenille dress.

 Photos: Jacopo Raule and Emma McIntyre via Getty Images

“Rare follows through on all of the values [fans] already see in her,” continues D’Amico. From working with body-positive influencers and offering an inclusive shade range, to accessible packaging (inspired by Gomez’s lupus-related motor skill challenges), cruelty-free practices and multilingual marketing, the brand sets a new standard for inclusivity. “It feels like they’ve considered every kind of consumer,” D’Amico says. “And feeling a personal connection to her makes fans trust the products, like getting a recommendation from a friend.”

“The brand’s strong connection to mental health aligns with Gen Z’s values of meaningful and impactful consumption,” says Sophie Crowther, global talent partnerships director at influencer marketing agency Billion Dollar Boy. She adds that the products themselves are “also legitimately very good”, often going viral on social media as a result. For example, the Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, a cult favourite among influencers and beauty editors, has accumulated over 240,000 posts on TikTok under its hashtag. “It can stand on its own merit — even if Selena were to one day step away,” Crowther continues.

Gomez’s multifaceted career has also helped broaden her appeal. “Whether audiences have encountered her as an actor, singer, model, producer, entrepreneur or combination of all five, she has built a diverse career that has many potential consumer touchpoints,” says Crowther. “The evolution of her career has also allowed her to successfully reinvent herself — maintaining her relevance to different generations.”

Fashion brands harness Gomez’s power

Of course, Gomez’s influence isn’t limited to the beauty industry or her own brand. The star has previously partnered with various fashion labels including Puma (2017) and Coach (2018); her values underscored both collaborations, with Puma donating $100,000 of the profits to the Keck School of Medicine via the Selena Gomez Fund for Lupus Research. While her 36-piece Coach collection featured “Not perfect, always me” in Gomez’s handwriting sketched across handbags, wallets and purses.

(Left) Gomez attends a meet-and-greet at the Puma flagship in New York. (Right) Fans crowd outside a Coach in-store event hosted by Gomez.

 Photos: Cindy Ord and Kevin Mazur via Getty Images

“Brands that can forge a long-term partnership with Selena are the real winners,” Crowther says. “She’s not just a celebrity face for hire; she embodies values that resonate deeply with this generation, from mental health advocacy to inclusivity and entrepreneurship.” The proof is in the data: Gomez’s modelling of the Puma Phenom shoe generated 4.8 million likes and 54,000 comments for the brand’s Instagram. According to a report from Influencer Intelligence, Puma’s overall sales in the US grew by 14.3 per cent in the months following. Similarly, Gomez’s Coach collaboration immediately sold out, and was one of the brand’s highest performing Instagram posts that year.

Beyond partnerships, Gomez’s personal fashion choices frequently translate into sales spikes for brands. After the star wore a Self-Portrait white knit peplum dress to Cannes in May 2024, sales surged by 275 per cent, with their website seeing a 151 per cent rise in views of the dress compared to the week prior, according to data provided by the brand. Additionally, 86 per cent more customers added the item to their baskets, while 29 per cent more customers added it to their wishlists. Similarly, her December appearance in an off-shoulder monochrome chenille dress led to a 160 per cent sales increase week-on-week for Self-Portrait.

Gomez wears an off-the-shoulder Saint Laurent gown to Cannes.

 Photo: Getty Images

Gomez helped Saint Laurent, too, win Cannes on social media last year, with the luxury house generating $14 million in EMV; 2.7 times more than its nearest competitor, Dior ($5 million in EMV), thanks to her post featuring an off-the-shoulder Saint Laurent gown she wore to the premiere of Emilia Pérez, driving $7.7 million in EMV, according to Lefty. While her recent appearance in custom Prada at the Golden Globes earlier this month generated $15 million in EMV.

The most anticipated wedding of the year

Ahead of her engagement, brands have wasted no time in joining the conversation. From Apple Music to Hulu and Space NK, congratulatory comments on Gomez’s social posts have demonstrated a savvy approach to engaging with a cultural phenomenon. Crowther notes this is a prime opportunity for brands to align themselves with Gomez’s influence — so long as they approach it authentically.

“Brands may want to time relevant or themed product launches or campaigns to coincide with the wedding, knowing the increased media attention will boost visibility,” Crowther says. However, she warns that companies should avoid appearing overly opportunistic. “The best approach is to weave their products or campaigns into the conversation in a clever and meaningful way, such as initiatives that raise money for causes important to Selena or Benny, like the [mental health charity] Rare Impact Fund.”

Gomez’s romantic life has long been a focal point for fans and tabloids. Her eight-year, on-again, off-again relationship and internet-breaking breakup with Bieber dominated headlines and shaped an era of pop culture, with their tumultuous dynamic often playing out in the public eye. Gomez channelled her heartbreak into the ballad Lose You to Love Me, offering a raw, emotional glimpse into her personal life that has made fans fiercely protective over her. Both critically and commercially acclaimed, it became Gomez’s first number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

“The parasocial connection to [Gomez’s] personal life, because of her transparency about so much of it, is also what drives moments in her life to become pop culture,” says YPulse’s D’Amico. “[Fans] are also happy to see her happy in an engagement because they know she’s been through a lot, and has given back through all of it, so they want to see her win.”

Gomez wears her engagement ring with fiancé Benny Blanco during the 82nd Annual Golden Globes.

 Photos: Michael Buckner via Getty Images

If Gomez’s engagement ring is anything to go by, the Gomez-Blanco wedding will set trends this year. 77 Diamonds, Europe’s largest online diamond jeweller, reported a 67 per cent increase in marquise sales following the announcement versus the same period last year. “There has been an uptick in requests to bespoke, so the increase may be more profound in the coming weeks,” adds a spokesperson.

For fans, Gomez represents hope, perseverance and authenticity. For brands, she is the gold standard of meaningful influence. As she prepares for the next chapter of her life, she is also redefining what it means to share it with the world.