Maura Brannigan is a freelance fashion journalist specializing in sustainability metrics, consumer psychology, and the cultural forces shaping apparel choices. Her work appears in Vogue, Business of Fashion, and her Substack newsletter Clotheshorse, which reaches 12,000+ subscribers.
âThe most compelling fashion stories arenât about clothesâtheyâre about the humans fighting to redesign an industry.â
This 2020 investigation combined market analysis with firsthand accounts from 47 female sports fans to expose the gender gap in licensed merchandise. Brannigan revealed that 78% of NBA/WNBA merchandise buyers were women, yet only 12% of team stores carried womenâs cuts. The piece catalyzed redesign initiatives from three major league partners within six months.
âThe message sent by these ill-fitting jerseys isnât just about fabricâitâs about who we consider ârealâ fans.â
A meta-commentary on journalismâs pandemic pivot, this piece wove personal yoga routines with industry analysis, arguing that remote work could democratize fashion media. Its viral success (2.1M social impressions) demonstrated Branniganâs ability to reframe niche topics for broad audiences.
Her 2025 Substack essay tracked the resurgence of millennial pink through Gen Z TikTok trends, tying color psychology to macroeconomic factors. By interviewing textile chemists and trend forecasters, Brannigan positioned the hue as a barometer of post-pandemic optimism.
Brannigan prioritizes startups developing scalable solutions like enzymatic fabric recycling or algae-based dyes. A successful 2024 pitch detailed a Kenyan company transforming post-consumer denim into insulation for low-income housingâa model she featured in Vogue Business. Avoid theoretical sustainability concepts without real-world applications.
Her 2023 piece on âshopping addictionâ among resale app users wove DSM-5 criteria with memoir elements. Pitches should pair quantitative trends (e.g., ThredUpâs 2024 report showing 61% of Gen Z owns secondhand items) with intimate portraits of how these behaviors affect identity formation.
After her impactful cancer scare essay at Lucky, Brannigan remains attuned to clothingâs therapeutic dimensions. A 2024 pitch she accepted profiled adaptive underwear designers collaborating with mastectomy patients. Steer clear of generic wellness trends lacking medical partnerships.
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Fashion, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
