Martha Stewart replaces Sydney Sweeney in new American Eagle denim campaign

A picture of celebrity Martha Stewart.

TODAY — Pictured: Martha Stewart on Wednesday, June 7, 2023 — (Photo by: Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)

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(NewsNation)— Move over, Sydney Sweeney. Martha Stewart is the new face of American Eagle’s latest denim campaign.

The lifestyle icon is in the company’s new seasonal ads, appearing in head-to-toe denim and wearing diamonds as part of its Give Great Jeans holiday campaign, where she’s on a set wrapped in denim.

Stewart told People magazine that she found the concept of the ad “delightful.”

“I have spent decades helping people create beautiful holidays — from setting the perfect table to trimming the tree to finding that last-minute gift that saves the day,” she told People. “So, when American Eagle approached me about being part of their holiday gifting campaign, I was immediately intrigued.”

She added, “The concept of an all-denim world was playful, smart and whimsical: An entire gift-wrapping workshop constructed from denim, complete with bows, garlands and wrapping paper.”

American Eagle shares jumped 4% on Tuesday after Stewart’s partnership with the denim company, according to the New York Post.

The campaign reportedly plays on denim being considered a universally appealing gift, the Post reported.

  • Sydney Sweeney poses for photographs as she walks the red carpet at the premiere of "Christy" at the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. (Arlyn McAdorey /The Canadian Press via AP)

“The holidays are a time for thoughtful giving,” Stewart said in a press release for the company, “and I’ve always believed that there’s nothing more useful or more universally appreciated than a pair of jeans.”

She continued, “If you want to give a gift that will be worn, loved, and appreciated long after the wrapping paper is gone, give the gift of American Eagle jeans.”

Sydney Sweeney courts controversy

In July, Sweeney’s American Eagle jeans campaign drew backlash after a tagline that many claimed contained racial undertones.

American Eagle’s fall campaign features the “Euphoria” actress in head-to-toe denim, standing beside a billboard that reads “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Genes.” She crosses out “genes” and replaces it with “jeans,” highlighting the brand’s signature denim.  

The Emmy-nominated actress told Variety in November she never made a statement explaining or defending the ad when it was at the height of its backlash because “I’ve always believed that I’m not here to tell people what to think.”

“I did a jean ad. I mean, the reaction definitely was a surprise, but I love jeans. All I wear are jeans. I’m literally in jeans and a T-shirt every day of my life,” Sweeney said. “I knew at the end of the day what that ad was for, and it was great jeans, it didn’t affect me one way or the other.”

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