The only Hailey Bieber and Justin Bieber relationship rumor that interests me is the one between the power couple and their future business holdings. In December, Hailey Bieber secured a Rhode clothing trademark and sent her followers into a tailspin. Would she release skirt suits to match her Rhode blushes? What about coordinating loungewear and lip tints? Weeks went by, and the answer was "None of the above"—or rather, "not quite yet." The model had seemingly been too busy with her $1.4 billion beauty empire to go anywhere near cashing in her clothing licenses.
Cut to March 27, when an innocuous Justin Bieber Instagram post appeared to hint at a development in his wife's lifestyle empire. The "Baby" singer posted a round-up of recent photos including a recording studio session, snuggle time with baby Jack Blues, and candids of his close friends. In the midst of it all, he also shared a snap of Mrs. Bieber that I almost scrolled right past. She stands with two anonymous women in the sort of beige showroom I recognize from market appointments every fashion editor takes at work. A rack of clothes frames one side of the room, poster boards of prototypes and on-model photography line a back desk.
It all could have been written off as a studio visit to one of their favorite brands, if Hailey Bieber hadn't reposted it to her own Instagram Stories with a suspicious bit of editorializing: a single "👀" emoji.
In my personal texting experience, the "👀" is not an emoji used to draw attention to what I'm wearing. (Even if, in Bieber's case, the look flawlessly combines four-digit Saint Laurent loafers with highlighter orange leggings and a coordinating windbreaker.) It's for commanding attention; for making sure someone really looks—and conveying you're doing the same with a bit of sass. A repost of Hailey in the showroom with nothing but "👀" for context tells me there's more to the Biebers' Instagram post than meets the eye.
In one scenario, the duo gave their combined Instagram following a sneak peek at whatever's being cooked up under the impending Rhode clothing banner—cozy loungewear and sneakers, from the looks of it. In another, it's a glimpse at a second chapter of Hailey Bieber's Fila collaboration. That collection of track jackets and pleated skirts has only been live for a few weeks; given the years Bieber has spent wearing vintage Fila in the run-up to its release, her contribution might not have been a one-and-done deal.
Option three: Hailey and Justin Bieber know fashion editors have an eye on their accounts at all times. And they just used a stop by a friend's studio to mess with us all.
The Hailey Bieber marketing playbook has a lot in common with her favorite outfit templates. Very little is left to the imagination, and the more laid-back something can be, the better. While magazines like this one often have to keep coverage of new Rhode lip tints or body products under lock and key until a release date, Bieber sends early testers to influencers—and shows them off herself wherever WiFi is accessible. So there's nothing definitive yet about what she's hinting in her latest post. When she's ready to make official moves with another clothing line, she'll be the first to let everyone know. Unless Justin beats her to it.
