On this week’s episode of Earned, step inside the world of fashion with Outcast CMO Christina McGonagle, as she shares how the brand grew from bold ideas to global impact. From innovative creator partnerships to immersive brand experiences, Christina breaks down the strategies fueling Outcast’s rise.
From its humble beginnings selling swimwear out of a bedroom, Outcast has grown into an international sensation, fueled by a fearless brand identity and a savvy embrace of influencer marketing. Today, the U.S. accounts for 70% of its revenue, thanks to immersive brand activations that go far beyond photo ops and create experiences customers can’t forget. Christina shares the strategic bets that have propelled Outcast toward the $100 million milestone, from investing in team culture to weaving influencers directly into advertising and product development. She also takes us inside the brand’s expansion into the UK, with a new warehouse and dedicated site designed to elevate customer experience. Along the way, Christina highlights how Outcast keeps customer engagement playful and personal through initiatives like the Heartbreak Hotel loyalty program and the Lake Club Outcast community. At the core, she makes a compelling case for balancing technology with real human connection—showing how Outcast is redefining authentic engagement in a digital-first fashion landscape.
Check out highlights from the episode below, or or tune into the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen!
The following interview has been lightly edited for concision.
“I really want our events to be immersive. I never want it to just be about the photo moment”: How Outcast fosters their community through experiences
Brit Starr: I really am curious how you understand the return on events and how you measure that?
Christina McGonagle: We do measure EMV through CreatorIQ, which is great, but I think for us it's just really organic social conversation. So are influencers posting about us organically? How are they talking about us? Post-event, am I hearing feedback like, ‘my friend went to this event and said it was the best event they ever went too’? I think for us, events are really an opportunity to showcase the brand and build these worlds that people can come and immerse themselves in. We never want to do what my friends and I call a blink blink event. I go to so many of them of other brands where it's like you walk in, you get your photo taken by a photographer, you say hi to some people and then you leave. Like I really want our events to be immersive and I never want it to just be about the photo moment. Because we approach it that way, our events and our content go so much further, because [the creators] organically just had a lot of fun and want to show that to their followers.
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