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Is any publicity really good publicity?

Marion Prost

January 23rd, 2026

From the polite runway applause to the collective headlines of Menswear Fashion Week we faced this past week, the question resurfaces: is attention still a win when it comes with conditions?

For decades, the phrase has been repeated with the confidence of a universal truth: “Any publicity is good publicity”. A sentence attributed to P.T. Barnum that has survived centuries, several scandals, and far too many brand crises. The logic is seductively simple: visibility equals relevance, noise equals attention, and attention equals success. Except reality, inconveniently, does not agree.

Because publicity is not and has never been a neutral substance. It’s not oxygen; it’s closer to fire. It illuminates, yes, but it also burns.