Retail Diary - Week of April 10th

This Week's Topics:  

• Style is a Hot Topic​

• New Launches, Collabs, Acquisitions & New Appointments

• What else I ❤️️ 

Style is a Hot Topic

• Journalist and stylists are talking about style - because everyone is confused as to what to wear. It is sustainable to wear what you already own, but how to make it look fresh and new? And after years of wearing athleisure what identity do we want to show to the world? Retailers and brands are pushing styles they think (know) will sell and need to move inventory but shoppers still need help putting it all together. Here are a few articles I noticed the past few weeks talking about style.

  • WSJ on how shopping got boring. Retailers are forced to drive through older inventory before bringing in newness and brands are not launching enough new innovation. 

  • Also in the WSJ on how to revamp your wardrobe without buying a thing. They mention one of my favorite stylist influencers to follow, Allison Bornstein. 

  • The Atlantic and why old handbag styles are back and on trend.

  • Women's Wear Daily also broke down WGSN trend's forecast and what they are calling the Future Consumer Profiles. 

New Launches, Collabs, Acquisitions & New Appointments

• Launched

  • Westman Atelier beauty launches their first Pop-Up in L.A. 

  • Kurt Geiger launches a swimwear line.

• Collabed

  • Aqua x Brock Collection

  • Reebok x Milk Makeup collab on a collection of apparel and vegan shoes.

  • Forever 21 and Nine West collab on a shoe line.

  • Walmart x Break the Love on a Pickleball partnership

• Acquisitions

  • L'Oreal signs a deal to acquire Aesop - valuing the brand at $2.5 Billion. And more insights on the purchase from Business of Fashion.

  • Universal Standard acquires Plus Size Workwear brand Henning and names founder Lauren Chan as the Head of Brand Partnerships.

  • EXPR, which owns mall retailer Express, has purchased Bonobos from Walmart for $75 million.

• Hired

  • Rachel Tashjian is hired by the Washington Post as the fashion writer. She has been the fashion news director at Harper's Bazaar and she also has an incredibly popular (and private) fashion newsletter. 

  • Tonal raises $130 million and the CEO steps down and they name Krystal Zell as the new CEO. 

What else I ❤️️ 

• Mary Quant, the inventor of the mini skirt, passed away.

• Podcast interview on how the May Vogue cover came together as a tribute to Karl Lagerfeld’s time at Chanel. Love the details and logistics.

• LVMH announces record profits and now they are being stormed by protestors in France amid Macron's pension plan.

• I enjoyed reading about the new hot shopping destination in L.A. Sycamore District.

• Sustainable minimalism is driving a younger generation of shoppers to Eileen Fisher. 

• After loving the Sunday Scaries Instagram posts I listened to their latest Retail Therapy podcast and I really enjoyed it. 

• I am so into Lauren Sherman's new newsletter for Puck, The Line Sheet. It is just the kind of deep dive and insights that I love. 

• We are still talking about quiet luxury.

What's Next?

We've got lots of fun fashion instagram moments coming up with the Met Gala the first Monday of May. 

Thanks for reading Edition 132.
Sarah Shapiro