Week of July 24th, 2023
This Week's Topics:
It’s Barbie’s World - from Collab to new CEO at GAP
Remembering Jane Birkin
New Launches, Collabs, Investments & New Appointments/CEO news
Trends I spy
What else I ❤️️
It’s Barbie’s World - from Collab to new CEO at GAP
Barbie literally painted the marketing and merchandising world pink. The week after the Mattel movie opens to huge raves (both enjoyment and financially) it is announced that the COO Richard Dickson will be leaving Mattel for the CEO role at GAP.
In the BoF article wondering if GAP can be Barbiefied I learned that Dickson also worked at my alma mater, Bloomingdale’s. Having a background in both fashion (Bloomingdale’s, Nine West, Jones Apparel) Beauty (co-founded Gloss.com) and turn around stories (Mattel) could be the right mix for the next CEO.
WWD explores if GAP will be the next cultural moment. If they are ready for their big resurgence.
GAP is one of the many (many) brands that did a Barbie collab. The movie and marketing collabs feels like it became a real life resume hit for Mattel. I’m certainly seeing a ton of articles and think pieces on the execution.
In other GAP news, Chris Blakeslee, ex Alo Yoga President, was hired as the new President and CEO of Athleta.
Remembering Jane Birkin
Jane Birkin, known for the ultimate in “french girl style” as well as the inspiration behind the Hermés Birkin died at age 76. Washington Post fashion editor Rachel Tashjian wrote the article/obituary that seemed to be shared the most.
Enjoyed this article about ELV (East London Vintage) jeans inspired by Jane Birkin from Jane on Jeans Substack newsletter. If you are looking for more vintage denim inspo or insights check out this article from The Cut on vintage Levis and the storytelling behind them.
Jane Birkin from Washington Post/Getty Images
New Launches, Collabs, Investments & New Appointments/CEO news
Launched:
New store opening from Sporty & Rich. S & R also gained a lot of press recently with their full NYTimes deep dive from Jessica Testa with the splashy headline “Is the World Ready for Another Goop?” Wellness still sells.
Macy’s launched a new private label brand On 34th (their flagship store is on 34th street in NYC) focused on better fitting clothing. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. They are using Alvanon technology to improve fit, but most brands are based on style/look and not fit.
Shared by every fashion adjacent social media person - Phoebe Philo announces that phoebephilo.com is now open for registration. Read more details in WWD.
We might be getting Prada and Miu Miu beauty.
Collabed:
This feels like the ultimate high-low collab in mini fashion. Gucci x Oshkosh.
Following along with the kid theme (and maybe since Back to School is almost here) Sally Hansen x Sesame Street.
Ganni x Prince picking up on the pickleball and tennis moment (WWD shares that sales are growing double in this court.)
And more sports with Rapha x Shrimps.
Let’s keep cheering on our USWNST (US Women’s National Soccer Team) at the world cup. Love the new patches and collection from Stoney Clover Lane and really cool that Bay Area shoe brand Birdies’ is the Angel City Football Club’s first ever sponsor.
Allbirds x Olivia Rubin and read more about Allbirds struggle from the WSJ.
Invested:
Skims reaches $4B valuation with $270M investment in their Series C led by Wellington Management. This latest round is to support growth in retail locations, product innovation and category expansion.
Kering announced a deal for Valentino. Kering is taking a 30% stake in the brand. For more news on the Kering deal I point you to Lauren Sherman’s The Line Sheet newsletter.
New Appointments (and Vacancies):
Tula CEO Savannah Sachs stepped down with Colin Walsh (head of P&G’s beauty division) stepping in as interim CEO.
Trends I spy
LeSportsac is primed (and PR’ed) for a resurrection. Retro LeSportsac revival moment. Feels right post L.L.Bean boat and tote summer. See here: GQ and retro 1974 post here
An influencer I trust predicts Salomon as the next must have fashion trend sneaker. And already selling out on Net-a-Porter
WSJ wrote about “popcorn swimsuit” or crinkle one-size-fits-most style made most recently famous (and originally in the ‘80s and ‘90s) by Hunza G (originally known as Hunza.) They are popular because one size fits many, great for changing bodies (ie during pregnancy stages), are accessibly priced, and the one size fits many mentality is a big benefit for retailers and brands too - less of an inventory headache. The texture is also flattering.
Mesh shoes have been a huge editorial trend this summer (see here too) and with many first adopters diving right in. So I’m not too surprised to now see an originator of that trend, the jelly sandal, making a splash. For fall we transition to a mary jane with The Row leading the pack at the high end and the Alaia mesh one to bring it all together.
Did you catch my newsletter last week? I played around with a new format and went on a trek through the classic stripe t-shirt. What did you think?
What else I ❤️️
This Tiktok of a Valentino Couture runway trompe l’oeil.
Retail Therapy podcast from Sunday Scaries. Start around minute 36 for Ty Haney Outdoor Voices drama. Also, I like the convo around Girl Dinner but it 100% needs a rebrand. Let’s call it Snack Dinner or Little Bites Dinner. “Girl Dinner” feels like we are minimizing something women are doing. (Also see WSJ article on “Lazy Girl Jobs.”)
I listen to every interview I see with Aurora James. She is a wonderful storyteller and makes really important points on the retail and fashion industry. I also really like listening to Jessi Hempel’s interviews on Hello Monday.
If you are team candy corn and a Nike fan you might like these.
Sofia Richie Grainge is capitalizing on her fabulous wedding this summer. She is working on a clothing line. Her image is now (but wasn’t always) Quiet Luxury (which I heard was a rebrand of minimalism and I don’t disagree with that.)
I know I already mentioned Lauren Sherman’s Puck News The Line Sheet (as I do every newsletter these days) but in this week’s edition I also loved her takes on the new CEO at GAP and her thoughts on GAP business. She also had great insights on the Kardashian’s businesses - which is really the mastermind of Jens and Emma Grede.
Speaking of people I love following, Allison Bornstein was featured on Into The Gloss (which is back after a hiatus.)
What's Next?
Back to School, September Issues, consumer confidence is up so let’s see where that takes the fall and holiday shopping trends. What comes after Barbie Pink? Let’s just get bigger and bolder with red!
Thanks for reading Edition 137.
Sarah Shapiro