Couture Fashion Week News

John Paul Gaultier invited Simone Rocha to be a “guest designer” for the couture show. It was exciting to see another designer take on the responsibility of designing for a living designer. More from Vogue here.
Didier Ludot is celebrating 50 years with his vintage shop in Paris. It is a true treasure and I’ve been lucky enough to visit. This article in the NYTimes about his shop and experiences is a delight. I loved reading about him fitting and selling a dress to Reese Witherspoon for her to win an Oscar wearing in 2006.
Vanessa Friedman wrote about the “Iris Van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses” exhibit at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs on display through the end of April.

Shopping Notes

Malls & Rebounding

I spoke to a Luxury Fashion Communications class this week at USC (such a treat for me!) and we discussed how Gen Z is shopping today and IRL is the preferred method. Via Casey Lewis I found this article from the LA Times on malls rebounding thanks to Gen Z.
Neil Saunders wrote a LinkedIn post on Selfridges as a top department store and one to aspire to be like. I agree, and would also place Bon Marché up there too. Great for a dive into “retail theater”

Secondhand/Resale

Secondhand Luxury Goods are now a $50 Billion Business via the Robb Report.
- As also reported in the WSJ, it has doubled in size in 4 years and now is equal to 12% of the Luxury Goods marketplace.
- The challenge is that some goods sold are fake and not properly authenticated and other goods, like Hermés and Rolex, are sold at a premium and sometimes more than the original price.

Styling Trends this week

Ladies Who Lunch

I mentioned in my Tuesday Retail Diary: This Will Be Quick the Ladies Who Lunch trend and it coinciding with the launch of FX Feud about Truman Capote and the Swans. I love that Bergdorf Goodman did this curation with the show and the pieces are modern but styled in that style. So elegant.
Along with the 50’s and 60’s socialite trend, we’ve also got Balenciaga, Dior and Chanel helping to dress the cast of the Disney+ show “Cristobal Balenciaga” (not streaming in the US yet.)

Mob Wife Aesthetic

Also in 1/23/24 This Will Be Quick we journeyed into the world of Mob Wife Aesthetic. Rachel Tashjian from the Washington Post interviewed Juliet Polcsa, who was the costume designer for The Soprano’s, and digs deeper into the trend. While I touched on this earlier this week, if Tashjian is reporting on a trend I can’t leave it out of the deep dive! This article also brings up the idea that it is more of an attitude than a way of dressing.

All Black for Winter

While not groundbreaking or “viral” in the same way as the other trends, I’ve seen a few Fashion Stylist and Influencers sharing it this week and when I start to notice something popping up at least x3 …well, I get ready to dive in and calling it a trend.
To say I’m personally obsessed and excited is an understatement. Wearing all black.
From Marlien Rentmeester, Toteme fashion show street style looks are perfection for those of us that love to dress in all black 🖤
View all the looks from the Toteme show here (all black, pops of cream and brown)
Leandra Medine Cohen out here making all black look styled and cool. It really is in the details. Belts, white t-shirts and bold jewelry.
Ali Pew from Uniform making the case for the best black sweaters. Now I need to make room in my black sweater drawer for another one (or three.)

Would you wear no pants?

WSJ interviews the bold and stylish trendsetters who are forgoing wearing pants. And I don’t mean in favor of a dress, skirt or shorts. “Why Women Are Walking Around Without Pants This Winter.” How to wear business on the top and next to nothing on the bottom.

Images via the links above. WSJ, Bergdorf Goodman, The Cereal Aisle, Toteme via Vogue, trovlov on tiktok via the Washington Post.

Taste and Style-setters

The Verge wrote a really interesting piece about how people are designing websites (and online shops) for Google first and people second. This is so interesting in how it is impacting online experience (and goes hand in hand with the Filterworld/Ezra Klein podcast/ Kyle Chayka taste conversation. (Note, this article is designed in a really cool and engaging way, perhaps to buck the SEO Google Optimized trend, but it actually made it harder to read which frustrated me.)
Continuing with the taste conversation, Perfectly Imperfect was featured in the NYTimes for their new platform P.I.FYI.
Guardian wrote about Fashion Influencers on the Substack platform (hi Jess Graves
- what a fabulous publication to feature!)
Found via Hitha and VARSITY READER it is in good taste to embrace the cringe and akward-ness Well & Good “It’s 2024, and Being Cringe is the New Cool (Promise)”
The NYTimes studied 121 menus from restaurants and broke down the trends that are defining dining.

Brands, Marketing, Women & Finance

In a week where I’m definitely wondering if we are giving women enough credit and value, I saw another theme popping up. Women & recognizing our interests and our economic power in the world.
- See the many many memes about Gerwig and Robbie being snubbed for an Oscar nomination.
- Dave Karger quotes to People magazine “"It's definitely not a good look that the Academy members left out Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie for directing and starring in a movie that's largely about how impressive women are often marginalized"“
- Additional Barbie/Gerwig/Robbie articles if you want to see in The Atlantic (great piece by David Sims) and NYTimes.
The Washington Post writes about “older” influencers finding success - and not just to an older demographic. The wild part is that marketers don’t know what to think of these influencer. There is so much opportunity here and yes, it might require many people to think outside the box or try a strategy that hasn’t been done before, but that is the exciting thing. To discover the big aha! and move the needle in a business strategy.
Further, the Washington Post is delving deep into this topic with many more articles around the subject of women and finances.
I enjoyed this podcast interview with Sami Sage, Betches Co-Founder, and HerMoney: Jean Chatzky on women, money and “women’s interests.” It’s a conversation I really like that Betches often leans into.

New Collabs, Corporate Moves, Stores & News

Collabed
- Chairish collabs with Bergdorf Goodman on 300 original artworks. I love the Jenny Walton shopping bags (sadly not available online)
Corporate Moves
- MAC Cosmetics promoted Aida Moudachirou-Rebois to SVP and GM of MAC. I heard her speak at the Glossy Conference and I’m a big fan.
- Everlane CEO is leaving the brand. She is joining footwear and accessories licensing firm and retailer Designer Brands as its Brands President and Executive Vice President.
Stores & News
- Macy’s cutting corporate office jobs and closing 5 stores. Additionally, Macy’s turned down a buyout bid.
- LVMH reportings are out Thursday 1/25/24 and the expectation is that we will get an indication of what is going on with the luxury market and the up, down or stable trajectory.
- The WSJ wrote about the latest in the Arielle Charnas/Something Navy drama that is playing out.
- Really love this review of the new Atelier Jolie boutique in NYC written by Jennifer Alfano for The Flair Index.
- On the day the Oscar Nominations were announced, Condé Nast employees had a one day strike.
- This was a great idea to support niche DTC brands and disappointing it didn’t work out. Neighborhood Goods closed up shop.

What else I ❤️️

The making of a Loewe bag
On the other end of the spectrum, a nylon bag as the “It” accessory.
I enjoyed reading in Glossy about how the Millennial Decorator got her start and how she is running her business through partnerships and drops.
Yes! Jon Stewart we need you. Stewart to return to “The Daily Show” in February to guide us through this election cycle. Register to vote y’all.
Speaking of election year, what are the expectations for fashion and brands in terms of engagement? Business of Fashion did a survey and “In a G & Co. survey of 1,000 US adults run for The Business of Fashion, respondents who identified as liberal said they were most interested in hearing from brands on topics like sustainability, diversity and ethical labour practices. But nearly half of conservative respondents said they want brands to steer clear of “progressive agendas” and support “freedom of speech,” phrases linked to across-the-board opposition to even the mention of the issues brands most often tap into when speaking to progressive customers.”
For the love of magazines a post by Brooke Lea Foster
Yolanda Edwards recos the Ann Mashburn pants via The Strategist. The Strategist pitches them as “High Sport dupes.”
How to invest in beautiful and special jewelry from an incredible designer, Anita Ko via the podcast Lipstick on the Rim.
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NY Fashion Week (followed by London, Milan, Paris) starts in a few weeks. We are also starting to see more Resort Wear gearing up for Spring Break travel and purchases. At the same time, retailers are adjusting inventory levels.

Thanks for reading Deep Dive Edition 149

Sarah Shapiro