Gwyneth Paltrow
in
The Talented Mr. Ripley
with
Hayden Harnett
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Really?
Within a matter of minutes after opening at 7:30 AM, everything at luxury e-tailer The Outnet's $1 designer sale sold out.
Millions of girls everywhere were probably kicking themselves that morning for not being quick enough to snag a Proenza Schouler dress for the cost of a cup of coffee, or a pair of coveted Louboutins for a single bone. I, for one, was kicking myself with a pair of steel-toed boots because I had totally forgotten about the sale (though I largely blame the site for not sending out a reminder e-mail the day before). But it looks like it doesn't matter; with orders coming in at a rate of 9 per second, only a lucky handful were able to score.
Said the Outnet:
“Whilst we were prepared for the volume of traffic the sale would deliver, we were overwhelmed by the speed at which people came to the site.
“This remarkable volume – up to nine orders a second – led the site to crash in some markets and I want to say that we are very sorry to all those disappointed people who didn’t get to buy anything at the sale, but delighted for all of those who did.”
For the minority of those who triumphed - I hate you and I hope a bird poops on your bought-for-a-dollar Chloe bag.
For the rest -- a support group.
Millions of girls everywhere were probably kicking themselves that morning for not being quick enough to snag a Proenza Schouler dress for the cost of a cup of coffee, or a pair of coveted Louboutins for a single bone. I, for one, was kicking myself with a pair of steel-toed boots because I had totally forgotten about the sale (though I largely blame the site for not sending out a reminder e-mail the day before). But it looks like it doesn't matter; with orders coming in at a rate of 9 per second, only a lucky handful were able to score.
Said the Outnet:
“Whilst we were prepared for the volume of traffic the sale would deliver, we were overwhelmed by the speed at which people came to the site.
“This remarkable volume – up to nine orders a second – led the site to crash in some markets and I want to say that we are very sorry to all those disappointed people who didn’t get to buy anything at the sale, but delighted for all of those who did.”
For the minority of those who triumphed - I hate you and I hope a bird poops on your bought-for-a-dollar Chloe bag.
For the rest -- a support group.
Friday, April 16, 2010
J.Crew Does It Again
As of late, J.Crew has been partnering with a range of established labels to expand its offerings of affordable luxury. These partnerships have spawned a number of hit items: retro Timex watches, exclusive Redwing boots, and even a selection of Essie nail polishes in adorable colors.Now, the esteemed American retailer has added a new jewelry line to its portfolio of partnerships. Creative director Jenna Lyons handpicked Dana Lorenz of Fenton/Fallon to produce a line of rocker chic jewelry. A longtime Fenton/Fallon fan, Lyons had searched high and low for the line to no avail; then, one day, the stars aligned when she was seated next to the CFDA-nominated designer herself at Maria Cornejo’s private dinner party.
And therein lies the foundation of what is truly a remarkable collection. Lorenz remained true to her roots and brought to life an amazing assortment of ‘tough chic’ jewelry.
“I didn’t water my design down at all,” she told Harper’s Bazaar. “I included all of my iconic Fenton-Fallon things, like the pyramid studs, spikes, and jumbled chains.”
The pieces range from $95 to $295 and can be found in-stores and on jcrew.com
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Fast Fashion
I work in a world where everything has to be done months in advance; we are always at the very least two seasons ahead. In order to sell a pair of jeans in stores in September, the company has to send the order to its factories as early as February. And while we may stipulate that we need the jeans in our DC by, say, August 25th, the factories sometimes can’t even achieve this deadline – even with 7 months notice.
And sometimes, because we need to reach these deadlines, we place our orders to the factories before we can even get market reaction – before we can even get an idea of what the demand would be. Sometimes, we’re spot on with the trends, and other times, it’s a total miss, resulting in a loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
So all this has me thinking – how do fast fashion retailers like Zara, Forever 21, and H&M operate? Unlike the rest of the forward-thinking fashion world, these retailers live in the now. They pick up on current trends and bestselling items from high-end designers, then produce it with cheaper materials and stock their stores within a matter of weeks – and at a fraction of the retail price.
But how is this possible? How can they design, source and produce thousands of styles in a matter of days? It truly boggles me -- so I did some research and actually came across this article from the Harvard Business Review. It is a great, comprehensive explanation of the concept of “fast fashion” and how Zara in particular operates their business. It also points out the intrinsic differences between fast fashion retailers and the rest of the retail world – differences in strategy, structure, product offering, and customer experience.
Click here to read it. It is really quite interesting.
And sometimes, because we need to reach these deadlines, we place our orders to the factories before we can even get market reaction – before we can even get an idea of what the demand would be. Sometimes, we’re spot on with the trends, and other times, it’s a total miss, resulting in a loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
So all this has me thinking – how do fast fashion retailers like Zara, Forever 21, and H&M operate? Unlike the rest of the forward-thinking fashion world, these retailers live in the now. They pick up on current trends and bestselling items from high-end designers, then produce it with cheaper materials and stock their stores within a matter of weeks – and at a fraction of the retail price.
But how is this possible? How can they design, source and produce thousands of styles in a matter of days? It truly boggles me -- so I did some research and actually came across this article from the Harvard Business Review. It is a great, comprehensive explanation of the concept of “fast fashion” and how Zara in particular operates their business. It also points out the intrinsic differences between fast fashion retailers and the rest of the retail world – differences in strategy, structure, product offering, and customer experience.
Click here to read it. It is really quite interesting.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Abercrombie: Black Listed
Abercrombie landed a spot on Corporate Responsibility Magazine's list of worst, or rather, least transparent companies.
The magazine defines transparency as publicizing information such as employee benefits, climate-change policies and philanthropric efforts. [NYT]
Jump.
The magazine defines transparency as publicizing information such as employee benefits, climate-change policies and philanthropric efforts. [NYT]
Jump.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
"Garance is our daily bread."
I am stealing these pictures from Garance Dore's (how do I add an accent here?!) blog because I need to make sure I have them filed away somewhere forever. I love this one because 1 - it is so beautifully shot, 2 - I wish I had that hair! and 3 - I am very inspired by the subject's layering of wrist accessories.
And this one just because :)
I must find this!!
Just discovered Species by the Thousands, a small Brooklyn-based jewelry and apparel label. The apparel selection is unremarkable -- an assortment of tees with abstract graphics, not really my cup of tea. BUT -- the jewelry is very cool. Simple styles influenced in design and texture by nature and wildlife motifs. I absolutely must find this McCarren 2-finger ring:
They have a booth at the Brooklyn flea (W12) so I will be going next weekend to look.
Supermarket
I just found another website to spend hours getting lost on.
Supermarket is an online marketplace that allows designers to list and sell their products. Its essentially the same idea as Etsy. Products range from apparel and accessories to jewelry and even home goods. Better yet, the site's blog, Superblog, highlights some of the best picks, as well has pieces that have made it into the press.
Some of my favorite finds:
Ziptie ring by metalnat :: $85.00
Handforged sterling silver pendant by Epheriell :: $36.00
Strapless Ikat dress by Annabelle :: $160.00
Wedge tote by scabbyrobot :: $88.00Friday, April 9, 2010
He came from Wall Street?
Today I am very much enjoying Submersive Glamour, the cheeky blog of Createthe Group's founder, James Gardner. I have personally worked with them and find their vision very inspirational, so its interesting to delve into the mind of the man behind the company.
The infamous boots
Its finally open!!!!! Isabel Marant's only U.S. outpost. They're not selling the boots, but an employee was wearing them...
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Fashion Stake
Harvard B-School alum Vivien Wang has founded an Internet startup “Fashion Stake” that will bring crowdsourcing to emerging fashion labels.
How does it work? Site visitors can invest $50 in any of the labels featured; in return, they receive privileges like clothing credits, exclusive previews, showroom visits, and tickets to fashion shows. They will also have the ability to provide feedback on the collections. While the site is focused on helping up and coming designers, it does require that the fashion companies have some existing presence in the industry. Weng noted that the site will also offer capsule collections from prominent designers – but no names have been dropped yet.
If it catches on, I think Fashion Stake could be a revolutionary movement to change the way the fashion industry works.
First, its no secret that most fashion companies don’t have a big bottom line – as successful as a designer may be, it can take years and years for him/her simply to breakeven (think Alexander McQueen – it took him more than 7 years). Rather than finding investment groups to buy up equity in their labels, fashion designers can now elicit funding from the masses – funding that could literally make the difference between sink or swim for their labels. Many labels can’t even get past the big retailers, who often ignore smaller labels for more established houses even when the talent is undeniable. Now, these labels are given the chance to show the world what they’ve got.
Secondly, the site provides the opportunity to boost profitability for the designers by eliminating the middle man. The longstanding model of the fashion industry begins with the manufacturer/wholesaler, moves to the retailer, and finally hits the end customer. Somewhere in between, all the margin gets eaten up – it most often goes to the retailer. Fashion Stake CEO Daniel Gulati says the site will allow the designers to reap the margins by distributing directly to the customer.
"What we're basically doing is {…} cutting out the retailer altogether."
And this is truly genius. Why? Its creating a relationship between the designer and the customer – with no one in between. Through the site, the customer can support his/her favorite designers directly, and receive gratification from the designer just as directly. The site provides a stream of personal and constant dialogue between the two. And this is exactly why sites like Twitter and Facebook have proven so beneficial for businesses.
In an industry where everything is SO, so edited – designers produce a line, a group of people then decide what the retailer wants, and then of those pieces, the buyers pick and choose the ones they believe the public may want – Fashion Stake is putting the decision-making in the hands of the customer to decide ultimately for herself. For some, this may not be ideal, but for me – I love seeing and discovering new talent – so I’ll be signing up on Day 1.
How does it work? Site visitors can invest $50 in any of the labels featured; in return, they receive privileges like clothing credits, exclusive previews, showroom visits, and tickets to fashion shows. They will also have the ability to provide feedback on the collections. While the site is focused on helping up and coming designers, it does require that the fashion companies have some existing presence in the industry. Weng noted that the site will also offer capsule collections from prominent designers – but no names have been dropped yet.
If it catches on, I think Fashion Stake could be a revolutionary movement to change the way the fashion industry works.
First, its no secret that most fashion companies don’t have a big bottom line – as successful as a designer may be, it can take years and years for him/her simply to breakeven (think Alexander McQueen – it took him more than 7 years). Rather than finding investment groups to buy up equity in their labels, fashion designers can now elicit funding from the masses – funding that could literally make the difference between sink or swim for their labels. Many labels can’t even get past the big retailers, who often ignore smaller labels for more established houses even when the talent is undeniable. Now, these labels are given the chance to show the world what they’ve got.
Secondly, the site provides the opportunity to boost profitability for the designers by eliminating the middle man. The longstanding model of the fashion industry begins with the manufacturer/wholesaler, moves to the retailer, and finally hits the end customer. Somewhere in between, all the margin gets eaten up – it most often goes to the retailer. Fashion Stake CEO Daniel Gulati says the site will allow the designers to reap the margins by distributing directly to the customer.
"What we're basically doing is {…} cutting out the retailer altogether."
And this is truly genius. Why? Its creating a relationship between the designer and the customer – with no one in between. Through the site, the customer can support his/her favorite designers directly, and receive gratification from the designer just as directly. The site provides a stream of personal and constant dialogue between the two. And this is exactly why sites like Twitter and Facebook have proven so beneficial for businesses.
In an industry where everything is SO, so edited – designers produce a line, a group of people then decide what the retailer wants, and then of those pieces, the buyers pick and choose the ones they believe the public may want – Fashion Stake is putting the decision-making in the hands of the customer to decide ultimately for herself. For some, this may not be ideal, but for me – I love seeing and discovering new talent – so I’ll be signing up on Day 1.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Viva Vena
I have died and gone to heaven.
WWD reported today that design duo Lisa Mayock and Sophie Buhai of Brooklyn-based Vena Cava will be debuting Viva Vena, a lower-priced collection of cotton and jersey basics, for Fall 2010. The collection, which will be produced in Los Angeles, will include organic and cotton dresses, tees, and tanks, all to retail at $200 or below. But fear not - knowing them, it will be anything but basic. Having scoped out the competition, Mayock and Buhai recognized the abundant availability of solid cotton and jersey knits at the designated price point (think T By Alexander Wang, Superfine, Kain). So, the two will take the same approach to this line as they have with Vena Cava: they will tap into their infamous knack for offbeat and memorable prints and deliver pieces made from photo collages and hand-drawn patterns.
The line is set to hit in July - you can find it at Saks, Bergdorf Goodman, Barneys, La Garconne, and ShopBop.
WWD reported today that design duo Lisa Mayock and Sophie Buhai of Brooklyn-based Vena Cava will be debuting Viva Vena, a lower-priced collection of cotton and jersey basics, for Fall 2010. The collection, which will be produced in Los Angeles, will include organic and cotton dresses, tees, and tanks, all to retail at $200 or below. But fear not - knowing them, it will be anything but basic. Having scoped out the competition, Mayock and Buhai recognized the abundant availability of solid cotton and jersey knits at the designated price point (think T By Alexander Wang, Superfine, Kain). So, the two will take the same approach to this line as they have with Vena Cava: they will tap into their infamous knack for offbeat and memorable prints and deliver pieces made from photo collages and hand-drawn patterns.
The line is set to hit in July - you can find it at Saks, Bergdorf Goodman, Barneys, La Garconne, and ShopBop.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
April Deals
On ShopDolceVita.com - 20% off all spring styles through April 11th.
On ErynBrinie.com - use "luckyyou" for 30% off everything
At Hayden Harnett - 30% off if you mention Lucky at checkout.
On ErynBrinie.com - use "luckyyou" for 30% off everything
At Hayden Harnett - 30% off if you mention Lucky at checkout.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Cynthia Rowley is a "Montauk Surfer Girl"
American designer Cynthia Rowley hosted a party at the Soho Barney's Co-Op to mark the launch of her latest collaboration with Roxy, a deal set to endure over the next three years.
The surf-inspired line has surfer chicks covered whether they're hitting the waves or the boardwalk bar. Wet suits, swim suits, dresses, and board shorts in great neons and pastels (Rowley said she was inspired by the colors on one of her Meyerhoffer surfboards), topped off with great sandals and accessories, including an awesome gold shark tooth pendant.
Prices range from $13 to $225.
Fittingly, Rowley had pro surfers Kassia Meador and Lisa Andersen (four-time world champ) model some of the looks. Andersen was decked out in a neoprene dress, while Meador rocked a bandeau top and leggings, paired with her own blazer.
They both also had on Rowley for Roxy footwear.
Cynthia Rowley:
She's TINY. I was shocked to hear her say that she grew up surfing in Montauk.
Finally, my favorite pic (and outfits) of the night
The line hits stores this month - you can find it at Barneys, Colette, and Cynthia Rowley and Roxy stores.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)