In this send: Taking stock of the tween scene. Where it was and what the options are now. Maisonette launched Neon Rebels for the tweens. Plus: Princess Olympia of Greece does denim, Parke, Zippo lighters, J. Crew Vintage, beyond The Nap Dress™, fashion nerds, Polo Sport x-67, Minnesota State Fair, Pickle Report, Vuori, Quenlin Blackwell, Jelly Firkins and since everyone can comment now (not just paid subscribers) where did you shop as a tween?

I’ll be back this weekend with the denim trends with my insights as well as details from favorite brands, designers, stylists, and experts! This was from a reader request — so let me know what you want me to report on.

New Collabs

• Denim fit for a Princess: A triple collab in the form of Princess Olympia of Greece x DL1961 x Moda Operandi. In early 2025 Princess Olympia of Greece joined Moda Operandi as Contributing Editor. You’ve been able to shop her closet, aka her edit, on the site. Launching today is a new nine-piece capsule collection she designed with DL1961. She was inspired by vintage styles from her own closet, menswear designs, and when the press release mentioned “1990s supermodel leaving the airport” I immediately pictured this. A few highlights include the Slim Straight Jean, a suede cinched jacket and matching micro shorts, and the barn jacket with leather details in a rich deep burgundy color.

• College x Sweatshirt Takeover: Last time it was the coffee brands x sweatshirt brands. Then last week I mentioned the Love Shack Fancy x Fanatics collab. Now Parke has a collab with ‘47. My question is who is managing the inventory? If it is Parke this will be sold out in less than 5 seconds.

  When I visited a college bookstore last summer while I was on campus for my husband’s college reunion I was impressed with all the brands that had large displays in the bookstore. Rhone, Faherty, Lululemon all had products with the school logos. This is a solid licensing program that you need to get the colors right with and then you can just run with it. Hundreds of colleges and universities and large fan bases already built in.

• Birkenstock x Staud in the Loma style, similar to the Boston clog, launched today in three colors. With the wider strap it reads a little loafer inspired and timed well for fall back-to-school. This isn’t the first time the brands have collaborated.

• Madhappy has a consistent collab funnel going. The latest one in time for back-to-school is with Keen. I like that they went after this silhouette, the sneakerina (maybe with Keen it is more of a hikerina) feels right.

• We keep seeing that smoking is back in the zeitgeist. I’m not making any calls or judgements here, but there have been a ton of jewelry items around lighters and cigarettes. Foundrae x Zippo for the latest in the conversation.

• The Willow x Free People collab came together nicely. I like how the pieces individually look good and just easy to sell merchandise. The pieces GenZ-Alpha will shop for. But the real win is how they are styled together and feel much more directional especially for a teen mall-ish brand.

• U Beauty x Flamingo Estate adds the Prinesstarta Milk Bar Soap along with hydrating U Beauty products.

  Thanks for reading Private Label. Know someone who works in retail or loves to shop? Share the insights!

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New Launches

• If you love Vintage J.Crew more than new crew: J.Crew is launching a vintage shop online with merchandise from 1983-2000. When I’ve covered other vintage drops like this before, I’ve mentioned that it is much more of a marketing and loyalty play than revenue.

  Unfortunately, revenue is what J.Crew needs. How can J.Crew turn this into a revenue play? Use the data from clicks to discover more items to bring back like the popular Rollneck sweater.

  Why is this not a revenue strategy? Let’s base this on a bit of history from the Banana Republic archive sales. They had under 250 pieces in previous events, so I’m going to estimate 250 just to be conservative for J.Crew’s vintage sale. That’s still a massive amount of sourcing for one-off pieces. When Banana Republic had their event the prices ranged from about $80 to $500 for a leather jacket. Let’s hit the sweet spot of $150 average retail price for J.Crew. If the cost for the pieces is around $30 they would make $30,000 retail margin on this vintage event not counting advertising or any back-end production costs of putting online. This is a retailer that is down 30 percent according to the Financial Times reporting they need big revenue swings.

• J.Crew aiming for a bigger revenue swing: New J.Crew denim launched. Benjamin Talley Smith worked with Olympia Gayot and the J.Crew team on this delivery. You know Benjamin Talley Smith’s work because he has designed and consulted on denim for Khaite, Aflalo, Reformation, and most recently Guest in Residence (launching in early September). For more on the J.Crew revenue struggles, catch up with the story from earlier this week here.

• Fashion nerd alert: I love data insights and shares these on Instagram Stories occasionally. According to her stories, top sellers by units in a 24 hour period earlier this week was this silk slip dress, these pants, this dress, then this nap dress and this nap dress and this nap dress. The fact that the top 3 styles are not nap dresses and item number 2 is a pair of pants is pretty impressive for The Nap Dress™ brand. The brand has evolved.

• New Glow Recipe Lip Blur Balm is launching August 24th. Remember all the new beauty launches — most launched today. Like the new m.ph lip gloss, Tower 28 Swipe Serum, InnBeauty Project Extreme Milky Cleanser, and the Sarah Creal pH lip liner.

• The new Miu Miu sneaker that are being hyped up (see here from Hypebae and featured in her latest newsletter). The silver nylon ones remind me of the Polo Sport x-67 that were a best seller when I was a shoe buyer at Bloomingdale’s circa 2004/2005. The fact that the name of the shoe was x-67 is another reason these should have a comeback with the kids. Although that ship might have already sailed.

• Savette Fall is available and I’m loving this new shape.

• New Lisa Yang for fall/winter 2026 is live now too. Through the sculptural details a few things stood out to me: this skirt reminded me of a ‘70s shape and although not a drindl, gives that kind of feel. I think the scoat (scarf-coat hybrid) is ushering in a lot more capes for jackets and sweaters with extra volume/cape feel. See here and here. I love the structure of this dress, but it isn’t possible to tailor so it has to be the perfect fit.

• is bringing back the pickle flavored Glow Reviver Melting Lip Balms and the press release has a few details that caught my attention. First, I think it is cool they are partnering with the Minnesota State Fair for a surprise and dill-light (their term, not my smart pun) for an activation. I love to see an activation with out of the box (pickle jar) thinking. Second, the first time they had this it sold out in 8 minutes. Finally, there is a Y Pulse Pickle Report.

• A few Fresh Receipts I’m into — this opera pump style reminds me of the Chanel Opera Pump/patent moccasin with a slightly higher heel, nylon bags but make them polka dots, Tuckernuck launched their own version of the oversized cashmere bandana scarf (this one and this version was everywhere last year), is this Olympia Le-Tan book clutch too on the nose for NYFW?

Tween Rebels

If you have a child or know one in the 9-15 age range I don’t have to tell you how absolutely impossible it is to find real clothes for them. Something they like. Something that isn’t too young or make them look like are ready for a college party. There’s no middle ground. So when I heard that Maisonette, the online children’s multi-brand destination for stylish kids’ clothes, was launching a tween shop I was thrilled. Both personally and professionally. Neon Rebels launched Wednesday.

Behind the paywall we’ll get into Maisonette’s history, where the tween landscape was (looking at you Limited Too) and where it is now. Plus all the fashion random bits I’ve been reading and consuming this week.

Read more

The Rundown

• Fresh Receipts: new finds worth making note of

• Forecasting: another look at flats

• The Case for Vette: readers asked me why Vette vs ShopMy/LTK

• SET-ting Up for Success: how Set Active is handling an inventory challenge

• In My Feed: random bits I’m loving this week

In this send: I answer the questions about Vette, and what makes it appealing compared to ShopMy/LTK plus the signs of what challenges lay ahead. Plus: Lucky Charms, nylon handbags, bag charms, the case for cummerbunds, flats, commission rates, Flagship, , Set Active, Chava Studio, last year-itis, J.Crew, and I’m loving the merch from Jordyn Woods & Karl-Anthony Towns wedding.

Fresh Receipts

• Now that we are all watching for the turquoise/acid blue/capri shade I’ll point you in the direction of this new Tove leather skirt.

• Did you see that General Mills/Lucky Charms sponsored a sorority Bid Day activation? The recruitment chair who organized this is a pre-med Biology student. I think she could also have a future in Brand Marketing and PR. For any breakfast cereal fans, Brunch has a collab with General Mills. Perhaps marshmallow-y soft slippers.

• My favorite nylon bags these days are Valesque, so glad I got my hands on this one (and mine in black available here). I’ve been wearing non-stop. But, for cheap and cheerful these are really great. And this new tote.

• Possibly the next accessory hanging off girls backpacks.

• I would classify this as a really good work or High Holidays dress.

• Are you more of a Saint Laurent pillbox person or an Elsa Peretti pillbox person?

• I’ve mentioned that I want to see more fun cufflinks for women, if a brand is already making earrings and brooches (like these as cufflinks) this should be an easy-peasy category expansion and women are wearing quality dress shirts. I saw this and realized I’d also love to see more cummerbunds!!

Forecasting

• Another Low Profile Option: This slipper from The Row is technically filed as a "ballet flat," but it closes with a back zipper instead of the usual elastic pull-on or solid heel. The type of detail that makes shoe categories so slippery right now. See previous reporting on this confusion here:

• The Confusion Confirmed by a Shoe Designer: I posted the chart on Instagram and footwear designer , who has worked with Jamie Haller, Dôen, and Proenza Schouler, DM’ed me with kind corrections:

  “There is a difference between Derbies and Oxfords1, but do we really care? There’s no platonic form for what we might call a “jazz shoe”. A brogue or a wingtip might be a lace up, and might not be. As a consumer, it truly doesn’t matter what you call any particular iteration… truly, buy what you like, and call the shoe whatever you want to!
  
  On the brand side, marketing is important, certainly, but if you’re selling a Derby and calling it an Oxford, know that to a certain segment of your colleagues, you lose a fair amount of goodwill for not understanding the category. At the lower end of the market, this is totally forgivable… Mango isn’t selling manufacturing prowess, but brands with footwear heritage mostly get it right.” — Jessica Taft Langdon

  This illustrates the confusion well. My guess is a lot of the naming mix-up comes from how many people touch a shoe before it reaches you. The designer sketches and develops a shoe with a specific style in mind. Then the merchants and marketers decide how to actually sell it. Choosing the name that sounds best or is trending. The shoes are categorized ideally in a way a shopper can find online. Somewhere in that game of telephone, the original name can quietly get swapped or watered down for whatever works better on the sales floor (real or virtual).

  Langdon’s favorite flat? Porselli.

Why Influencers Choose Vette?

After I wrote about Vette I received a lot of reader questions and DMs. What was the commission for influencers? Why would influencers choose this versus ShopMy or another affiliate platform? Let’s get into all of this and more.

Read more

Open To Buy

• Field Notes - Montecito, Denim, and Bloomingdale’s newness

• Forecasting — trend spotting

• Fashion & Beauty Finds — sales and new deliveries

• In My Feed - content and stories I’ve been reading this week

In this send: Wrapping up my southern California Channel Checks with Montecito. Laid back and filled with advanced contemporary brands. Plus: Godmother Books, work dresses, Montecito Country Mart, The Post Montecito, Jamie Haller, senior jeans, Nour Hammour, cupro, another Love Shack Fancy collab, Pool Slick Lash Lacquer, Mixik, Reef, Capri, and I hope you have a fun weekend with plenty of tabs open.

Field Notes

I hadn’t been to Montecito in about a year and was eager to check out The Post Montecito. After my daughter and I shopped/Channel Checked around L.A. we drove to Montecito. See our notes from The Grove here and Nordstrom and vintage spots here.

• Summerland: I’ve always wanted to visit Godmother Books because I love book stores so much. Even though I read on a Kindle and borrow books via Libby. I stepped inside and I knew I could get lost, in the books, for hours. Unfortunately my daughter wouldn’t let me. This is the place I want to spend an afternoon. I also stopped by Heidi Merrick next door. This is the only store front the brand still has and it is well merchandised with plenty of special pieces, everyday staples and the space is open and easy to shop. I love “California” brands like this personally because as someone who pretty much only wears black and solids I still feel right at home. This is what I call a great “work dress” and it is on sale. I also love the architecture of this dress.

• Montecito Country Mart: La Ligne opened at the end of July. Marfa Stance is opening at the Mart at end of August. Marin Country Mart has had a Marfa Stance location for awhile now and it has been doing well according to sources, especially with the milder temperature year round the build-your-own outerwear is designed for flexibility. I also love the Clic at MCM but the location at Marin seems much bigger. The edit is always fantastic and one of the things I like is you can find interesting basics (black dresses, easy pants, t-shirts), special pieces that are more heritage — like Il Bisonete, and if you need to get a hostess gift or home decor you will always find something interesting here. The store is from Calypso founder Christiane Celle. One store we don’t have at Marin Country Mart that I really loved is Mate Gallery. It is the tiniest space but has a fun assortment across price points. Plenty of vintage and just the best RRL merchandise. While the merchandising can seem chaotic, it really isn’t. Makes it fun to discover something new every time.

• The Post Montecito: First, the space. Runyon Group developed the Post Montecito and then sold it this past spring for a nice profit. Now the Runyon Group is developing a property in the Hamptons. I visited the two spaces back to back on a Saturday late morning/early afternoon and Montecito Country Mart was busier and felt more crowded — like there was more going on.

  Teller was a fun boutique to shop with a smart assortment of brands like Donni, Kallmeyer, Agolde, Tove, and Still Here. Advanced contemporary brands and the merchandise and brands were all mixed together making it easy to pair a top from one brand with pants from another. I really liked this space as it felt like an “adult” boutique to shop. I feel like if I need something to wear I could always find something to wear immediately.

  The Lela Rose boutique recently opened and the interior design is beautiful. Built-in closets that you can wander around. This Lela Rose was heavy in the Ranch collection. There is a Brochu Walker here and when I was in the store a woman was trying this faux leather top on and I hope she got it. It looked great on her.

  Plenty of great accessories stores: Janessa Leoné, Freda Salvador (I’d like to bring your attention to a woven mule reminiscent of the Jada ballet flat and the Carmela pump that is like the Jada ballet flat got a little height.), and the jewelry at Marisa Mason was beautiful. And there was a lot of it.

  Then I wrapped up my afternoon at Jamie Haller. I’ve been so excited to visit the shop ever since I spoke to Haller shortly before she opened this spot. She was driving back and forth to Montecito from L.A. to work on preparing for the opening. There was a comment recently from a reader that the inventory and sizing assortment was spotty at Jamie Haller. I agree. This isn’t a brand that focuses on always being in stock. As a customer this can be frustrating, super frustrating, but as a retailer and someone who wants to see brands do well in the long-term this is likely the smarter approach. It is more of a slow growth strategy minimizing overstocks and reducing the need to markdown goods.

  I tried on a couple of pairs of pants and jeans but they didn’t have my size in a few styles. I also wanted to try on the Jazz shoes which weren’t in stock. I did pre-order the Trap shoe in Fire this past June but they haven’t arrived yet. I just checked the site, looks like they are expected to ship this week! Lucky me. For a more fall/wintery version the Kitty (another shoe I have and love) just arrived in moss and claret/burgundy ponyhair. I tried on the San Diego Sandal and loved. This could easily be a 10K to 15K step flip-flop. The Hero jean is a solid option for petites. I liked the fit of this and I’m 5 foot 2 inches for reference. I also liked the fit of the Kick Trouser. Overall I really like the Jamie Haller store and while this is the only location currently, I hope she opens a couple more. What I really like about a Jamie Haller boutique versus shopping the brand in a large department store is you get all the products together. The shoes, ready-to-wear, and other accessories and it makes it easy to play around with them.

That’s a wrap on my L.A. and Montecito Channel Checks. I’m already wanting to return. Next stores on my list to visit in the area: the reopening of Palisades Village which opens this weekend, the new Agolde store, I skipped Mohawk General this visit but want to go visit again (they are getting a little facelift at the moment), and Still Here is opening on Melrose. They do something special and different for each location so I’d like to see that too. Montecito I’ll need to swing by the Rosewood Miramar next time.

More Field Notes

• Denim Days: Denim season continues. The category for back-to-school and the go-to item for transitional weather. Spotted this week:

  • Madewell x Eva Joan customization in Austin, Nashville, Chicago. See more details here.

  • Abercrombie x Abbode monogramming and embroidery.

  • American Eagle showing up on campus with sorority rush.

  • Have you heard of “Senior Jeans”? Seniors in High School have all these traditions that were not a thing when I was in school. Back in my day…we decorated a pennant to highlight where we got into college and that was it. I bet by next year we will have brands hosting events to decorate and DIY. Gap x Michaels for next year maybe??? Other DIY projects: parking spaces, car decorating, senior boxes. There are tons around graduation, prom, last game of the season etc. too.

  • More of my denim recaps from this week here.

• Bloomingdale’s new additions: In recent weeks Bloomingdale’s has expanded the vendor roster with the Loulou de Saison shop-in-shop, Ulla Johnson, and Dries Van Noten. I’m excited about the add of DVN because it gives the department store the right amount of edge and something interesting to the mix. I’ve brought this up before and seen it in the comments, but the shoppers in the branches wish there would be some fun brands added to their mix too. It is always a push and pull of building the brands out and still making sure they get a healthy sell-thru but you would think operations wise in 2026 it would be a solvable challenge. Additionally, while I was doing some online research regarding Nour Hammour, Nordstrom recently added to their vendor assortment, I was searching for the brand at Bloomingdale’s. While they don’t have at this time, customers are clearly searching for the brand here. Below you can see a screenshot of what auto-populates.

Forecasting

• Comme Si just launched what might be the easiest easy pants that are also a little elevated with the sheen. What makes them have that sheen and a super soft hand is the Cupro Twill material.

  • Cupro is a material that acts like a silk, but is easier to care for, drapes really well, less expensive than silk, and is considered sustainable because it is produced from the short fibers left on the cotton seeds. Which would otherwise just be waste.

  • A few other pants and pieces in this material that I love:

    • I saw these at Paloma Wool in L.A. and loved them in the navy. They are 92 percent cupro and 8 percent elastane giving them that stretch.

    • A more tailored pair from Dries Van Noten.

    • Left on Friday has a great travel set in a Japanese cupro — and described as naturally moisture wicking, quick drying, bio-degradable, and anti-static . The pants, a short sleeve button down, a maxi dress, and the shorts.

    • This Skims jersey wrap dress.

    • I own this J.Crew dress from maybe 5 years ago in black and it is the perfect summer travel dress. It is 60 percent cupro which makes it travel so smoothly and this one on Poshmark is in the blue shade of the season. Here is the newer version with thinner spaghetti straps but the same 60 percent cupro blend.

    • J.Crew’s cupro blend top in 60 percent cupro would be a less expensive alternative to an all silk shirt and easier to care for.

• I added the LoveShackFancy x Fanatics collab, launching with 8 universities, to the LSF collab tracker. All Power Four teams — in the SEC, ACC, and Big Ten. Major football programs.

• I’ve been noticing more bandana accessories, similar to the Call It By Your Name totes. These easy, simply made loafers have been all over my feed this summer. Feels like the newer version of this type of shoe. Fabric upper with a flexible rubber sole. I also just discovered this cute fringe-y mini bag.

• Longchamp east-west handbag. Back in my Retail Diary days I was recapping east-west handbags so I added to this round-up.

Fashion & Beauty Finds

• Tory Burch’s end-of-season Private Sale kicked off. A few finds:

  • A dress in the blue shade we’ve been talking about. They named it “Bay Blue”. (I’ve been asking around and heard Reef, Turquoise, Paradise Blue, and Capri*.)

  • The Pierced Mules are included in the Private Sale event.

  • From trends I’ve been tracking this season: Polka dotty, a canvas tote, balloon pants, and this creative take on the cardigan that has a trompe l’oeil bikini top.

• Nour Hammour’s new fall collection just launched. Éclats de Nuit. A few highlights: this fur jacket is described as a ‘90s style to wear for evening or with denim, a flow-y leather midi skirt, a leather robe coat, removable collar on this bomber, loving the name of this jacket — the Matriarch. Fits perfectly.

• Left on Friday is having their summer sale — 30 percent off all swimwear. Note it is Final Sale but if you know your size, these hold up so well it is a great time to stock up for next summer, or with the weather we will likely be able to swim for another few months this season. This is my personal go-to one piece, and this one piece has been the best seller for the season (see my reporting in Puck’s Line Sheet on top affiliate links).

• We have more new beauty products coming. Pool Slick Lash Lacquer (aka Mascara) from Fara Homidi was teased via Instagram. I’ll add to the August New Beauty Tracker when it launches. The brand launched sunglasses earlier this summer and an excellent eye shadow palette so it’s a great time to expand into mascara.

  Merit Beauty launched a mascara, Clean Volume, in June. And Jones Road Beauty launched their new mascara earlier this week.

  When I checked in with a beauty exec this week she said this is typical and we aren’t seeing any more than in previous years. Lots of new fragrances coming soon too. I added Chanel’s new Coco Mademoiselle Crush Absolu to the beauty tracker.

• Korean beauty brand based in L.A., Mixik, has a pop-up this weekend in L.A. — 621 S Western Ave. This is a teen-focused brand that is sold in Old Navy, Tilly’s and CVS. My daughter has tried these pimple patches* and says they work great.

In My Feed

• A travel syllabus. Print this one out or archive it to reference before traveling. I love packing guides and travel looks so I devoured this immediately. Plus no one does a bag round-up and accessories like — I’m a fan forever.

• This was illustrated perfectly by . No notes.

• Frasers Group has acquired Harvey Nichols out of insolvency (aka bankruptcy). [Business of Fashion]

Made just for you — always. See you Tuesday

xx, Sarah Shapiro

Private Label Issue 34

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In this send: Sézane shared that in their rebrand they will be slowing down. I took at look at what shoppers actually want, how the investors play into it, and what I’m keeping my eyes on. Plus: Citizen of Humanity x Jennifer Meyer, Daily Drills, my growing Love Shack Fancy collab tracker, Benjamin Talley Smith, “Dancing On My Own,” purple-and-red, Palisades Village, Zendaya’s button-back engagement ring, a Tory Burch bag with a 30,000 person waitlist, Chanel’s 100 percent mark-up on secondhand handbags, the Phia cookie-stuffing, Acquired Style's wedding dress drama, and I’m curious what you think of Sézane’s upcoming rebrand?

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New Collabs

• Citizen of Humanity launched a collab with Jennifer Meyer, the jewelry designer. The vintage inspired jeans look really great and Citizen of Humanity and Agolde have some of the best denim out there at a competitive retail.

• After collab'ing on a sweatshirt with earlier this summer, Daily Drills is back at it with a sweatshirt collab with The Montauk General Store. Daily Drills did a whole Out East collection too. Daily Drills is another one of those brands I’d bucket as a “sweatshirt” brand but they have a lot of workout and lounge sets.

• Love Shack Fancy again! Do I create a LSF collab tracker? Yes — it’s here. Mane x Love Shack Fancy. Here is what I’m thinking about — we literally just had the Wet Brush x Goody x Love Shack Fancy collab as part of the Target collab. Which leads me to think that the brands LSF collabs with don’t care that there is similar product already out there. Wet Brush = $18.99 and Mane = $25. Mane x LSF also has clips and a thermal brush. If your dorm room is all decked out you certainly need this to match.1 I’m feeling like a collab with this brand should be on the horizon.

• I want to do a deeper dive on Favorite Daughter’s current business. I found it a little interesting, but not completely surprising, that they are doing a collab with Stitch Fix.

• This is giving me old school GWP feels. Clinique x Rifle Paper Co for their gift with purchase (GWP).

• Stanley x Farm Rio. The prints and charms are fun. I’m noticing mostly Owala water bottles out and about though.

New Launches

An Embarrassment of Beauty Riches

• m.ph beauty by Mary Phillips is expanding the lip category with a new gloss in 8 shades out August 20th on the Sephora app (loyalist enjoy first) and then the m.ph DTC site on 8/21. This gloss joins the Lip Ciggy and Overliner Lip Pencil.

• Sarah Creal is launching ph Lip Liner on 8/17 in the Sephora app. This lip liner with this lip repair serum from the brand is what I’m most likely to order as I’ve heard great things about the lip serum and want to test it out. I’m also a huge fan of this product from Sarah Creal.

• Tower28 Beauty is launching a foundation (another foundation + skincare serum — time for me to do a Forecast for this). To partner with their Swipe Serum Concealer (in 28 shades) they have 36 shades of the new Swipe Serum Foundation launching 8/20 (a big launch day at Sephora). On Instagram they marketed that no AI was used — real models!

• InnBeauty Project is launching the Extreme Cleanse Milky Micellar Barrier Repair (I don’t even think I can say that one time fast, let alone three times) and all I can think is “milky jelly cleanser, is that you?” Said with respect. Smart move InnBeauty Project. Once this launches I would love to see the Sephora sales recaps of these two products side by side.

• Saie is launching their first eyeshadow on 8/17. They will have 6 matte shades and 5 shimmer shades.

• Let’s track all the August Beauty launches here. What are you most excited about?

• Soft Services is celebrating their 5 year Anniversary! To celebrate they are doing a 10 percent off promotion and have released some fun merch like the Guess inspired denim tote bag. I am a repeat buyer from Soft Services and have 3 of the hand lotions strategically placed across my house. My desk, my nightstand, and the kitchen sink. This is my nightstand scent and is my favorite. Another product I always have in stock is this buffing bar. And how absolutely adorable is their mini shop? The minis are only available twice a year, a smart marketing move, so if you like travel minis or want to stock your guest room bathroom grab them now.

Fashion Launches Happening Too

• Posse pre-fall collection is now available. A few of the items worth calling out: A scoat, polka dots for pre-fall, a red leopard cardi (available in black combo too), an easy 3/4 sleeve bateau neckline top, and balloon pants I added to the Balloon Pant Forecast here. For more background on the Posse brand, check out post here.

Denim Season

Pre-fall transition time period and back-to-school means major denim vibes. Denim is always a hero category in those shoulder seasons when you aren’t sure what to focus on.

• We have recently seen the Gap x Hailey Bieber, this week was another new Gap campaign with Malcom Todd and Inde Navarrette. How far out do these songs get picked? Because this song got really popular in July although it was originally released in 2010. It was featured in the movie from June 2026, “Voicemails for Isabelle”.

• Guest in Residence — Benjamin Talley Smith worked with Gigi Hadid, the Creative Director of GIR, to develop the denim category expansion. Smith has worked with Khaite, Madewell, La Ligne, Reformation, Aflalo and more on developing denim lines. The prices will be $265 to $325. There will be 4 styles launching in September. What has stuck with me, is when Molly Howard shared that they knew it was time to develop and launch La Ligne’s denim category because customers would always ask which denim they were pairing with the La Ligne sweaters on the product detail pages (PDP). My assumption is that something like that was happening with GIR. Additionally, if a shopper is buying a sweater or top from a brand the denim is different enough that it isn’t like the shopper is deciding between two different sweaters. They are going to possibly be shopping for both. Increase that Average Order Volume (AOV). [WWD]

• With Nothing Underneath is launching their denim at the end of August. I wrote a Private Label — Label Check on the brand WNU here if you want more insights on the brand. Similar to GIR it makes sense for a brand that is creating excellent tops to expand. But to go into denim you have to know that you are going to nail the fit. New blouses from the brand already have the images styled with denim.

• Plenty of other recently denim launches that I’ve been tracking so check out the Private Label archive if you want to catch up. For example, TWP denim and the Kaia Gerber edit for Re/done.

Ballet Flats 🌀

• A fun little fashion spiral 🌀 on Alex Mill and ballet flats:

  • I noticed last week they changed the color of their avatar logo on Instagram to a purple and red shade — specifically a color combo that has been trending this pre-fall season.

  • They launched these new ballet flats with the purple and red showing prominently. $228 for the ballet flats.

  • I wonder if they will do a fun hand-painting event at their SoHo store to launch the ballet flats? Similar to how they customize their totes. As long as they wear well on the crinkly patent material. Mansur Gavriel, Freda Salvador, and many others have done activations like this.

  • Last fall they collabed with Margaux (and again for a hot summer sandal, the Selene) the flat mule last fall was $325. The Selene is also $325. Margaux has their own Demi ballet flat for $290.

  • Previously Alex Mill has partnered with Italian shoemaker Porselli to bring in their ballet flats. This feels like a bigger push into shoes with their own ballet flat after testing the waters with Margaux. Wonder if they did the Private Label for them??!

New Store Openings

• After the fire destroyed Palisades Village stores in January 2025 they have been rebuilding. The grand re-opening is August 15th. There are old favorites like Elyse Walker, and new stores opening, like Leset’s first west coast outpost. More stores to shop: Jacques Marie Mage, Xirena (you know them for the crinkle cotton dresses and sets), Veronica Beard, Anine Bing, Cult Gaia, Buck Mason, Reformation, Isabel Marant, Zimmermann, Toteme, Byredo, Violet Grey and of course restaurants and coffee spots to make it a true lifestyle experience.

• Jessica McCormack opens their second U.S. location and first California location not in Beverly Hills, but at South Coast Plaza at the end of August. The boldest, coolest, most interesting diamond jewelry — button back settings — with Zoe Kravitz as the brand ambassador and Zendaya’s engagement ring.

• Golden Goose also just opened at South Coast Plaza. At this location they have on-site cobblers and repair services as well as a customization experience.

• Hill House Home now has a permanent location in Naples.

• Aritzia opened a store in New Orleans at the Lakeside Shopping Center. P.S. Have you seen the Aritzia quarter-zip sweater?

• Still Here (I love their store experience) opened a new West Village location at 89 Christopher Street. The pair I’m itching to try-on are back in stock.

• Frances Valentine is opening in Charleston!

Sézane’s Croissance Lente (slow growth)

Sézane, the French brand with 13 U.S. stores (a mix of permanent stores and long-term pop-ups), has been on my radar since I heard whispers of a rebrand this past spring from a variety of sources. The brand made it official with a Vogue Business article and timed well with a refresh of their Brentwood, California location that opens this Friday. What’s coming? A new logo that they are launching with silk scarves, an updated website which is now live, more classic styles versus trendy, and styles that build each season instead of starting fresh (more basics and replenishment could also help build margin by decreasing costs).

Read more

The Rundown

• Fresh Receipts — new foundation and new fashion

• Field Notes — Channel Checking Nordstrom in L.A. plus a few vintage spots

• Nike Gets a Bid — Brands showing up to rush week

• In My Feed — random bits I’m loving this week

In this send: More Channel Checks from L.A. plus the brands showing up for RushTok Plus: Suprême Skin Bio-Complex, longer t-shirt sleeves, Comme Si, the Judd, The Grove, Dammit Janet, Paloma Wool, fidget toys, charm-y sandals, Dries Van Noten, work weeks, Ven.Space, YKK zippers and let’s just get into it.

Fresh Receipts

• Westman Atelier is launching their first liquid foundation — Suprême Skin Bio-Complex in 30 shades. It will retail at Westman Atelier’s website and launching on Sephora too. $69 and this prices it inline with Armani’s Luminous Silk Foundation and above m.ph by Mary Phillips Le Skin Weightless Serum Foundation also 1 oz but $49. Victoria Beckham’s Foundation Drops retail for $110 for the same size foundation. Westman Atelier’s Foundation Stick is $68,

• Leset’s August collection has launched with chartreuse as the bright new shade and a gorgeous chore coat in cashmere. It’s luxe! My favorite fit for a t-shirt, the Margo, now comes in Rosso, a tomato-y red. Leset takes their color stories very seriously. I am into the longer sleeves on the Ari, Lauren t-shirt mid-sleeve, and Pointelle t-shirt mid-sleeve. Great for transitional weather and a t-shirt with a fitted sleeve looks fresh and gives the option of more coverage.

• Comme Si’s new Drawstring Linen Bermuda is classic, easy, and simple. Comes in black and cream. The longer length shorts have been a style hero this summer but surprisingly it is the short shorts that are taking the top of the trend lists.

• released a new boot, the Judd. Inspired by country music with a city feel. The boot comes in a beautiful deep olive and a light tan suede.

Field Notes

If you are in East Hampton this week go check out Resee at 94 Newtown Lane. They have a fantastic vintage edit online.

More Channel Checks from L.A.

This past weekend I shared the teen scene from The Grove in L.A. I should mention we did skip Brandy Melville because we didn’t have enough time to squeeze everything in. I had a lot of thoughts at the Nordstrom at The Grove so I saved it for today.

Behind the paywall I’m sharing my thoughts on the SPACE: Emerging & Advanced Designer Brands at Nordstrom from Channel Checks at Nordstrom. A few vintage spots we visited too around L.A.

And Nike is showing up on RushTok and how they matched with sororities.

Read more

Open To Buy

• Field Notes - The Teen Scene

• Fashion Finds — following up on a few Forecasts

• Beauty Finds - Violet Grey picks

• In My Feed - fun stories and content I enjoyed reading this week.

In this send: I’ve spent the past few days in L.A. and have the teen version of Channel Checks today. I’ll keep sprinkling more in the next few sends. Plus: Tysons Corner, The Grove, Edikted, digital cameras, Y2K, polly pocket, whimsical crayon bracelet, hot & unbothered, Revice, the dress I’ve worn all summer (it has pockets!), Matteau, Violet Grey, Luigi Massoni Dilly Dally, Dairy Boy Sport, and channel checks forever!

Let me know in the comments, any stores you channel checked this weekend?

Leave a comment

Field Notes — The Teen Scene

Growing up my mom would take my brother and me from Virginia Beach, Va. to Tysons Corner in Northern Virginia for back-to-school shopping. The early days of my channel checks. We had very few options in the Va. Beach area and it was always a fun way to get excited for the new school year. I can remember the item I was most excited about each visit. One year it was a navy blue peacoat from Nordstrom, before college it was a pair of Levi’s denim because I could finally wear jeans to school (my high school had a no jeans dress code).

I’ve been antsy to visit the Post Montecito, La Ligne’s new shop at Montecito Country Mart, a few spots in L.A. and my daughter loves The Grove (Edikted!!) so we decided to do a mini mother-daughter road-trip Channel Check before school starts in the Bay Area next week. Here are a few of the notes from Channel Checks for the teen stores at The Grove in L.A. I have more Channel Checks I’ll keeping writing about in future Private Label sends from this trip.

⚠️ I’m going to state the obvious here so we can be aligned and you don’t need to wonder: I am not a photographer. If I focused (pun intended) a little more I bet I could be, but I take these snaps on the go. I wouldn’t share in my newsletter under normal circumstances but they help illustrate the idea. Additionally, this is how I would normally take them for my own notes in stores. Early days of when I was a buyer there was — ahem — no iPhones. And strict no photos in stores policies. This was before Instagram and now stores (often/generally) love when you take a photo and post online to share the good stuff. In the early 2000s it would get you a stern talking to because sales associates and store managers knew you were there to take photos for samples and inspiration for visual merchandising. I would use my digital camera and pretend to take a photo of my coworker in a funny touristy pose just to take a photo of the display next to her. Okay, bad photos but interesting ideas below.

The Grove

Our first stop. We were there on a Thursday late afternoon/early evening. I heard from employees that the weekends were busy all summer but during the week has been quieter. They said this week it finally started to pick up during the week too. L.A. Unified Schools go back August 12th but many private schools start in early September.

• Edikted (the new teen fast fashion store, basically taking the place of Forever 21 and Wet Seal depending on your generational context) was calmer than it has been in past visits. It was still busy but there wasn’t a long line for the dressing room and the counter checkout was never more than about 10 people deep. Lots of pinks and teals up front, darker colors towards the back, lots of country/football (soccer) inspired tops which feels like a hold over from the World Cup.

• Images above clockwise from top left:

  • Edikted camouflage tank top that reminded me of the trending sweatshirt that the teens went wild for during back to school 2024. reported on it.

  • Edikted tote bags with the collegiate lettering.

  • Edikted handbag that immediately made me think of this. I’m sure you know without even clicking the link. Given that my daughter kept telling me she wanted to go thrifting for Y2K styles it seems like Edikted was inspired by the same Y2K trends.

  • Edikted works fast to get new products to the floor. It seems from this photo that they are selling samples that either didn’t go into final production or have a limited quantity. I haven’t seen a store of this type do this before outwardly. I’ve seen insider sample sales for employees. Most stores wouldn’t want random product on the floor that didn’t fit in. At Edikted it all feels random. Also, with only one item it is hard to get any data. I’m curious how much revenue they drive from these samples over the course of the year. Feels like a version of “zero waste” which is totally ironic with fast fashion.

• Next stop was Cider. This is Cider’s first and only brick-and-mortar store at the moment. My daughter wasn’t super familiar with the brand but I had seen the “opening soon” sign in the spring and wanted to come back. The interiors and visual merchandising was super fun. Very social media forward. Since I operate my channel checks like a teaching hospital, I asked my daughter for her interpretation of Cider vs Edikted. Cider had a lot more dresses and felt more dressed up. Lots of dark colors. I would agree with my student’s assessment. Cider felt like it had more put together looks and Edikted is a lot more casual (camisole tank tops, knit shorts and sweatpants). Cider you could also find dresses for a school dance or homecoming and I don’t really see that at Edikted. We also really like the dressing rooms at Cider and I kept thinking of them in contrast to Brandy Melville. Heavy curtains in Cider with heavy magnets in the curtains that quickly clipped to metal rods and stayed shut. Very secure.

• Images above clockwise from top left:

  • Cider bag wall from behind the cash wrap. Tote bags as display everywhere! I saw this when we visited an American Eagle recently too.

  • Lots of hair accessories and silks. We also saw plenty of scrunchies and claw clips.

  • Jewelry. The cat outline was seen throughout the store. Also lots of apple and fruit imagery.

  • The front of the store had the I heart LA t-shirts and tank tops.

  • The shag carpeted displays. I thought the visual merchandising was done really well. Playful and the space was large so it didn’t feel crowded compared to the Edikted at The Grove. But Cider is a little off the main section. It is upstairs above the Farmer’s Market side. But it has a nice red patio out front.

  • An example of the more dressed up clothing — floral skirt. The back of the store was filled with silky pastel dresses.

    Private Label by Sarah Shapiro is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

• Princess Polly, which I like to call Princess Polly Pocket. Polly Pocket has been on the collab scene: Ever-eden collab, Alex & Ani collab, Nadine Ghosn collab (Warning, semi related spiral 🌀: Request for any readers with insight or connections here — I’ve been researching the recent Alex & Ani collab with Crayola and the minute I saw it I thought of Nadine Ghosn’s whimsical crayon bracelets. Ghosn’s bracelets are no longer on her site. Then the Polly Pocket collabs at both Alex & Ani and Nadine Ghosn?? I’m spiraling and want to know the story here. Email me sarah@privatelabel.ltd) Back to Princess Polly — they have had a pop-up here all summer. They were supposed to wrap up now but are staying until January. Looking for a permanent space at The Grove. It is the tiniest corner at the bottom of the parking garage near the concierge desk. It was designed well but a little cozy. The quality of the tank tops felt like a step up from Edikted and Cider. Some had the softness of Aritzia but not as nice. Priced in the $30s for the tank tops. The dressing room (if you can call it that) was very makeshift. We had to wait a long time because there were only two “rooms” that are just curtains literally held together with a claw clip. But I laughed as I realized my daughter has never had the joy of experiencing the Loehmann’s Back Room.

• Images above clockwise from top left:

  • Princess Polly product

  • mother - daughter having fun and being “hot & unbothered”

  • The claw clip holding the curtains together in the dressing room. As silly as it is, it’s a step up from the bubblegum that (allegedly) forced Brandy Melville to close all their dressing rooms after customers resorted to the DIY tactic.

  • Thick knit tank top at Princess Polly. I took a photo of this because we saw this extra thick and verigated knit rib in Edikted, Cider, and Princess Polly.

• Lululemon — This is one of my daughter’s favorite spots but she was disappointed in the assortment at The Grove. I would agree that the store was rather small compared to our local one in Walnut Creek, CA. My one photo worth sharing here is that I saw the stack of shorts in this specific blue and orange color-way and immediately thought “go Knicks”! That is what has happened to my brain. I’m not sure if that was intentional of Lululemon or just a happy coincidence. (Bad photo but cobalt blue and bright orange.)

  

• Skims at Nordstrom — see image below. I’m curious why Skims didn’t go all out and do the stitched on lettering for this or something more impactful á la Parke. Skims screen-print is $98 and Parke sewn letters $135.

• On Melrose we saw a long line outside Revice. I wasn’t even familiar with this spot. The student became the teacher, and my daughter told me it was a denim retailer. Very much like Edikted but heavy in the denim versus the other fast fashion spots.

  

Fashion Finds

• I’ve been wearing this dress all summer and it is my absolute favorite. It has pockets! It is beyond easy to wear, so comfortable, packs easily for trips, can be dressed up or down. Is there anything it can’t do? Then I read interview with Matteau co-founder and it made me love it even more. Other pieces I love from the brand are this maxi in blue and if I needed a dressier option in black this would absolutely be what I would buy.

• This dress feels like an automatic best seller for Tuckernuck.

• While doing Channel Checks I found more of the trends I’ve been Forecasting:

  • the splashy blue shade — a maxi dress from Roame, and a cardigan at Paloma Wool and I was reminded that I actually do own something in this shade. Shocking! But it is the packaging of these fantastic bronzing drops.

  • High Vamp Flats keep coming in. Alaïa, Atorie, Reformation in suede, J. Crew, and Dear Frances. Full round-up here.

  • Polka dots coming in for fall too.

• Remember the Bruno sweater from the brand Interior? This sweater has a similar but less intense neckline.

🛍️ Quick note: I write a lot (too much good stuff to share!) If you’re reading via email only, you may need to click through to the web version or read on the Substack app. I promise it will be worth it. 🛍️

Beauty Finds

• Congrats to and Celisse. She shared that the red nailpolish and other new products created the biggest day in Celisse sales.

• Opportunity: Violet Grey is offering memberships for readers of Private Label. The retailer uses this program to engage the most loyal shoppers and beauty obsessives who like to try all the new products. A few features of the program:

  • 5 percent of every order returned as credit to your VIOLET GREY wallet

  • Faster shipping. aka Complimentary two-day shipping

  • 5 percent additional on top of all promotions (so if everyone else is receiving 15 percent on a sale, you will receive 20 percent)

  • Early access to coveted Violet Boxes and new launches

  • Close Friends-only promotions and surprise gifts

• A few of my favorite items at Violet Grey worth checking out:

  • the eye cream I’ve been using every night

  • I have this foundation and it sells out all the time. Quick, because the shades are now in stock at Violet Grey.

  • The new Roz Milk Hair Mousse is on the just approved list

  • This fancy lip compact — I own 2 different shades. They also make such a nice gift.

  • I’m not so talented with eye make-up but even I can apply this eyeliner. My trick is to sharpen every time before I use. Victoria Beckham shared this trick on a video but I also thought maybe she was telling people to do this so it uses up the eye pencil faster but it seems to keep it even and precise so I keep doing it.

  • This concealer. I think of it as getting down to business when the crinkles around the eyes appear.

  • I got a facial at Monastery with this product and it was so relaxing and decadent. Decadent and glowy.

In My Feed

• wrote the best overview about the Free City sweats resurgence. NY Times (gift link) “Why Are These Retro Sweatpants All Over the Hamptons?” And if you are looking for more Hamptons scene notes subscribe to Rory Satran’s .

• Rukmini Callimachi wrote about the vanity and our connection to it for the NY times (gift link). Growing up I had this vanity until I was in middle school and then had a proper one built into the area next to my sink. It was the best! My daughter has transformed her bedroom desk we bought for zoom school during the pandemic into her vanity and does her homework from the kitchen table or on her bedroom floor. I’m putting a Luigi Massoni Dilly Dally vanity on my dream wish list.

• Dairy Boy Sport and are setting up for the U.S. Open later this month in NYC. If the Nantucket lines are any indication start camping out now if you want to shop the pop-up.

• Did you see purple post? Purple has really been popping up everywhere. Party pants and a suede orchid dress.

• I loved the movie Practical Magic and can’t wait to see Practical Magic 2. I’m obsessed with how compared the original costumes to the new ones. Seeing the brands selected then vs now is so interesting. The brands seem so right for this movie — Rixo, Rouje, Reformation.

• Top links of the week:

  • Top clicked link is an item I also bought because I’m addicted to Diet Coke. This was also the top converting link for the week.

  • I am obsessed with the fact that this was the #2 clicked link of the week and this was the #5.

  • Other top links this week: Another item I bought — my favorite handbags lately, a leather Teva from a designer brand, and the pleated wear-a-million-ways stole that was the number two item on the Top Products list thanks to TikTok how-tos. The new Wardrobe.nyc x H&M collab, and the dry shampoo I’ve been using.

Made just for you — always. See you Tuesday

xx, Sarah Shapiro

Private Label Issue 31

Catching Up:

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Quick note: some links here are affiliate links — I may earn a small commission if you shop through them, at no cost to you. It helps keep this newsletter going. Gifted items are marked with an *. All opinions are my own, and everything I share, I’d tell my best friend about and probably already have.

Deep Dive

• New Collabs — sweatshirt brand x coffee brand

• New Launches — Alo’s moves and denim everywhere

• Vette-ing Vogue’s Bet — have you seen the first of Vogue’s Vette shops?

• Q2 Earnings — e.l.f. beauty (whoa Rhode!) and Revolve’s earnings

• New Store Openings & Pop-Ups — La Ligne’s 10th store opens

• People in the News

• In My Feed

In this send: Vogue launches the first of their Vette stores with fashion insiders like and so let’s take a look at what is behind this strategy and business. Plus: Dandy Worldwide, Starbucks, Drop N’ Dunk, US Open, Bella Hadid, low profile sneakers, grey hoodies, Still Here’s latest denim drop, I’m back on the petite pant beat, quarter-zip, Vette, Vogue, Lisa Aiken, Rhode, Revolve Los Angeles, Exemplar Luxury Group, Edikted, Nikki Kule, and the next few days I’ll be channel checking!! Reporting back soon.

New Collabs

• Wardrobe.nyc x H&M drops August 6th. Oversized, sleek, structural essentials from Christine Centenera and Josh Goot. The brand launched in 2017 and this is a big collab for them to drive awareness.

• Dandy Worldwide x Starbucks. Preorder is already closed so this is just an FYI. The teens love Starbies (Starbucks nickname) and the teen girly pops also love Dandy Worldwide Sweatshirts. So there you go. Interesting this launched the same week as Parke x Dunkin collab. Choose your (sweatshirt and coffee) fighter. Since they both sold out the real test to me is which one (if either) I actually see in the wild or if this was a small bet on inventory.

• Frame x Sotheby’s has a second season of their collab. I like calling this one a merch collab.

• and Bubble are teaming up on a limited-edition skincare-makeup hybrid line that launches this Friday. This mash-up is taking two brands with die-hard fans and overlapping Gen Z fanbases and hoping that loyalty plays out and get each other's community trying something new and that there isn’t huge overlap already. With the back-to-school timing it could work well as the audience might be in a spendy mood. The collab includes: Glow Talk (a tinted lip serum), Drop N’ Dunk (a hydrating moisturizer x bronzing drops — I love that the collab has a collab item that is a hybrid), and Camo Slide (a blush “serum” — bringing in that skincare terminology).

• Nordstrom is hosting the US Open x Polo Ralph Lauren collection. This will be in the NYC space called “The Corner” through September. So all the locals and tourists looking to shop US Open merch can visit Nordstrom and then stay and shop. Of course shoppers can always head uptown to the Ralph Lauren mansion but this gives them another option closer to the hotels and in midtown.

New Launches

• Smart Move Alo: I’m considering this a launch, Alo has Bella Hadid as the new face in their fall campaign. It isn’t just that she is beautiful and a strong model, in the recent Index it was called out that Bella Hadid wearing Massimo Dutti in Cannes helped to drive a 43 percent increase in demand for the brand. Now Alo has Bella Hadid on the Homepage. For a brand that is rumored to be eyeing an IPO this will help drive revenue and interest. Bella Hadid has over 50 million followers on Instagram and her recent posts with her wearing Alo on set has over 580K likes.

• Sneaking around: Rothy’s has been teasing a new release on social media and it is finally here. The Ivy, a sneaker, launched today August 6th and a source at the brand shared with me that “sneaker” has been a top searched term on the e-commerce site. Thousands of searches for sneakers and previously on a small assortment available — the Slip On. Sneakers have also been one of the most requested styles in the stores (listen to your customer! get feedback from the sales associates!) The Slip On style has also been landing in the top best sellers for the brand in 2025 and 2026 showing that the brand had a reason to expand the category. The Ivy is a new fit, not a reinvention of another style, and has a slim, low-profile silhouette that has been trending (see Adidas Sambas, Dries Van Noten (on sale), Prada, Onitsuka Tiger — love this lace pair all as examples). This already has me thinking of a sneaker mule, snoafer, or sneakerina could be next. Rothy’s design team, happy to brainstorm any time.

  The other recent addition to the Rothy’s line-up is another new clog, The Penny Clog. Fall’s back to school timing makes sense with expanding this category too as the Casual Clog already comes in 17 different colors! This is quite the assortment to keep up with between the colors and sizes. Kudos to the inventory planner.

• I don’t think this is an indicator that Nike is failing, as a $46 billion business (annual revenue 2025 was $46.3 billion vs Adidas at $28.1 billion) they are by far still the leader. BUT I do have questions around not just working to “reignite” the business with a grey hoodie but also lead with this in a marketing and PR effort. Here’s why:

  • Nike often knocks themself off and makes simple grey sweatsuits for their outlet business. This type of product I can easily get with the Nike logo on Amazon. See the Nike Studio Fleece versus Nike on Amazon**. And while I’m not 100 percent sure the Nike Studio Fleece I linked above is what they are launching with, since it doesn’t launch until September 1st, that is part of the problem. Nike already has so many skus of a grey hoodie. It is going to be hard to pin a re-ignition of the sportswear business on this item that is already over sku-ed in Nike’s own business if they don’t retire all the others and take them out of the market. Which would be an impact to markdowns etc and not needed.

  • They are also competing with literally EVERY BRAND out there. Alo, Quince, Gap, and Hollister all come up as I search “women’s grey hoodie”. Is the grey hoodie the item you need to own? Don’t even get me started on the SEO of it all.

  • Nike also does what Simeon Siegel (the retail analyst I go to for the most witty and incisive retail breakdowns) refers to as “rhymes with”. They look at where the marketing is going in terms of sneaker silhouettes and they do their own version. Like the Nike Vomero Plus was their version of a puffed-up Hoka. And the Vomero still sells well because Nike has so much marketshare and marketing budget. But will this same strategy work in the world of a grey hoodie?

  • Alyssa Liu is part of the campaign. I’d love to see a line of leggings/sweats that she co-designed. Her tights are so fun. Give me fun new and innovative workout wear that isn’t identical to everything else out there.

• Denim launch week continues with Abercrombie & Fitch. Abercrombie’s event includes 25-50 percent off all jeans.

• Old Navy has Cardi B as the face of their denim campaign along with Quenlin Blackwell, Paloma Elsesser, Brooks Nader, Haley Baylee and Wisdom Kaye. The campaign is fun and playful as Old Navy always seems to be. A little quirky.

• Gap is really stepping on the pedal right now. GapBody relaunch. The campaign feels a little Calvin Klein in a good way and nostalgic. My question is always will it ring registers? The younger set loves Skims and Aerie, and Victoria’s Secret still has huge marketshare. The Gen X and elder Millennials have gone for Skims or indie brands like Negative and Cou Cou Intimates (although that is a very small set of shoppers). Who is GapBody for now?

Fresh Receipts

• Interesting given the recent conversation around Vera Bradley, the similarities with Celine’s hard-to-get unless you are in Gab Waller’s DMs Tote Bag, and if Vera Bradley can have a comeback (I wrote about this story here) — the brand (Vera Bradley) is now listed as “New & Now” at Nordstrom.

• Still Here’s latest fit is the 11 Jean. A low-rise available in three finishes. It has adjustable ankle zippers. Launching online and in Still Here’s stores. I love Still Here’s boutiques — they really pay attention to the design and have some vintage pieces in the Upper East Side location — and highly recommend a visit.

• Donni’s stripes! Love the bolder take. I have these crop pants and they are great for petites. Of course work for other heights too.

• More fun for petites, I know I’ve shared how much I love my Cropped Colby Pants, well they just launched the same cropped length in Silk! There is a basic (but never boring) black, white, and a gorgeous olive shade. The crepe is also back in stock in black too. [No, you can never have enough black pants — here is a recap of my favorites.]

• Alex Mill August new receipts launched. My personal highlights include the quarter-zip that I’ll be surprised if any sweater brand doesn’t do their own iteration of after Chanel’s subway version. I really love this cashmere rugby — an original update to a classic shirt silhouette. Other new deliveries include the rollneck preppy classic, cardigans, and matching dress shirts with poplin pants. Men’s has Alex Mill-takes-on-prep classics too.

Vette-ing Vogue’s Bet

Over the past few weeks I’ve noticed the same thing from some of my favorite fashion follows. An insider with great taste, maybe merchandising in their background, launches an online boutique. It looks like a store, it acts like a store, it fulfills like a store, but did they really do the heavy lifting to invest in inventory, warehouse it, and create an actual shop (even online only)? These shops all have a similar feel too even if the copy, colors, and names are different. Want the story? It’s time to check out Vette.

Behind the paywall let’s get into Vogue’s bet on Vette — building shopping websites and launching with commission on drop ship for both Condé Nast and the creators behind the shops. I’ll also compare it to ShopMy, LTK, and other affiliate marketing programs.

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Q2 2026: The Hottest Items According to Lyst

1. Knicks Championship Hat

2. Pleats Please Issey Miyake Madame-T Stole

3. Skims Jelly Shoe

4. Gucci Vittoria Thong Sandal

5. Chloé Jelly Mules

6. Massimo Dutti Toe Sandals

7. Chanel Shield Sunglasses

8. Dôen Iona Shorts

9. Adidas x Willy Chavarria Soccer Jersey

10. Zimmermann Daylight Dress

In this send: You’ve seen the Index rankings, but have you reviewed the why behind it? Here is my overview through the lens of an experienced merchant. The why behind the demand. Plus: Chanel, TikTok Scarf, Knicks in five, Kill Bill yellow, StockX, Adidas Mexico Kits, lace-lingerie-as-daywear, Madame T-stole, Voranida Rujekitnara, pierced nipple bra, and I have thoughts. Tell me in the comments what your thoughts are — any surprises? What is missing?

Leave a comment

First Let’s Set The Stage:

What is Lyst, and what is the Lyst Index? Lyst is a fashion shopping app. It pulls together more than 27,000 brands and retailers in one place, and 160 million people use it a year to browse and buy. Every quarter, Lyst uses all that shopping activity to publish the “Lyst Index”. A ranked list of the brands and specific products that are generating the most buzz and demand at that moment.

How is it calculated? Lyst looks at three things: desire (are people talking about and wanting something), demand (are people actively searching for and shopping it), and discovery (is it spreading, showing up in social, search, and even AI shopping tools). They weight recent activity more heavily than older activity, so a brand can’t coast on last quarter’s buzz. Notably, they exclude anything driven purely by a sale or a discount, and anything driven by negative attention (a scandal, a controversy) which is meant to be a measure of genuine excitement, not just price-chasing or gossip.

What period does Q2 2026 cover? April through June 2026.

I Have Thoughts

Seeing the Lyst data on Hottest Brands and Hottest Products is like opening up a present. Did the clues you were thinking about pan out? Is it a complete surprise or did you know what was coming? I start to unravel what the items are explaining about how we are searching and shopping but then also go back to previous years and quarters to see how it all fits together, or doesn’t.

The Q2 data is no exception. It had a few surprise moments — a sports team paraphernalia making it on to the list? Of course, it’s the Knicks. But I haven’t seen something like that register in some time. And even the number 2 item threw me into an immediate detective mode.

Behind the paywall: what the Knicks hat, a $298 pair of shorts, and a TikTok scarf trend are actually telling us about how (and why) we shop. I break down the merchandising strategy behind each pick, dig back through past quarters to see what repeats and what doesn't, and connect the pop culture dots that helped place brands and items onto the Lyst Index. You don’t need to be deep in the retail industry to find this interesting. I made it fun, I promise!

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In this send: The specific shade of blue that is surfacing everywhere. This can’t be a coincidence. Plus: Celisse, leather Teva, Wicked Good Slippers, McDonald’s Diet Coke fountain soda, hair longevity, , scorching color, acid blue, Hermès Bolide, Zebra print, The Park, Sarah Bonello, Nordstrom NYC vs Bloomingdale’s NYC, and much much more. See you in the comments!

Fresh Receipts

• Nailing It: Celisse is finally doing red, after being the most requested shade since launch. Launching August 4th at 10am ET, Celisse Red drops as both a standalone bottle and in The Celisse Red Trio, alongside a new base coat (The Set Up) and two high-summer shades — Bunny, a pearly evolution of their popular Babydoll pink, and Swan, a sheer white — bundled in The High Summer Trio. The brand reminded me that even die-hard sheer-and-neutral girls tend to keep one bold shade in rotation for big moments and that this is their first step into a core range of classics they always planned. They also shared that with their brand imagery being the perfect shade of red it was time to add it into the assortment. I'm currently wearing Camisole on my toes, but since I usually opt for OPI’s Big Apple Red I plan to add a new color to my rotation very soon.

• Everything old is new again: These Miu Miu shoes are like a leather Teva, and pointed out on Instagram that these shoes from The Row have been in many peoples closets for decades. This pair basically costs the sales tax of the ones from The Row. I’m not judging.

• A tote bag for your pjs: Petite Plume, the pajama brand, is launching accessories. They’ve started with a canvas tote bag in stripes, and a toile. Designed to match with the pajama prints.

• For the person who can explain the difference between a cold can and a McDonald’s fountain: Yes, I immediately added this to cart and checked out. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a graphic t-shirt that is more me.

• Fresh Hair: K18 is launching a new product aimed at helping with shedding and greying — targeting people interested in “hair longevity” bringing the aging conversation from skincare to hair care. The new product is called FutureIQ. I doubt this even needs a “Note” but Note: I am not a scientist!

  I’m a big fan of the K18 Leave-In Hair Mask and find that for my frizzy curly/wavy hybrid hair it is the one product that will quickly tame it. As close to a keratin treatment that I can do on my own and in minutes. Also, the dry shampoo* is a non-aerosol and a solid option especially for darker hair because there is no messy white powder to contend with. I feel like it gives me a bit of texture along with the refresher for day(s) old hair.

• Old Navy teasing with a 👑🐝: It would be interesting if they got Beyoncé given her partnership last year with Levi’s (she literally sings a song “Levii’s Jeans”) but Hailey Bieber has partnered with Levi’s and Gap in a short amount of time. If Gap parent co goes after another Levi’s collaborator so quickly…interesting. But this Instagram tease uses the verbiage “Most Wanted” in the post copy which is another Cowboy Carter song. The song is a duet with Miley Cyrus so could it be a two for one deal? Honestly I think it could be a tease and just a denim release but maybe…

  Old Navy needs to keep winning in denim (and all categories) to hang on to their marketshare and dominance as the “number one specialty apparel retailer”1. Uniqlo could give them a real run for their money. From the Q1 2026 earnings shared at the end of May:

“First quarter net sales of $2.0 billion were up 1% compared to last year. Comparable sales were up 1%. Old Navy continued to win in strategic categories, including denim, active, and kids and baby, while customer response to women’s dresses was weaker.”

Forecasting

🩵🩵🩵: This shade of teal has been popping up everywhere! On a lot of t-shirts but what is surprising to me is I’m also seeing it on older and secondhand finds that are surfacing on Instagram and out in the wild. I’m tracing it back to and her t-shirt collab with Cleo Camp in October 2025. Is this an October shade? Not really. But maybe that is why it stood out and then likely ended up on everyone’s mood boards. Seems like designers, creative directors, stylists, and fashionable people filed this image away. Satenstein wrote in her Substack about this specific shade:

“I’ve seen this vision of blue a few times in my life: a Michael Kors-era Celine spring 2000 knit sweater I bought, but it never quite fit right. I nabbed a Versus Versace top in the same hue, which also didn’t fit. But I loved the color. There’s something fantastical about the hue: escapist, lavish, and sexy. It takes a pinch of delusion to wear a scorching color like this. You’ve got to really believe in it and yourself.”

🩵 Where else I’ve spotted 🩵

• The Cleo Camp x Neverworns QVC-ish style event of course. Here it seemed like everyone was wearing the shirt!

• That slip that Zoe Kravitz wore. Gorgeous sky blue shade. Kravitz was snapped by the paparazzi wearing this in August 2021 so maybe that image has been in designers minds ever since. If you’ve considered that slip, wait until you see this $40 RL slip via resale. Once I started on the Kravitz research I also noticed she wore this shade in tiny athletic shorts and a baseball t-shirt. Yes, BASEBALL t-shirts! Another trend I’ve been tracking.

• Seeing this PDP (product detail page) image of the Brooke Callahan tie pants in turquoise makes me think that this specific blue shade could be trending because of the red x blue combo that first put on my radar. I still tag her or comment whenever I see this specific combo.

• CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalist has it in her men’s style out. (Gah! I love a style out so much!)

• Flore Flore they make amazing thicker t-shirts. I highly recommend. I like to order 1 to 2 sizes up. Flore Flore did the color exclusive for their ecommerce site, so of course I’m adding the retail strategy commentary here. Smart move, gives you a reason to shop directly from them. Can also do a smaller run that way. Keep it limited and special.

• I love the name of this t-shirt “acid blue”

• We love a canvas tote, here is a giant one in the shade.

• Tibi’s bright blue slip dress or the midi bias dress.

• The Grow x Reformation sandal was in this shade and her deep purple satin shoe might be where we are stepping next.

• This isn’t the typical “Leset Blue” that Harry Styles wore, but it is another fabulous shade “Skye”. And if not the t-shirt, the silk bias pants in the popular Barb collection are gorgeous too.

• has been teasing this shade in a new t-shirt coming soon for her brand Donni.

• from Troupe shared this Instagram Story and I immediately screenshot as another example of the shade showing up everywhere. What I love in this image (see below) is that it is a vintage bag. Bringing a trending shade back.

  Other vintage options: an Hermès Bolide, a canvas Bolide that looks like it was shaded at the beach, store a vacation bikini in this Hermès pouch, the perfect bright shade for a Bottega Venta clutch, or how about a Balenciaga City Bag in this shade? Reva’s pouch is no longer available (pretty sure this is the listing) but there is the same style in a dark cobalt shade. Can also just skip to new Hermès.

  

  Note from me — with computer screen settings I think the colors can sometimes be slightly off. But all this feels in the same family to me. If colors are totally off in person, oops on me. But I still see a theme in this turquoise/blue azure/teal-y blue shade.

• Zebra Crossing: The animal print I’m noticing en masse for fall, the black and white stripes of a Zebra. Spotted in a Déhanche belt, Freda Salvador ballet flats, Freda Salvador has a whole zebra collection, Reformation also has a mini collection including the skirt they launched for the IPO announcement, Nili Lotan’s best selling pants in a dark zebra print, and of course Khaite has had handbags, clutch, and shoes in her assortment for a few seasons.

  If you’ve made it this far please do me a favor and share with a friend!

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Label Check: The Park

Behind the brand: I first paid attention to the brand when I heard and discussing on Liv’s podcast Let’s Get Dressed. Waller was wearing this bodysuit and talked about how great the material was. I also noticed that was wearing this summer dress* from the brand in her recent post on summer dresses. I spoke with founder Sarah Bonello recently and learned more about her brand, The Park.

Behind the paywall you will find more insights on The Park and my thoughts on their retail strategy. I also follow-up on this weekend’s Met Costume Institute announcement with another question and more finds from my feed.

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Today’s Deep Dive

• New Collabs — Love Shack Fancy x Wrangler and more

• New Launches — Re/Done, TWP denim, and an air dry hair helper

• Fresh Receipts — Buckle totes and the Gala vs Colby

• The Business Section — Does it feel like with AI brands are duping shoppers?

• New Store Openings — Jeffrey in Atlanta and more

• Pop-Ups — I hope Nantucket can handle more influencers

• People in the News — Jennifer Hyman at Babylist, ex Glossier CEO at Whoop and more

• In My Feed

In this send: I looked at e.l.f. Beauty’s Substack and needed to ask a few questions. I’ve been exploring fashion and beauty brands and how they are using AI and what the consumer thinks about it. Plus: glow-in-the-dark sheets, Love Shack Fancy x Wrangler, Sofia Coppola’s t-shirt, Chan Luu says “I do”, Song Sung Blue Jean, Milk Styling Mousse, two tote trends, bra bag, Claudefishing, Daydream, Quince, Kirkland, Brunello Cuicinelli, Hermès, Kith, Jeffrey Atlanta, mercury in retrograde, Jennifer Hyman, Babylist, Jenn Hyman’s TikTok, Kyle Leahy, NikeSkims, and a new-to-me podcast I’m loving.

New Collabs

• New Boo: West Elm x Petite Plume collabed on Halloween pieces — two sets of sheets (and they glow-in-the-dark) and a trick-or-treat basket. Petite Plume also launched their new Halloween PJs (men’s, women’s, kid’s) but the print is different than the West Elm sets. I do like this toile print. While it may feel early at least by buying now you can enjoy for longer and better cost per wear.

• Love Shack Fancy x Wrangler for yet another LSF collab launching August 5th. This gets LSF into the denim space without having to deal with the intensity and complexity of denim fits. I often want to refer to what LSF does as “licensing” versus a collaboration.

• Clare V x Ciao Lucia on a new collab. The Ciao Lucia brand has been carried at Clare V pop-ups and in the Silverlake location so the brands have had a long relationship of working together.

New Launches

• Who is ready for their a$$ to look good in jeans? According to Meredith Kahn, Head of Design at Re/Done this is what is launching today. [Instagram] Plus the Financial Times shared that Sofia Coppola loves this t-shirt from Re/Done so WWSCD?

• Chan Luu launched a bridal collection described as “a modern capsule designed for the unconventional bride”. It was inspired by founder Tessa Tran’s own wedding in 2019. The pieces include a mirror tunic in white, a techno taffeta mini shift, a sequin mini bag, and jewelry. Of course the pieces are not for brides and brides-to-be only.

• TWP has expanded their assortment of denim with new styles and dropped a new editorial campaign. The denim is made in LA with premium Japanese denim. New styles include this dark denim in a linen cotton, and the New Straight in a heavy denim. These styles join TWP’s classic straight leg denim and an extra wide leg style.

• An Air Dry Hair Helper: Roz launched the Milk Styling Mousse. A hydrating and volumizing product for fine and wavy hair. I like and use all of Roz’s products and the recommendation for styling is using this in between my other two favorite items from the brand — the Milk Hair Serum and the Saint Lucia Styling Oil. Last month the brand received a minority investment stake from L Catterton as well additional investments from Silas Capital, G9 Ventures, and celebrity investors like clients Zoe Saldana and Brooklyn Decker. [Beauty Independent]

• Handbag line Fane has launched at Net-a-porter. The bags are priced just under $1,000 — at a contemporary price point where there isn’t a lot of competition as the options or either cheap and cheerful or expensive. The brand uses Italian leather. This is one of their key styles, named after, yes, a bra. The minimalist tote is another style I’ve been noticing as a trend. Parker Thatch has their magazine tote and Kallmeyer’s brunch bag all in the thin strap vertical skinny tote just big enough for a magazine or book.

Fresh Receipts

• Forecasting a tote trend: The new Lemaire Belt Buckle Tote shares a trend with this Chanel bag I’ve spotted on the shoulders of influencers like and . There is also the micro version (and in leopard) from Parker Thatch. I have this older bucket bag from Toteme in navy suede and this summer it came in raffia.

• Jamie Haller launched a new Kick Trouser in three colors and the brown is almost completely sold out. The George Slipper also launched — a loafer with a rubber sole.

• As part of the low profile shoes chart this weekend I highlighted plimsoll sneakers. Tuckernuck has a new gingham Keds that caught my eye.

• The Row Gala pants are back in silk and wool. I think the wool is a decent choice and as for the crepe I have both The Row and La Ligne and I prefer the thicker weight (and less likely to snag) material of La Ligne. La Ligne appears to have about 50 SKUs (stock keeping units) of the Colby pant now if that tells you anything about the popularity. I’d have to dig into the sales and inventory data to see if they were over-SKU’ed. And if you’ve been waiting for the Cropped Colby in Ivory they are back in stock. Petites, these are the length for you as a regular pant.

The Business Section

Behind the paywall today you’ll find a mix of retail stories that made me sit up a little straighter to pay attention and research (and it wasn’t just this sports bra correcting my posture). I dug into e.l.f. Beauty and how they are appear to approach Substack and AI.

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In this send: I love how today’s big stories are related to prep fashion. From a quilted bag trend spiral to Nantucket influencer drama. Plus: Rachel Strugatz, Gap’s Heaven, Emily Holt, Hero Shop, Valesque, crushed velvet, Uniqlo quarter-zip, Loewe pineapple jelly shoe, Hello Kitty, Hart Jewelry, Hill House Home, petite denim, Nour Hammour, Chellams, Vera Bradley, Pierre Deux, Liberty London, London College of Fashion, fat quarters, bug eyed sunglasses, Hunza G x Burberry, Needlepoint, That Crochet Guy, Lily Eve, fashion hoarder, Nantucket Friendship Basket, “No Influencers”, Paige Lorenze Paul, Julia Berolzheimer, Frances Valentine, Traackr, ShopMy, TikTok Shop, Heirlome, Laura Vinroot Poole and I can’t list everything so keep reading and subscribe.

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Fresh Receipts

• Heaven Scent: After much anticipation (seriously, Rachel Strugatz has been writing about Gap Beauty and the return of the scents since 2025) Gap announced that their 5 scents — Heaven, Dream, Grass, Om, and Harmony — that originally launched in 1994 would make a return on July 30th. I’m interested to see if the conversation is à la Hailey Bieber x Gap Denim or more Gap stripe sweater as a printed mesh tank top. [Gap] I’m also curious to see where the beauty category is put in the navigation. I’m writing on Monday July 27th and it is not up yet on the site.

• A Fashion Candy Bowl: Valesque’s latest bags are hitting now. Do not wait! I immediately reached out to Emily Holt at Hero Shop at Marin Country Mart and she let me know they were receiving their delivery Monday. I’ve already placed my order and will be picking up this week. I have the Thea in slate (a light grey) but I’ve now added a red. On Net-a-Porter they have a large assortment too. The Thea in crushed velvet (hello yellow!), this lightweight tote (I love in Navy, but they have black too) and I plan to use when working and schlepping my kids around for activities, the spaghetti strap handbag is already sold out, but you can also order from Hero Shop and there is also a petite handbag in a crushed velvet. It’s like trick-or-treating without the cavities.

• If you are more into new Pleats Please versus sourcing secondhand (pant suit here, love this color, a vest, and a cardigan with tags) there are so many great pieces. Like this green midi skirt, a matching top, straight leg pants in a bold color, and a Miró-like top.

• More new at NAP that got my attention: The Row boots, and the mohair scarf, adding these great Proenza Schouler ballet flats go in the high vamp flats category I wrote about this weekend, but these Jil Sander flats with the vibram soul feel like a totally different category, I need to try this Agolde t-shirt because it looks like possibly the best grey t-shirt ever (this is my current all time favorite best grey t-shirt), and if you like Literary Sport I think you would be into the new delivery from Rier.

• Clare Waight Keller’s latest delivery at Uniqlo, new sweats, have arrived. My personal favorite is this quarter-zip sweatshirt.

• Our cool, fresh, modern QVC host is hosting a Free People Archival Collection live on Wednesday 7/29 at 6:45pm ET on Substack and Free People’s TikTok. Be there or be square.

• Jelly fruit for your feet. Loewe’s Pineapple Paula’s Ibiza peep toe sandals.

• Hitting another Nostalgia x Teen collaboration: Hello Kitty x MadHappy. This follows their collab with Roxy. The Hello Kitty collab is ideal for the teenager who loves back to school shopping for stationery in particular.

• Launching on July 30th, Hill House Home x Hart Jewelry. The collection includes charms, playing off of both of their seaside collections with a mermaid and a special pink bezel. Cords are made from fabric in Hill House prints.

• And find fresh receipts at the new Hill House Home that just opened in Georgetown.

• L’agence launched petite denim.

• Nour Hammour jackets have started arriving and assuming they will be as popular and in demand as LY (last year) you should make your decision soon. This suede is gorgeous and I’m expecting the funnel neck to make an impact this fall. My early Forecast.

• Congrats on the launch of Chellams. Read more here on her Substack. For someone who covers small brands from really cool female founders this launch makes so much sense! So proud of you.

• Lola Blankets launches a bandana print on July 31st. My kids love Lola Blankets. At this point I’ve bought an XL for my parents that started the obsession. I’ve now influenced their friends to buy and my kids now each have their own blanket.

The Look Of Loving Hands At Home, But Luxury

The 🌀 Fashion Spiral 🌀 Prints, Patchwork, and Talking Crafts

This spiral started with a comment from a Private Label reader “why isn’t Vera Bradley capitalizing on this moment” caught herself scrolling eBay for vintage Vera Bradley bags and wasn’t sure why and then she traced it back to and her comment on Substack that Celine’s new quilted patchwork tote looks like Vera Bradley. We all had this collective moment but others might go a bit further back and remember Pierre Deux. The quilted bag with a Provençal print that launched in 1967 (before Vera Bradley’s debut in 1982) but filed for Chapter 7 in 2011. Fear not, Pierre Deux is also taking this quilted pattern moment to stage a comeback. Stay tuned. And for a great explainer on Vera Bradley check out ’s breakdown on Instagram. I’ll likely write more later as to what is going on at Vera Bradley. That is a different story — audience and brand positioning versus product/merchandise.

As I had this little spiral in my head and both added to it. Waller posted over the weekend that the pre-orders on the exact Celine bag were through the roof and totally unrelated (most likely) Sundberg mentioned in Monday’s Feed Me with a stat about Liberty London’s fabric department. I remember this department from when I was studying abroad at the London College of Fashion. I would regularly channel check (I’ve been channel checking since birth) Liberty London and visit the fabric department and pick up Fat Quarters1 with my small student budget. It was what I could afford but I knew I had to sew something cool with it. I often made tiny handbags which is possibly why I love Valesque so much right now. All of this is how I ended up in a spiral connecting the Celine tote to sewing classes at a London department store. Bear with me, there’s a thru-line I promise.

Prints Charming

The Celine bag — quilted, patchwork, and in what I often refer to as a ditzy-print — is besides the Chanel and Hermès handbags, what people are excited by. I asked Gab Waller who sources in-demand products for what shoppers can’t locate on their own (and since this item is not sold online and a limited amount were made you will likely need the service of a sourcer to locate) and she told me that the moment Celine posted on their Instagram May 27th — and it was the second image in a carousel — she immediately received several requests for this tote. Currently Celine is Waller’s second best selling and most requested brand at the moment with the handbags and the oversized (what are being referred to as bug-eyed) sunglasses as the in-demand items. Since this bag was produced in such limited quantities and won’t launch online she isn’t surprised demand has been through the roof.

Other brands have also been leaning into print and pattern and collab. Think of Hunza G x Burberry at the beginning of the summer. I still think that was an excellent mash-up and well executed. To bring it back to other recognizable prints and a collab, Adidas x Liberty very recently had a high conversion of clicks when I wrote about it earlier this summer. (Ohhh! A Hunza G x Liberty collab would be very fun!)

Crafting the Story

This isn’t just a print story, it is a DIY and analog story too. From in Feed Me this week: “Fabric sales at Liberty London rose 11% YoY. In response, the department store doubled its fabrics department, and plans on hosting sewing classes this autumn.” The data shows us that it isn’t just Liberty London that is experiencing this. Needlepoint searches are up 251 percent and sewing is up 152 percent year-over-year per Michaels’ 2026 Creativity Trend Report.

I’ve been tracking and wrote about the crafting and repair trend earlier this summer. Fendi’s needlepoint baguette, FXRY’s repair services, the Nest partnership with Tory Burch and Dôen. The print revival and crafting boom are the same instinct and all the look of the crafters circle. My algorithm is also filled with other crafting moments. Will we see Longchamp or other brands take on bags like this or That Crochet Guy’s Birkins launch the next not-an-actual-Birkin-but-close?

Ending This Spiral

A little shoppies moment for what is on my mind as I pulled this together:

• Celine’s Quilted Jacket seems to be almost as popular as the totes

• Ralph Lauren’s Quilted Jacket, another prep staple

• The Great has a great bandana print bomber jacket

• Veronica Beard’s cropped jacket also has bandana vibes

• A Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA based store — House of Cardoon — sells these one-of-a-kind quilted jackets.

• Lily Eve’s repurposed Hermès blanket jackets bringing crafting and prep together again

• Call It By Your Name now has apparel and of course all of their quilted bags fit in here too. And the Mini Coton stroller bags

• Farm Rio on final sale and ba&sh has a quilted jacket on sale too.

• I love Dôen’s quilted toiletry bags for travel

• Vintage!!! eBay Vera Bradley Jacket, Etsy, Poshmark, or just look in your closet. Believe it or not I still have this and the matching garment bag similar to this. And I still use this (in a different pattern) for my flat iron. It has outlasted the 4 or so flat irons I’ve owned since high school. I am so not a print person, but I am a fashion hoarder and grew up in the suburbs with a mom who loved Vera Bradley.

🛍️ Quick note: I write a lot (too much good stuff to share!) If you’re reading via email only, you may need to click through to the web version or read on the Substack app. I promise it will be worth it. 🛍️

Influencers vs Shops in Nantucket

There has been a battle brewing on Instagram between Four Winds Craft Guild — which sells the $2,100 to $4,400 handmade baskets (Nantucket Friendship Baskets) that are made locally — and Influencers. The store has been around since 1948 but it is their “No Influencers” sign that has gotten them into the news lately.

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In this send: Target nails it with three new collabs on my radar this week and World Cup fans can check out American Eagle’s ongoing 5 year partnership with Lamine Yamal. I take a deeper look in this week’s Deep Dive behind the paywall. Plus: Agolde, Hailey Low Rise Loose, Rosie Assoulin, Target, Olivia Culpo, Picolette, Tuckernuck, Nili Lotan boots, Aflalo, Base-K Beauty, scalp care, Manuscript, Lexie Hull, “sweat adaptive,” Ariel Gordon Jewelry, Alo sunglasses, $3,600 shoes, Parke, the 19 jean, Keyne, Lamine’s Eagles, Country Marts, Schiaparelli, South Coast Plaza, Rubirosa, and a tip if you are bothered by no mirrors in the Aritzia dressing rooms.

• How Hailey Bieber’s Jeans Measure Up 👖

• New Collabs 🎯

• New Launches

• American Eagle x Lamine Yamal ⚽

• New Store Openings & Pop-Ups

• Martha’s Vineyard Channel Checks

• People in the News

• What Else I Loved

How Hailey Bieber’s Jeans Measure Up

All the (wrong) sizes of the Hailey Bieber x Gap denim I ordered for my daughter arrived. My teen tried to tell me that all of my denim is way too tight (I wear mostly straight legs and love my newest pair from Agolde and these from Khaite) so I figured I would humor her and try on the Hailey Low Rise Loose. My honest assessment is that they are great jeans. Not too low rise on me thanks to my 5 ft 2 inch petite frame. Yes the legs were baggier than I usually wear but they did feel cool. But alas, not cool or me enough to keep. So I’ll be returning 5 pairs of HB Gap denim this weekend and in the end we kept one pair of the Baggy in my daughter’s actual correct size.

, of course wearing her merchandising hat, pointed out that the leg openings on the two styles were nearly identical. 19.5 inches on the Low Rise Loose and 19.25 inches on the Extra Baggy. Since I had both pairs and a trusty measuring tape I lined up the same sizes and noted that at the knees the difference is 1.5 inches of extra fabric on the Extra Baggy. The Extra Baggy is also more of a mid-rise and has a 12 inch rise while the Low Rise only has 10.25 inches.

New Collabs

• Hitting the Target: Target has a trio of new collabs recently announced:

  • Rosie Assoulin for Target — I expect this colorful collection, especially the striped clothing, to go fast.

  • Target partnered with Olivia Culpo on Picolette, a baby clothing collection.

  • More options for tween clothing! Pacsun Kids will be a new kids clothing collection between Target x Pacsun. [Glossy]

  • Worth noting that Isaac Mizrahi officially started on June 15, 2026 in his role as Creative Director at Large so it will be interesting to see what the retailer and merchandising looks like once he has had some time to impact the collaborations.

• Tuckernuck x Mubadala DC Open — Tuckernuck is an official sponsor of the tennis tournament. Makes sense for a brand with deep Georgetown roots.

New Launches

• Nili Lotan launches shoes. On Monday Nili Lotan boots were featured on Net-a-Porter as an exclusive pre-launch. The collection is made in Italy and Spain. A few styles in the full collection include a cowboy style for $1,390, a lower heel for $990, and at $1,290 a high heel bootie. This launch follows the fall 2025 Handbag category expansion.

• Aflalo launched on Net-a-Porter this week expanding their distribution. The long satin shorts are already almost completely sold out. There is this gorgeous green plisse set (skirt — the matching tank is currently not available at NAP but you can find it here), capri board shorts, and of course their balloon pants.

• Emerging brands launching in Sephora: Sephora just announced their next cohort of Accelerate beauty brands. Two trends worth watching:

  • Scalp care coming in strong. 25 percent of the brands focus on scalp care. Base-K Beauty (this brush looks like it would feel so good!) Moré Beauté built for textured hair and launching soon. Manuscript is also coming soon and focuses on longevity — scalp care, thinning, and greying.

  • Performance wins the medals. Two performance brands are launching — Forta and Mowe. Forta was co-founded by Lexie Hull, a WNBA player, and recently launched a make-up setting spray. Mowe is “sweat adaptive” skincare made for movement.

• Curious what $3,600 plastic shoes look like?

• Shortly after I noted that while Shopbop sold Parke, they didn’t have any of their sweatshirt styles. Following the sweatshirt exclusive to Martha’s Vineyard pop-up they now have a few other “exclusive” mock neck sweatshirts on their site (more colors here and here but selling fast.) Order via Shopbop to skip the insanity of sell-outs that break the DTC site, no returns, and long wait pre-orders. More on the Martha’s Vineyard Shopbop pop-up below — a reader sent me some great flip-flops on the ground reporting.

• Ariel Gordon Jewelry has an Online Archive Sale that launches today! A few of my favorites include this minimal diamond pendant to add to a chain, diamond studs, a tiny birthstone hoop, and stacking a pearl and a turquoise bracelet together.

• Alo launched sunglasses. The styles (cat-eye, aviator, shields) are priced $250 to $375 are designed in-house in Los Angeles and assembled in Japan. What is most notable is that they did not partner with the big-names in eyewear production. No Luxottica (Ray-Ban), Safilo, Marchon or Marcolin.

• Congrats to and Donni on their site relaunch. I especially like this display of the fabrics highlighted below with the images. Closest you can get to fabric swatches online.

American Eagle Plays Ball with Lamine Yamal

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Fresh Receipts — another model denim launch & new deliveries

Forecasting — trends I’m seeing instead of a summer cardigan

Balloon Pants — where the trend came from and the latest data

Reformation IPO — the numbers and why sustainability isn’t on the radar

In My Feed — odds and ends (plus a Madewell recall fyi)

What’s Next — what else I’m watching

In this send: Seeing balloon pants everywhere and what is really going on with this trend — where did it come from? A deeper dive into Reformation’s pending IPO. Plus: Posse, Danielle Mulham, Pleats Please, The Upside, Adidas x Farm Rio, shield sunglasses, sheer cardigans, The Park, polka dot bikini, Aflalo, Chava, Donni, Paul Poiret, Pieter Mulier, The Odyssey, Lupita Nyong’o, REF, Edikted, Micaela Erlanger, and let’s get to it.

Fresh Receipts

• Re/done launched the Kaia Edit as part of a collaboration with Kaia Gerber. The Mica Jean, a take on the vintage Levi’s 501, is the hero product of the launch.

• Posse is an Australian label that Danielle Mulham launched in 2016 by designing the linen pieces she wanted after a trip to Bali. The brand has slowly and thoughtfully grown and is now carried at Net-a-Porter, Mytheresa, Shopbop, Revolve, Nordstrom, Tuckernuck, and Bergdorf Goodman. The brand broke through after Sofia Richie wore a Posse linen skirt and vest set to her 2023 wedding weekend at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc mixing it in with designer pieces from Chanel.

  Fast forward to Pre-Fall 2026 and the new sets have launched on Posse’s website. Instead of the summer linen sets, you’ll find lots of plisse sets. An even softer version of an Issey Miyake Pleats Please. The looks also read very ballet and lingerie inspired for day-time casual.

• The Upside — another Australian label — has a new delivery on Mytheresa that made me excited for fitness apparel and athleisure. Thanks to Literary Sport (I just placed an order for a few items — I’ll share more details soon) and The Upside, there are options that are more considered and interesting than plain black leggings and sports bras (though they have those too). A printed fuzzy half-zip (I’d go for this solid black version), track pants for the gym (or travel, or casual WFH), printed leggings here and here, and instead of a sweatshirt try a polo top. I’ve already been wearing this one I own a lot instead of a sweatshirt.

• More for the sports set: Another new fun workout set if you are allergic to plain black, go for a pattern! The new Adidas x Farm Rio set. Designer anoraks from Saint Laurent and Miu Miu with a coordinating skirt. Phoebe Philo satin track shorts, and Loewe shield sunglasses.

• This Fendi Baguette is a literal piece of art. With the price tag too.

Forecasting

• Not a basic cardigan: The summer option for layers was always considered to be the knit cardigan. I’ve noticed this summer the options are more likely to be a few other styles:

  • Oversized button-up. I’m partial to this one that I had made semi-custom on a trip last summer to Mexico City that I basically planned around visiting Olivia Villanti’s Tiendita for Chava. After reading this Substack by you will be convinced to buy this one. Not convinced yet? Another article from . For the true heat of summer, a few sheer button downs like Aflalo, Donni (I own and love this one), Reformation, and Brochu Walker.

  • Oversized long sleeve t-shirt. Mostly in white or channeling Margot Robbie at the airport in black. I also like this gauze-y jersey t-shirt and these cashmere options.

  • A sheer cardigan. From Chloé, Renngli - vest version too, The Park, and pointelle to make it sheer from Anthropologie.

• This Alaïa polka dot bikini had me updating the Polka Dot Trend Forecast. There are a lot of new polka dots I’ve tracked from pants, dresses, and taffeta shorts.

Balloon Pants are Blowing Up

My favorite trends to track are the ones that at once seemed polarizing and then gained a bit more acceptance. Not 100 percent adoption rate, but was given a side-eye one year comes back to be worn by more than just the early adopters. Instead of only being available with designer brands you can find at all price points and the style is usually toned down in some versions too. This season I’m seeing the Balloon Pants hit that trend target, another one has been Capri pants.

• Before they pop: The first ones to blow up last summer were Aflalo, and they are back again this summer. Others include the Chloé bohemian runway and floral printed, Altuzarra (and 60% off here), Loewe, accessibly luxury at Róhe (in an exclusive seersucker red at NAP), Australian designer Zimmermann’s polka dots or paisley printed (on sale here) or lingerie inspired, Reformation’s pretty in pink, Posse’s polka dots, Donni’s version instead of sweat pants, Suzie Kondi has had this version for awhile as they are inspired by her Albanian grandmother’s harem pants, Skall Studio’s Scandinavian basically office appropriate, Aritzia, light blue from Alix of Bohemia, Ronny Kobo super sheer lace or sheer but with bum coverage, printed from Dôen, and on the beach easy as a sheer cover-up. There are also plenty of fast fashion examples.

• The WHY of Balloon Pants…

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In this send: Can Gap make me forget that Hailey Bieber loves to wear Vintage Levi’s 501 denim? Plus: Denim by Orlee, vintage Levi’s 501s, Katseye, Richard Dickson, Parke, Splashberry Dunkin’ Zero, Merit Beauty x The Ritz-Carlton, Nicole Chavez, Quince, Beyond Yoga, Uniqlo, rage clicks, Aritzia, Super Puff, ShopMy, Julia Berolzheimer, Arielle Charnas, LTK, Arket, FoundRae, Chanel Ballet Flats, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

New Collabs

• Let’s get right to the Hailey Bieber x Gap of it all. I’ll take you on my full thought 🌀 spiral around this one.

  • First, I mostly identify Hailey Bieber and denim with Levi’s 501s. And vintage Levi’s 501s specifically. She wore them to her 29th birthday party, she shops them at Denim by Orlee, she did a campaign with them in 2021, and even had terms Hailey + ’90s + denim already wrapped up with Levi’s from a previous campaign. In other words, I think of Hailey Bieber and denim and my mind immediately goes to Levi’s. Vintage Levi’s 501s.

  • Then, I googled. I was reminded that after wearing these 90s Gap low rise loose fit jeans she sold them out. (If I can’t snag a pair online at 12pm ET Thursday July 16th I will just buy these instead. Since my daughter isn’t chronically online like I am hopefully she wouldn’t know the difference.) So yes, there is history of Hailey Bieber plus Gap denim. Fair point.

  • It’s money in the bank for Hailey, Gap gets another great moment and so much press, editorial, social chatter and a collab with an in-demand tastemaker. And of course she makes the denim look great.

  • What I think needs to happen for Gap: I hope they bought enough inventory that they can sell and have a meaningful increase for Gap’s denim at the Q2 quarterly earnings in late August. In Q3 2025 when CEO Richard Dickson shared about the Katseye Better in Denim campaign, he cited "significant traffic and double-digit growth in denim". Gap became the number six adult denim brand in the US, up two spots from 2024. Comps that quarter were +5 percent, the strongest since fiscal 2017 holiday. Dickson has continued to share as recently as Q1 2026, last quarter reported at the end of May, that Denim and Active are important categories for the Gap brand. In other words, Gap needs to get a lot of revenue out of this campaign.

• Parke x Dunkin collab launches Friday July 17th at 10am ET. In addition to Parke merch like claw clips, Parke branded reusable cups, and sweatshirts, you can also try their Blueberry Vanilla Protein Latte, Splashberry Dunkin’ Zero, and Coconut Cloud Limeade drinks. If you are curious about Parke, it is one of the brands I often refer to as a “sweatshirt brand” for Gen Z-Alpha. Yes, Parke also has denim and launched with denim, but the mock neck sweatshirt has been a major item when they launch new ones. Likely because of how they buy the inventory, they sell out quickly, and often the website breaks from the traffic during launches.

• Merit Beauty x The Ritz-Carlton launched The Getaway Kit with minis of their popular products, including the new Clean Volume Mascara that recently launched. The collab is more than just a canvas pouch and the mini items, they took a hospitality approach to creating activations at select Ritz-Carlton properties along with ways to test out the products.

• Love Shack Fancy x Hunter (as in rain boots) launches today. Designed especially for the LSF loyal fans.

New Launches

• Stylist Nicole Chavez partnered with Quince to highlight the July/Summer Edit. The pattern has been each month a different celebrity stylist. Jamie Mizrahi (April), Erin Walsh (May), Kate Young (June).

• announced a new e-commerce site, Earl URL to shop her discoveries (I love her cool closet of a shop Earl IRL in Beverly Hills) and a book coming out this fall What To Wear Everyday: A Guide To Timeless Style.**

Retail Report Card

Early in July Levi’s, Fast Retailing (Uniqlo’s Parent Co), and Aritzia all shared their quarterly earnings. A great opportunity to check in on the retailers, review their report card, and share what I’m watching. Note — this is not investment advice. This is Private Label taking a look at retail strategy and how they are taking care of the consumer. Opportunities and challenges.

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Fresh Receipts

• This went fast: I love a good stud, so I tagged this Polo Ralph Lauren shoulder bag to share and it has already sold out at Net-a-porter (another one here still in stock). This version is less studded, but still very cool. Another iteration that feels almost like the little sister.

• Gap cues the boombox: Are we ready for this next Gap collab? If it is what it is teasing it could be big for marketing — but you know I want to see the actual merchandise and the execution. We will find out July 16th.

• Esprit de Costco: Costco has Esprit sweatshirts for $16.99 in store and $18.99 online and Gen X’ers on social media are freaking out. I asked , a brand expert and someone who worked at Esprit as the Global Chief Brand Officer what she thought. She told me “Costco is a great distribution channel for Esprit, as it ensures the reach with be wide. And the sweatshirts look amazing and are hitting all the right notes.” I love it when a brand can bring a bit of joy to shoppers.

• Fresh Sale: Agmes launched their summer sale. In addition to having items on sale, they also have “experiment” items that are one-of-a-kind samples like these cool cufflinks. With button-up and button-down shirts being so of-the-moment (Charvet, Char-nel, Chava, Ralph Lauren) we need more jewelry brands creating cufflinks. In the Agmes sale you will also find archival jewelry and past season styles. These organic pearl earrings are really special too. Use code sale2026 to access the sale here.

• In(La)Veste in this tote: As I’ve been tracking canvas totes, the La Veste new delivery came across my feed and while the shape is classic the pattern is FUN! And striped!! Just like their pants and shorts are whimsical and more unique, so are these bags. I really love the Pippi Pouch. It reminds me of the Hermès Bolide Pouch.

Forecasting

Have you noticed an influx of bikinis printed on t-shirts and button-ups this summer? I’ve been spotting more and more available for sale and when I saw this DIY tutorial pop-up on my feed I decided it was time to really see if this is happening.

Note — I’m questioning if this really is a thing because I haven’t noticed any out in the wild. I haven’t come across anyone wearing. But I’m seeing it enough that I wanted to dig in. I asked my thirteen year old and she told me a girl brought one with a green bikini top for color war at her sleep away camp and I thought that was a cute “use case” for wearing the type of t-shirt.

• I’m calling Nikki Chasin as the original. (We DO NOT consider this the original, but it is still related as a trompe l’oeil bathing suit and t-shirt.)

• Last summer there was a fun Nikki Chasin x Loeffler Randall collab (hi! )

• Coniglio Palm Beach has done a few button-ups with string bikini tops printed on them. Like this one in blue and this orange bikini with a stripe shirt.

• Tombolo has a playful take on sand dollars.

• This Free People version reminds me of when you put a t-shirt on after the beach or pool and your swimsuit is still wet.

• Simon Miller has a playful version on a stripe t-shirt.

• A brand inspiring some more DIY versions is this brand, Queen of Sparkles, with this version of a top and this cover-up. Anyone want to share more in the comments about the brand Queen of Sparkles? I’m all ears.

• Target had one in 2025, and now there are tons on Shein! I won’t link, just trust me or go ahead and search.

Sole Proprietors

• FP Movement has a new collaboration with Asics. The apparel items have the FP Movement style all over them, in a good way. I also like how they have a runners bundle and a tennis bundle. The price points on the bundles are high for their core demographic but I love a bundle to drive up Average Order Value. (I live in Asics Gel-Kayanos — usually the 14, but my latest pair is this one — the Gel-Kayano 20, bought at FP Movement. Their colorways were the best when I was searching.)

  • A few Gen Z focused mall brands have been getting more and more into the footwear category. See: Aritzia, and Abercrombie & Fitch. [CNBC, Glossy, WWD] And of course I have a few additional thoughts to add.

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• New Collabs

• New Launches

• New Prep on the Block

• New Store Openings

• Summer Season Pop-Ups

• People & Brands in the News

• What Else I Loved

New Collabs

• I noticed on Mytheresa this week that the Rixo x Dragon Diffusion collab was back. It is their third season working together (Spring 2025, Autumn 2025 and now this Spring/Summer 2026 drop) so let’s look at why this is working and what I love.

  • There are two new shapes: Lysia a mini tote, and Saoirse a proper handbag. Plus a new color, the Amoria in niamh a butter yellow added to what already has launched in the past. The price points range from $245 for the belt to $630 for the larger Lucine tote. The Roxella belt was inspired by Rixo Co-founder Orlagh McCloskey’s own collection.

  • At Mytheresa you can also find the Lucine tote in navy and a dark silver, the Amoria in green and a gold version, and the smaller Lysia mini tote in silver and gold. Another win is having a different assortment on Rixo and Mytheresa so there is a reason to shop at each retailer.

  • Coming back to proven styles and adding in new additions shows that this program is working. I appreciate that it isn’t a straight repeat but these bags are classics so it didn’t need to be a complete reinvention or a new brand partner.

  • Dragon Diffusion's founder, Craig Wright, spends about 60 percent of his time weaving leather for Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Loewe, Prada, and Bottega Veneta from a NYTimes profile (gift link). His factory outside Chennai runs about 700 weavers through 43 miles of leather strips a day. The identifiable Santa Croce weave took six months to perfect.

  • Plenty of mall brands have merchandised their own version of the Dragon Diffusion woven bag but none of them have the charm, quality, and expertise that Wright’s product does. I appreciate how Rixo rather than doing their own version partnered with Dragon Diffusion and kept it as a collab, or maybe that was the only option). It also makes the price point feel like a designer deal. The price-to-value equation for Dragon Diffusion handbags is unmatched by any other brand. You won’t find a quality bag for these retails.

  • Bonus, while on the Rixo site it is worth checking out the Coralie sleevless style combo dress that is a summer-y version of this incredibly popular Meg dress that is a combo of polka dots and leopard print. They also have romantic and boho style blouses.

• When I first saw the Birkenstock x Repetto collab I had to confirm that it wasn’t AI. [WWD]

• Madhappy has been cranking out the collabs. From Freecity, Converse, Puma, Crocs. So Madhappy x Roxy feels straight from their playbook.

Sports Corner Collabs

• The latest in extremely minimal shoes are from Xero Shoes x Literary Sport in their version of the original Genesis barefoot sandal. Literary Sport brought in the paracord construction with a navy leather cord and silver bead.

• Aimé Leon Dore x New Balance collab

• Another collab between Malbon x Fabletics launched this week.

New Launches

• Glossier, with a ton of eyeballs on the business (see Rachel Strugatz coverage, and the latest on their marketing at BoF from Brennan Kilbane) launched a new Balm Dotcom. An apple flavor inspired by NYC — the I ❤️ NY Balm Dotcom. Two things can be true. One, I think this is a fun launch and has some city adjacent activations. BUT I’m really hoping to see more from Glossier if they want to continue to be relevant in the beauty space. I don’t think this is enough or what an audience is looking for now.

  • Ed. Note: Glossier has likely lost their millennial shoppers to brands like Rhode and Summer Fridays and their elder millennials to Violette_fr, Merit, Saie, Jones Road, and Westman Atelier. They can still capture Gen Z but they need more innovative products that cut through the noise and not a rinse and repeat of what is already out there. I’m afraid to share how many balms and glosses are in my make-up drawer (please don’t make me count)!

• Sofie Pavitt, the acne whisperer, is launching a new facial treatment — microdermabrasion-inspired scrub. Studio Smooth Microdermabrasion Exfoliating Skin Treatment is a mouthful but lays it out all for SEO. Make sure you are reading , ’s Substack. I bought this recently for my daughter to try.

• Sidia is launching at Sephora Canada. I love their hand serum, it feels sophisticated, the scents are not overpowering, and it blends right in.

• Herbert Levine just launched an ecommerce site, including exclusive styles. Herbert Levine isn't a new name in shoes, but it closed up shop in 1975. Relaunched in 2025 with Trevor Houston as the designer, the brand just added e-commerce as the next piece of bringing it back. You can read more about the brand and Houston in the NYTimes profile from earlier this spring.

• Collina Strada has 7 exclusive styles launching at Nuuly. The goal with launches like this is to attract new subscribers to Nuuly and for Collina Strada if you try these new styles maybe you will be more likely to be a shopper in the future.

• Bloomingdale’s is launching Ulla Johnson in store at Century City, Aventura, and Chestnut Hill.

New (Old) Prep On The Block

When I spot three in one day around a single trend I start to 🌀 spiral.

1. Elle Fanning in the Dior Dioriviera Mid-Length Shirt Dress. Pastel color-block shirting. Fanning wore this dress to Wimbledon.

2. Quiet Town x Alex Mill pastel color-block collab. 100 percent cotton and made out of Quiet Town’s shower curtain scraps. Announced on Wednesday via Alex Mill’s Instagram.

3. With Nothing Underneath colorful seersucker patchwork. I’ve been talking about how much I love this brand, so my algorithm knows and keeps surfacing more looks.

4. BONUS, I found some more once I started to 🌀: Try resale: Lands End, J.Crew shirt or J.Crew dress, for Elle Fanning feel try this Staud dress from .

5. Double Bonus 🌀 🌀: Go back to the OG. I knew Ralph Lauren had plenty of this too. In Big & Tall, adorable for the kiddos, and yes to vintage western Polo Ralph Lauren.

Here's the part context: this isn't just “prep is back” on its usual cycle. This specific, softer version has a traceable origin point. Jonathan Anderson's Dior turned toward a

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