loads of gen z trends (i gave in)
plus McKinsey: the good, the bad, and the ugly
Quick Hits
From Blackpink to Boygenius, band fashion is back in a big way
Harvey Weinstein’s conviction is overturned by New York’s top court
TikTok’s Chinese counterpart, Douyin, is courting American designers
Meta’s stock plunges 15% after announcing ‘aggressive’ AI spending plans
Harry Styles's lifestyle brand, Pleasing, is hosting a pop-up salon in Austin, Texas. I don’t have much to say here except that I completely forgot Harry was among the ranks of celebrities-turned-consumer-brand founders until this post came up on my feed. My vague recollections of Pleasing had it as a nail polish company- but they do fragrance, beauty, and apparel too! Did you guys know this? According to Vogue, Harry “remains behind the scenes” (shocker), and co-creative directors Harry Lambert and Molly Hawkins pretty much ran the show until Shaun Kearney was brought on as CEO at the end of 2023. Kearney is responsible for the quick-fire product expansion and the months-long pop-ups in LA and NYC that are only just coming to a close. Y’all know I’m obsessed with great branding, so I'm very pleased with what’s happening here. Pun intended ;)
Luxury perfume has entered its dupe era (and I can’t say I hate it). Startups like Noted Aromas, The Essence Vault, and Eden Perfumes are making big bucks from replicating luxury scents and selling them for a fraction of the price. These brands don't try to pass themselves off as the real thing but instead claim to offer around a 90% match. For people who want to build a fragrance collection but can’t afford luxury prices, a 90% match is good enough. And because most perfumes’ raw materials are accessible and inexpensive, and it's also essentially impossible to patent a perfume’s essence, there isn’t much luxury perfume brands can do. Personally, I’m always here for a good dupe, but I can see how this can negatively affect smaller perfumiers. How are we feeling about this?
Aimé Leon Dore is launching a golf line, and millennials are moving into private golf communities. TZR might have been too early when it predicted that golf core would surpass tennis core in 2023, but they weren't too far off. Both aesthetics speak to the same sensibilities—preppy athleisure with a dash of quiet luxury—so I do expect to see golf core gaining steam pretty soon. All it needs is a steamy feature film starring some very young, very hot people in a love triangle.
In more 'core' news, Gorpocore is still very much in with Gen Z (I can confirm this), and groups like Gorp Girls, Athene Club, and Gutsy Girls are creating spaces for young women to build community while enjoying the outdoors. It's like running clubs but for hiking. I'm closely watching the trajectory of these sports-as- lifestyle communities, and the growing role I predict they’ll play in Gen Z’s lives. People are already finding love on pickleball courts! And because we know the brands will swoop in, I can’t wait to see what happens there as well. Hoka is already doing amazing things with the girlies.
Coachtopia has teamed up with four upcyclers from their community to release a line of sustainably produced bags and graphic tees. I’ve written about how impressed I am with Coachtopia before. Coach (through Coachtopia) is one of the few heritage luxury(ish) brands that has been able to position itself as authentically serving Gen Z and Alpha. Having Coachtopia as a sub-label allows Coach to move away from its affordable luxury positioning while maintaining the young but loyal consumer base that elevated the Tabby bag to icon status. This week, Business of Fashion published a report claiming that wealthier Gen X shoppers were less willing to spend on sustainable products, but Millennial and Gen-Z respondents were among the most likely to pay a premium for environmentally friendly practices. So Coachtopia's "better future for our planet" positioning is a smart move as it allows parent company, Tapestry, to target an audience where sustainability is a factor, while Coach enjoys the halo effects without explicitly branding itself as sustainable.
BNPL startup Affirm now offers loans for elective medical procedures. Since 2023, Affirm has more than doubled the number of elective medical merchants on its network, reaching around 130 by the end of last year. It’s hoping to tap into growing consumer demand for financing cosmetic treatments, as well as dental services, medical devices, and veterinary procedures. Looksmaxxing for all, I guess.
Good to know I’m not the only one who can’t stop thinking about how UNHINGED Baby Reindeer was. My best friend and I watched it for our weekly Netflix Teleparty date, and we had thoughts. You know one of those shows where you have to pause every so often to confirm that that actually just happened ?! Yeah, this is one of those. Sound off in the comments, people!
Watching Mark Zuckerberg’s metamorphosis from nerdy, unknowable tech prodigy to maybe hot, kinda with-it, man of the people has been a trip. The people have Marquise Daquan Zuckerberg and have forgotten the flop that was the metaverse, along with the looming threat of AI. His publicist (whoever they are) might just be able to take on Tree Paine.
Surprising no one, TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, says it won't sell TikTok to a U.S company. However, other sources say they are exploring scenarios for selling TikTok to a U.S company, preferably outside the tech industry and without including the algorithm.
For all of us wondering where all those unwanted influencer gifts go, startups like Detoure, Reliked, and Basic Space are resale platforms specifically made to rehome the trendy items and barely worn pieces that brands gift to influencers. Honestly genius, because we all knew influencers couldn’t possibly be using up all that stuff! Founded in March 2021, Detoure opened its first brick-and-mortar store this month on LA’s Melrose Avenue, after experiencing 200% year-over-year revenue growth and operating about 50 pop-up events. A win-win, because for influencers, it’s an extra income stream to supplement their livelihoods between contracts.
Dazed Studio released SUBCULTURES REDEFINED, a talent directory of 120 individuals and communities that are redefining subculture and influencing global youth culture. I’ll do a deep dive and report back on Monday, but I’ve been highly impressed with Dazed’s trend and culture reporting lately. Highsnobiety is also killing it, which makes me think Europe-born culture media might be having a moment.
Yes, signet rings are pretty hot, and any self respecting Gen Z has a few. Two ways I love to style them: rings on a few fingers with a.) a hyper feminine prairie dress or some other coquettish look or b.) wide leg pants or shorts with a football (soccer) jersey. Finish off both looks with loafers/ boat shoes/ any adidas terrace sneakers.
If any Gen Zers tell you they’d rather explore a new app if TikTok gets banned than use Instagram because it’s “embarrassing,” please don’t believe them. At this point, I genuinely think some of these publications will print anything because they know “Gen Z says”, “Gen Z thinks”, “Gen Z wants” gets clicks. Woe to any marketers who doesn’t have an actual Zoomer on their team.
According to a McKinsey report, Hollywood forfeits up to $30B every year because of racial inequity. “Analysts totaled up the potential financial revenue that Hollywood could stand to gain if it adopted more culturally inclusive business solutions: $10 billion per year from closing the Black inequity gap, an eye-popping $12 billion to $18 billion from properly valuing Latino professionals and consumers, and — in the latest report released today, conducted in collaboration with Gold House — $2 billion to $4.4 billion from more effectively tapping the Asian and Pacific Islander market.” You’re encouraged to save this link for future arguments.
Less great McKinsey news: the consultancy firm is under criminal investigation in the U.S over allegations that they played a key role in fueling the opioid epidemic through their work advising the OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and other drugmakers. Specifically, strategies to boost sales of prescription painkillers that led to widespread addiction and fatal overdoses.
Not to make light of the situation, but I feel like it’s a great time to pull out this TikTok
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser