FASHION
Saks Global’s Layoff Countdown & Naadam’s Botched “Soft” Launch
A tidy roundup of fashion world intel: What to expect from the next round of layoffs coming to the deeply challenged luxury retailer; how credit card companies are evolving their Fashion Week activations; and the shaky debut of Matt Scanlan’s new Naadam sub-brand.
The Fréd Balloon
As Frédéric Arnault tries to figure out a new story for Loro Piana in a post-‘Succession’ world, Giorgia Meloni’s crackdown on factory working conditions threatens to shed light on what that $3,000 “quiet luxury” cashmere sweater actually costs to make. Is this gig now one of the Herculean labors required to one day win the big job?
Rachel Strugatz
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August 6, 2025
Gwyneth & The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
A talmudic discussion of Goop’s fortunes, Paltrow’s strengths and weaknesses, and various exit outcomes with Amy Odell, the author of ‘Gwyneth.’
Sarah Shapiro
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August 5, 2025
‘Devil 2’ Fashion Winners & Nantucket’s Retail Gridlock
A roundup of fashion intel: the “media impact value” of the ‘Devil Wears Prada 2’ pap shots and Instagram buzz for brands; whether Nantucket can survive any more retail pop-ups this season; and a close look at Gen Z’s “white tank top theory.”
Sarah Shapiro
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August 5, 2025
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Jeanius
In this summer’s crowded premium denim market, brand success hinges on securing top design talent. Pro tip: size up!
Lauren Sherman
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August 4, 2025
Quince’s Imitation Games
Everyone in fashion hates Quince, but the luxury knockoff brand reportedly generates around $700 million a year in revenue—thanks, partly, to the ultra-wealthy striving to appear budget-conscious.
Lauren Sherman
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August 4, 2025
American Eagle’s Sweeney Defense & Brazil’s Fashion Shaman Claps Back
News and notes on American Eagle’s internal messaging as the brand tries to brush off the Sydney Sweeney jeans/genes controversy, and why the fashion industry’s most in-demand runway shaman started beefing with Trump over tariffs.
Sarah Shapiro
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August 1, 2025
Lab-Grown Diamond Fever & A ‘Devil 2’ TikTok Problem
News and notes on the rising market for lab-grown diamonds, a surprising downside to TikTok’s obsession with the ‘Devil Wears Prada’ sequel, and the latest collabs, launches, and store openings worth tracking.
Sarah Shapiro
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August 1, 2025
The Week in Shopping: Has Activewear Peaked?
The once-beloved O.G. activewear brand Outdoor Voices is returning to a market oversaturated with its successors—competitors like Vuori, Beyond Yoga, and Lululemon, all trying to figure out the next version of the all-day, here-for-it outfit.
Big Luxury’s Earnings Anxieties & A Fashion Documentary Boomlet
News and notes on LVMH, Kering, and the Prada Group all missing analyst expectations this earnings season; the wave of fashion documentaries in the works, including Sofia Coppola’s Marc Jacobs project; and a fashion-friendly annotation of Saks Global’s $2.2 billion exchange offer with bondholders.
Who Framed Roger Lynch?
Condé Nast is on target to miss $1 billion in revenue this year, a somewhat stunning but not entirely unpredictable milestone. Is this all Roger Lynch’s fault, the natural order of things, or simply the Newhouses’ plan?
Rachel Strugatz
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July 30, 2025
Ulta Motives
The mass American retailer is embarking on a global expansion that will begin to challenge Sephora’s 35-nation global presence—and, more importantly, loosen its decades-long vise grip on the beauty retail business.
Lauren Sherman & Sarah Shapiro
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July 29, 2025
Kering’s De Meo Waiting Game & American Eagle’s Substack Misfire
A close look at Kering’s first-half results and the anticipation for Luca de Meo’s start at Gucci; the drama surrounding Nick Vogelson’s New York-based indie mag Document Journal; and American Eagle’s failure to launch on Substack.
Sarah Shapiro
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July 29, 2025
Polène In
For a luxury industry struggling with oversaturation and tight margins, the success of Polène—and their Cyme tote, in particular—seems to prove that accessible luxury can generate a decently sized business with just a few stores and limited awareness. At least for the time being.
Lauren Sherman
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July 28, 2025
Versace’s Dario Vitale Calculus & More Vogue Succession Speculation
News and notes on the postponement of Dario Vitale’s debut runway show at Versace, and the rise of another Wintour loyalist in the American Vogue succession sweepstakes.
Lauren Sherman
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July 28, 2025
LVMH’s Marc Jacobs Discount Sale
After months of blustery denial, a strategic leak suggests that LVMH is indeed looking to off-load Marc Jacobs—a generationally iconic brand with a still-active founder that no longer fits the paradigm of modern superscale luxury. The only surprise is the price.
Sarah Shapiro
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July 25, 2025
The Row’s Scarcity Strategy & A Nightgown Renaissance
News and notes on why the internet lost its marbles over The Row’s $620 Ama slides; the brands reinventing the nightwear market; the latest store openings, collabs, and launches worth tracking; and much more.