FASHION
Sarah Shapiro
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May 16, 2025
The Week in Shopping: Malls Are Back (Again)
News and notes on the psychology behind a successful shopping mall, a sporty new kids line from Shenzhen, and why two sports retailers are consolidating.
Bergdorf’s Diamond Wars & More Vanity Fair Whispers
Fresh intel from the fashion frontlines: How Bergdorf become an epicenter for the lab-grown vs. natural diamonds debate, why analysts are suddenly bullish on the activewear brand Under Armour, and the latest chatter surrounding Vanity Fair’s E.I.C. search.
The Arnaults Go to Washington
The LVMH royal family’s courtship of Trump at the inauguration, once mocked, now looks wisely proactive, with Bernard and Alexandre returning to meet with the president in the Oval Office. Were they lobbying for a luxury carve-out on looming 20 percent tariffs?
Lauren Sherman
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May 14, 2025
A Burberry Intervention & Satisfy’s Series B Paradox
News and notes on how Burberry C.E.O. Josh Schulman’s turnaround is coming along, plus fresh intel on the Wertheimer-backed, Paris-based activewear brand Satisfy.
Rachel Strugatz
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May 14, 2025
The Condom Guys’ M&A Strategy
Church & Dwight has made a fortune on the glitter-free side of the CVS aisle—baking soda, acne cream, condoms—but with its stake in Zoomer hand sanitizer brand Touchland, it’s revealing a glimpse of its novel acquisition strategy while showing there are signs of life in beauty M&A.
Lauren Sherman & Sarah Shapiro
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May 13, 2025
Balenciaga’s Designer Pump Fake & ShopMy’s New Edge
News and notes on a C-suite shake-up at Balenciaga, an M&A move giving ShopMy a new edge in the commerce wars, and fresh H.R. drama at Adidas HQ.
Sarah Shapiro
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May 13, 2025
Teflon Donni
In an industry that values speed and scale, Donni, the trendy, L.A.-based stretchy mom-pants brand, is taking it slow. Is founder Alyssa Wasko naive about what it takes to compete, or forging a new model for subscale, independent brands?
Lauren Sherman & Sarah Shapiro
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May 12, 2025
WME Fashion Chatter & Barneys’ TV Resurrection
News and notes on the strange decision to set a television show in a modern-day Barneys New York, the essential value of Art + Commerce to the WME portfolio, and a shake-up at the trendy D.T.C. luggage brand Away.
Lauren Sherman
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May 12, 2025
Twin Peaks
The Row defined the pandemic-adjacent era of TikTok- and ‘Succession’-fueled “quiet luxury.” Now, with the trend moving on and a wholesale strategy that’s reliant on beleaguered department stores, the Olsens are facing their next challenge.
Lauren Sherman & Sarah Shapiro
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May 9, 2025
A P.R. Consolidation Play & Fashion’s Substackification
News and notes on the elevation of P.R. maestro Jesse Darris, the fashion and beauty brands flocking to Substack, and the latest openings and collabs.
Sarah Shapiro
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May 9, 2025
The Week in Shopping: Caruso’s Grove Nostalgia & Synergy on Melrose
News and notes on the festival of denim at Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour, the ’90s nostalgia at The Grove via Gap and Coach, and why the latest beauty pop-ups are having so much success.
A Drunk Elephant Bombshell & Calvin Klein’s Executive Ouster
Fresh details on the exit of Drunk Elephant founder and chief creative officer, Tiffany Masterson; Maryam Nassirzadeh’s new gig on the design team for Loewe Paula’s Ibiza; and the ouster of Calvin Klein’s global brand president.
A Chanel Heir’s Mini Nike Play
David Wertheimer, a 38-year-old heir to the Chanel fortune and founder of 1686 Partners, is the surprising new money in Paris-based activewear brand Satisfy.
Lauren Sherman & Rachel Strugatz
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May 7, 2025
Arnaults in the White House & Makeup by Mario Deal Heat
News and notes from around the fashion universe: The M&A chatter surrounding Makeup by Mario, what to make of Bernard and Alexandre Arnault’s visit to the White House, and how Zendaya and Anna Sawai wound up twinning on the red carpet.
Lauren Sherman
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May 7, 2025
Best in Show: The Met Gala Superlatives
This year, fashion’s annual self-celebration was grander, more political, and mostly a success. Herewith, the best dressed, biggest disappointments, most brain-dead, and more.
Lauren Sherman & Sarah Shapiro
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May 6, 2025
A WME Fashion Shake-up & The New Retail Landscape
A close look at WME’s fashion ambitions as the agency’s fashion boss Susan Plagemann lets go of her two closest confidants, and what the closure of a trio of department stores in San Francisco signals about broader retail shopping habits.
Sarah Shapiro
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May 6, 2025
Jenny From the Block
Rothy’s has been resurgent ever since Jenny Ming, a retail veteran of Gap and Old Navy, left the boardroom and got back into the C-suite. In a candid interview, she discusses diversifying Rothy’s channels and supply chain as the shoe brand moves beyond D.T.C.