Deep Dive - Week of July 22nd 2024 - Collabs, Lyst Index, Tuckernuck Jackie & more
Plus! An exciting announcement to bring more retail diary insights & value to readers.
A quick announcement and then we get into plenty of insights so keep scrolling - it’s a long one.
This Week's Topics:
Retail Diary Evolves: More Insights, More Value
Collabs get Hero Status this week
New Collabs
New Launches
Lyst Index Rankings & Thoughts
Tuckernuck’s Jackie
The Business Section
Fashion Finds
What else I ❤️️
Retail Diary Evolves: More Insights, More Value!
For over five years, Retail Diary has been my passion project. What began in August 2019 (yes, this is my 5th Anniversary!) as a small newsletter read by family, friends, and colleagues has blossomed into a global community of thousands of retail enthusiasts, thanks to my move to Substack in June 2023.
As Retail Diary continues to grow, I'm thrilled to introduce a paid tier that offers even more in-depth content for our most dedicated readers. Here's what's in store:
For $8 per month, paid subscribers will receive:
✅ The full weekly Thursday Deep Dive (Deep Dive example)
✅ 2 exclusive posts per month, featuring deep dives into retail business, rising brands, emerging trends, and more. Expect expanded versions of your favorites like Brand Crush, Retail Business School, and Trend Forecasting, plus exciting new content!
✅ Access to the exclusive Retail Diary Substack chat for fashion commentary & networking opportunities. We kicked off more in the Chat this week. I’ll include some AMAs and networking opportunities for paid subscribers and general recommendations and links to job listings will be free for all subscribers (paid or not.)
Free subscribers will continue to enjoy:
Read 50% of the Weekly Thursday Deep Dive (Deep Dive example)
Weekly Sunday Scoop (recent Sunday Scoop here)
Fashion Spiral assorted edits throughout the year (see the recent White T-shirt Fashion 🌀 Spiral)
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Now let’s get into it.
Collabs get Hero Status this week
Why? So many great ones have launched this week or recently. AND, Retail Diary (me! Sarah Shapiro) connected with a favorite journalist of mine, Madeline Schulz, to chat about collabs and why mall brands are working with independent designers and vice versa for Vogue Business.
Madeline Schulz wrote for Vogue Business “Mall Brands’ Comeback Partner is the Cult Fashion Label.” Let’s chat about the highlights:
Recent collaborations between legacy mall brands and cult fashion labels are gaining attention, such as J.Crew x Maryam Nassir Zadeh (MNZ) and Gap x Dôen.
These partnerships benefit both sides: mall brands gain fashion credibility, while niche brands expand their reach.
Pricing is crucial for success. The J.Crew x MNZ collection was priced under $300, making it accessible to a wider audience. One of the sleeper hits from this collection I ordered and just received - the ballet bateau neckline with shorter cap-sleeves t-shirts. This is a great piece. Wear with jeans, under slip dresses and a perfect thin t-shirt to layer with sweaters in winter. Slightly cropped but great for petite frames too as it isn’t too long.
The collaborations work best when there's a good match in style and vision between the partners or brands. I think J.Crew's Olympia Gayot and Maryam Nassir Zadeh is a great example. I loved seeing Gayot’s Instagram posts this week that included how she was wearing (two dresses together! love the styles and AOV1) and the post that shared the mood board for this collab.
For these collaborations to work, the partner brand needs to feel slightly inaccessible, with "not enough stores to shop in person, and a limited size range or availability." I shared this insight because if a brand is already everywhere and available to everyone they aren’t offering a reason to partner with a mall brand. The only way this can work is if it is a cross category collab (ex a brand is everywhere but not in a particular category - it is a way to test the market for a new launch.)
The viral potential of these collaborations is significant, with dedicated followings (ex. stylish influencers and creators) of the indie brands helping to promote the collections.
These partnerships can lead to increased traffic and new customers for the smaller brands, as reported by Dôen after their Gap collaboration.
New Collabs
Telfar x Melissa on a fresh take on jelly shoes and jelly Telfar bags.
Stanley x LoveShackFancy collab is launching 8/6 (sign up now for alerts). Another smart back to school campaign and an example of a way to play in another category. LSF has played in Active category and now has their own collection so this fits in well without having to create (and hold inventory) of their own water bottles.
Another sporty option, Sandy Liang x Salomon on sporty but feminine sneakers. You can read more about their most recent collab from the pair from Bazaar here.
Zara Kids x SEA NY sweet collection for Back to School. You can read more here from WWD.
Tuckernuck collab with Murrary’s Toggery Shop from Nantucket for a Nantucket Reds™ collection. From the Tuckernuck website: Murray’s Toggery Shop opened in 1916, with Philip Murray as its manager. In 1963, Phil began selling men’s pants made of a faded red cotton, which he called “Nantucket Reds.” More on Tuckernuck below.
New Launches
Ring Concierge launched a collection of thin gold bands with diamonds. They are ideal as a starter ring/first diamond, for fans of minimal & delicate jewelry, stackable rings or a sharp price point for a gift. Single diamond, petite wrap ring, diamond cluster ring and under $300 for a graduated cluster ring.
Beauty:
Jones Road Beauty took the idea of limited edition mini miracle balms (that loyal customers love for the small size and sharper price point AND it helps acquire and convert new customers too), and launched a new Miracle Balm Palette (my personal favorite shades are in Palette 1.) Why this is a great product launch:
Customers LOVE this product
The minis are super popular but only sold for a limited time, this is a way to bring back a limited SKU but in a different way and drive conversion again.
Smaller size and lower price point allows you to try and play more.
Easy to take on the go - you know I love travel trends!
At $32 it is easier to find a shade you love. You might come back and buy the full size too.
I’d love to see them play with the Face Pencil next. This is a product I love from them (my favorite) and would own in multiple shades. Could they do a double ended one with two different shades that compliment? Or a mini pack of 3 in a travel case with a blender/concealer brush? Almost like a tiny crayon pack.
Merit added new Brow Duo with 1980 and 1990 Brows. Brow 1990 is a gel pencil and Brow 1980 is an updated brow pomade with more product and longer lasting in the updated tube.
Tower28 launched a new item in the SOS collection. SOS Daily Balancing Gel Cleanser. I like how the brand now has a Tower28 SOS Rescue Set and as a way to save $8 if you have eczema and sensitive skin you know you want products that will work for you and being approved by the National Eczema Association is meaningful.
Sabrina Carpenter has a new fragrance (her third one) launching Cherry Baby. Faran Krentcil wrote for BoF all about Carpenter’s beauty ambitions.
I trust Hanni to treat my dry skin. I especially love it post bath/shower. The newest launch is The Fatty. Shaped like a deodorant tube or the newest blush from Rhode, it nourishes and repairs skin by swiping on the high concentration (70%!) of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. It is fragrance free and approved by the National Eczema Association. The summer heat is rough on my skin and makes my eczema flare up so I love having options like this.
Love this launch for the new e.l.f. SKIN Stick It To Zits pimple patches. The Instagram caption is super strong from a merch marketing perspective because it
explains why you will love
explains the hero ingredient
tells you how to use. The post mentions only available on their own website, but it is on Target and Amazon** now.
Lyst Index Rankings & Thoughts
Q2 2024 Lyst Index Brand Rankings can be found here.
My Thoughts:
Loewe moving up two spots and pushing down Miu Miu and Prada is definitely worth noting. Met Gala and Challengers movie (Zendaya) really helped here.
Jacquemus marketing is really paying off as it moved up 2 spots.
Moncler moved down 3 spots to #9 which feels major BUT I feel like it could be seasonal too (they are more of a winter brand in my mind) so I went back to Q2 2023 and they were in spot #8. So down to spot #9 doesn’t seem so drastic.
Coach in the top 20! (Nike was there a year ago and they aren’t now…and we know the business is challenged.)
Dragon Diffusion bags have a +197% increase in searches this quarter. 1) Seasonal but also 2) they are getting a lot of mentions so not all driven by seasonal. I’d like to see them find a way to market and highlight the bags year round.
Other items in the top 10 products worth mentioning: Loewe x On Sneakers (I highlighted in the Athleisure Fashion Spiral earlier this week), High Sport Pants still in the top 6 (I’m a fan and haven’t been wearing much but I know I will again in the Fall), COS Fisherman Sandal (mens), Dries Van Noten’s suede sneaker and Prada Symbole Sunglasses**.
🛍️ Quick note: I write a lot (too much good stuff to share!) so 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. 🛍️
Tuckernuck’s Jackie
Rachel Tashjian wrote about the Jackie dress from Tuckernuck that has become the polished, easy, career dress for many D.C. women this summer. No matter what side of the aisle they work on. “The Dress That Swept Capitol Hill” (gift link to read behind paywall.) Lauren Sherman &
also discussed the Jackie from Tuckernuck in this recent Fashion People podcast.The "Jackie" dress by Tuckernuck has become a cultural phenomenon, particularly in Washington D.C. This dress is currently highlighting how fashion can transcend political boundaries and how a single garment can become a symbol of professionalism and polish across party lines.
Tuckernuck, founded by three women in D.C., has achieved a rare feat in the fashion industry by operating profitably without outside investors. This business model allows them to focus on customer needs and careful inventory management, rather than chasing trends or appeasing venture capitalists, demonstrating a sustainable approach to fashion entrepreneurship. Their private label brand has really taken off as being seen as a stylish, accessibly priced option for “appropriate” work wardrobe options.
The success of the Jackie dress (with nearly 100,000 sold2) illustrates the enduring appeal of versatile, "one-and-done" outfits in the post-pandemic work environment. Its popularity for both in-person events and Zoom meetings reflects how modern workwear must adapt to hybrid work cultures while still maintaining a polished, professional appearance. Especially with Zoom and on camera reporting the detailed neckline makes it an easy choice as well as the variety of colors that it is offered in.
Retail Diary Insights & Opportunities:
First, I found the Jackie in the Icon Shop on the Tuckernuck shop under New Shops. You can also find it in search and it comes up immediately under Google search for “the jackie dress.” I’d love to see this highlighted even more on the Homepage, where many first time shoppers to Tuckernuck will land. They also have a Landing Page of the Jackie but I’d like to see a link to it in the navigation and the on the HP. Although there could be an argument that they already tested this and shoppers (new and returning) are finding it easily enough that it doesn’t need to be highlighted here.
This dress comes in 13 solid colors sized XXS to XXXL, a sleeveless solid and striped and a few patterned versions on sale. The long sleeve version makes me think it is coming back for fall/winter.
Since they offer in a range of sizes, they should showcase models wearing in a range of sizes. This feels like low hanging fruit to update and be more inclusive. I do like how you scroll down on the PDP3 you will see how anyone can upload their own image wearing. Would be great to filter by size like how Rent the Runway features.
The Marais jacket feels like a version of the Jackie Dress as a blazer and I think it could be paired with a skirt and slacks for fall and renamed to fit with the Jackie Collection to use the SEO and capture the same customer. (see slide 9 & 10 here for inspo.)
I’m curious how/if Tuckernuck is using the data from their branded merchandise (and designer labels like Isabel Marant and contemporary label Veronica Beard) to bring insights to their private label/exclusive brands.
The Business Section
Saks & Neimans Merger updates
Saks Global (the new name for the larger organization) has started to make changes to the corporate structure announcing laying off 1%, or 100 positions to consolidate. They’ve also moved and promoted a few executives.
More Fashion & Beauty Business News
In WWD an article shares that BTS shopping spending is down thanks to shoppers buying more “buy now wear now” summer clothing with temperatures super high. Shoppers know if they hold out Fall clothing will still be available, and probably on sale, when they need it later in the fall season. This week on Instagram I shared two Reels: one explaining why reports of spending can vary wildly and a second one explaining takeaways and the trends I watch.
In this recent Weekend Edition of
shared insights from Amazon Prime Day’s Gen Z strategy.
Laura Dern partners with Vestiaire Collective to sell some items in support of Planned Parenthood. The event features 10 RTW designs from brands including Stella McCartney, Gucci, Oscar de la Renta, Calvin Klein, Derek Lam, Missoni, Sacai, and The Vampire’s Wife, affordably priced from $58 to $625. This The Vampire’s Wife gorgeous gold dress is still available. Remember, the brand is closing up shop so it is a great way to collect the brand and support an incredible non-profit.
Discovered via
this Bloomberg article shares the insights and business model behind Jamie Salter’s Authentic Brands Group which buys up failing mall brands (Brooks Brothers, Juicy Couture, Nine West, Forever 21 and Barney’s to name a few) restructures them and built them into the #3 licensor of IP behind Disney and Meredith Corp. ABG is planning to IPO in 2026.L’Occitane, parent company of Sol De Janeiro, has finalized plans to delist from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
“This transaction will provide our group with the flexibility to make longer-term business decisions,” Geiger said in the statement. “We remain committed to our brand-specific and geography-specific strategies. We firmly believe that this is in the best interests of our employees, business partners and stakeholders, who will benefit from our accelerated growth and enhanced competitiveness in the global skin care and cosmetics industry.”
People in the News
After a year as the Creative Director at Tom Ford, Peter Hawkings is leaving the brand.
Paul Andrew is the new Creative Director at Sergio Rossi. Until 2021 he was the Creative Director at Salvatore Ferragamo and had his namesake shoe line too.
Kat Cole has been promoted to CEO at AG1 (formerly Athletic Greens) and she succeeds the Founder Chris Ashenden. Cole has been the President and COO since 2021.
Tracey Travis is retiring and leaving Estée Lauder as CFO. Akhil Shrivastava will take on the role on Nov. 1. Shrivastava spent 18 years at P&G and has been at Estée Lauder since 2015 in a variety of finance roles.
Fashion Finds
Donni launched this new crinkle Bubble fabric in a pair of pants and a button down shirt. I ordered in black (of course) and feel like it will be a perfect cool summer outfit, transition to fall, great for travel and I can wear the top as a cover-up. With countless ways to wear, and fabric that gets better the more you wash it, I couldn’t wait to order! (Use code Sarah10 for 10% off at Donni)
When it is this hot, only a light crinkle dress* will work. This dress is also great for travel because the more crinkled the better. I’m 5ft 2 and the length is fine for me and I love the adjustable straps.
Love the new fashion launch from Rhode. Two items that caught my eye:
This dress (I have in another fabrication) in a moody dark floral. Love for Fall.
While I typically don’t think of Rhode as a denim brand (more of dresses and separates) these jeans in the barrel leg silhouette has cool tiny mirror details sewn on and comes in indigo and black. This silhouette is going to be popular again this fall/winter.
February 2023 Louise Trotter was named Creative Director at Carven after time at Gap and Calvin Klein and then 9 years leading at Joseph. To get a feel for the designs, a well structured midi work dress, a stripe bag that is fun and functional - carry on its own or toss in a larger tote and a modern take on a Madame X dress and is a major wow!
What else I ❤️️
Love that my cousin sent me this article - Nordstrom partnered with Barney Greengrass as well as a few other iconic New York spots.
Dishoom x Pastis later in August. Reservations open August 1 so make a note on your calendar.
Stylematch was featured in Forbes - Stylematch, founded by Elizabeth Durand Streisand, aims to make personal styling more accessible and affordable. The platform matches users with stylists who help them create new outfits from clothes they already own and provide shopping recommendations without being tied to specific brands or inventories.
I love a what’s in your bag, and the financial focus questions from
make this one extra interesting “In Her Purse: The Cool Girl Edition”Enjoying
interview with and appreciate that she comments that we haven’t reached peak newsletters yet. Note to self, I need to learn to speed read because I love all the newsletters.Another Tashjian article I loved in the Washington Post this week on Kamala Harris’ past clothing choices, current and potentially what we will be seeing…
“Finally, Harris’s wardrobe tells us something: that she is most confident looking in control.”
Feel Good Fashion News of the week: April Lockhart, a fashion content creator, held a tiny disabled fashion girlie pop-up in Nashville TN and it looks incredible and like such a special day for Lockhart and her tiny fashion fans.
What's Next?
I’m super excited to be entering the 6th year of Retail Diary next month and have a lot of variety in the types of retail content I’ll be sharing the next few weeks. I love Fall styles so we will have some fall trend insights and fashion spirals related to Q3 in the next month. Thank you for the support and engaging here.
Thanks for reading Deep Dive Edition 175
Sarah Shapiro
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Items marked with * have been kindly gifted by brands. Thoughts, selections, and reviews are my own.
**Amazon Affiliate link.
AOV = Average Order Volume. Driving customers to style wearing 2 together is a great way to increase sales.
Do we know time period? Is this a $27M item? Or heavily discounted? If $27M over how many years?
PDP = Product Detail Page highlighting all the details and size information.
Congratulations on five years of stellar reporting!
Happy 5 years Sarah ! Look forward to your articles every week 😍