Welcome to my new series, Retail Round-Up, where I’m sharing my favorite fashion/retail-focused news, products and interviews of the week. Here’s what I’m loving this week:
1. Goop’s Global Domination: I unabashedly love all things Gwyneth Paltrow (or GP, as she is affectionately known to her minions like me). This Racked article is a rare look at the business side of Gwyneth’s Goop operation, which started as a humble newsletter in 2008. I love the audacity of Goop — the tips are patently ridiculous — and it was particularly eye-opening to see how hard its employees are working to monetize its aspirational content. (So far, the company has yet to turn a profit.) Of course, every article on Goop is followed by a slew of anti-Goop articles. Here’s one from Vanity Fair.
2. Susie Bubble’s Dreamy Trip to Big Sur: I adored this photo essay from Susie Bubble, which follows her travels from San Luis Obispo to San Simeon. The Madonna Inn seems so kitchy — I’m dying to visit when I go to California next May.
3. Instagram’s New Chief Fashion Officer: Eva Chen, the former EIC of Lucky, was recently tapped to be Instagram’s head of fashion partnerships. The newly created role makes a lot of sense. Chen will be able to layer her curatorial prowess with business development — a combination that will carry a lot of clout, if she can pull it off.
But I detect a note of sadness here, too. We all know print is dead, but Chen’s defection from editorial to photo fantasy-land further proves that fashion journalism is little more than advertising. Le sigh. (See also: Chen’s social media tips.)
4. How to Survive Office Air Conditioning: This cool (heh) advice piece was written by Mary O’Regan, a copywriter for Nordstrom. (Cool job, right?) For all you cubicle dwellers, this is a witty approach on an age-old topic, particularly her last tip. (Personally, I’ve invested in a couple of blazers that don’t wrinkle when you cram them in a tote for the walk home. Uniqlo has a ton. Total lifesavers.)
5. Will Amazon Sell More Clothes than Macy’s by 2017?: Earlier this week, advisory firm Cowen predicted that Amazon would become the No. 1 clothing retailer by 2017, surpassing Macy’s in market share and growing faster than Target and Walmart. I suppose this development should be obvious — after all, Amazon is an unstoppable retail behemoth. But I was still surprised, because I have never purchased an article of clothing on Amazon. (Not even socks!)
I attribute my subconscious aversion to the fact that my favorite brands are not available on Amazon. Oftentimes, this has to do with image control — luxury companies don’t want there products to be sold next to laundry detergent. I’ve also read way too many articles about Amazon’s problem with counterfeiters, and I don’t like to shop without a guarantee that the product being sold is genuine.
Am I hopelessly out-of-touch with how Americans shop? Are you buying clothes on Amazon?