big news from GAP, alexis bittar is back, BOF are issuing beat-downs, + some links
just a micro-letter today
hey friends,
excuse the little break. I was in mexico enjoying life. I will be continuing the theme of enjoying life for the next few weeks in Australia where it’s 36 degrees celsius and sunny (so newsletters may be a lil scattered!) but would love to hear about any freelance projects anyone may think i’m well suited for when i come back to reality in March!
should i write about australian stuff while i’m home? I was also thinking of making a lil google map for subscribers but let me know. I dont know many people who would willingly get on a 15 hour flight SO (lol)
as always, pls fwd or share this with people who might find it useful! I’m locking this newsletter to subscribers only for now so make sure you’re logged in to read :)
Zac Posen in at GAP and Old Navy
hot off the press from BOF (ty Rachita for sharing this with me right when I was about to hit publish LOL). Zac Posen has been given the reigns at GAP and Old Navy. This role feels like such a rotation at this point, so many different attempts at revival but I’m rooting for a comeback.
i’m locked in on Margeaux & Jules
I’ve only seen a few people talking about this so hopefully it isn’t old news, but Alexis Bittar have the best content series/campaign going on TikTok right now. It’s a faux-reality take on an ‘upper east side rich bitch’ dripping and draped in Alexis Bittar accessories and her tormented assistant, Jules a.k.a Hazel. It’s such a fun way to create a sense of lifestyle around the brand and a smart way to create a platform that different characters, products, or brand assets can seamlessly be brought in and out of. Alexis Bittar first got on my radar in 2013 or so when i worked in the same building as their studio in DUMBO. They kinda disappeared for awhile and then resurfaced via this campaign? Not sure what’s going on but i LOVE it. Here’s a fav w/ Kelly Cutrone:
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_640,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe85eda4b-40d0-4f63-9ea5-7ef5ae3dce42_608x1080.jpeg)
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Front row/Courtside/Crowd placement as a viral media channel
Still a nascent thought, but something about this at paris fashion week:
then this:
also weirdly made me think of this, sometime ago:
and how placing someone doing something funny courtside or even just in a large crowd is an underutilized media tactic considering how much mileage you can get out of it (earned media wise). I remember this attempt but the Jian/Luis variety is way funnier/more interesting. Could be an interesting thing to do if you were launching a highly novel new product or app. I mean..
BOF eviscerates the John Don era of Nike
A searing BOF piece today on Swoosh. Basically, there’s no single point of failure for Nike right now but many which have had compounded impacts.
loss of talent, internal and external
oversaturated silhouettes and product
bad tech and access issues (can only have SNKRS issues for so many drops before you piss off your most valuable customer)
marketing and comms that feel ‘safe’, lacking cultural salience or uniqueness- rapidly depreciating cultural equity (I feel so deeply in my heart a lot of this stems from the Oregon of it all)
stagnant product design
Much of which stems from really intense organizational pain points and cultural challenges internally.
A lot of this kicked off with the departure of Mark Parker / appointment of John Donahoe (i was at the company at this time but it was hard to tell what was going on at my level/given my relative newness). Anyway, incredible to see BOF actually publish this article. Nike’s next earnings call is March 19, i will be listening eagerly.
Vision Pro is here
no further commentary from me for now. I do think these will become very popular regardless, albeit not mainstream for a few years.
buncha’ links + feets
A loving ode to one of the most wonderful albums of my youth, Tori Amos Under The Pink
The photographer immortalizing Tokyo’s taxi drivers: so beautiful
Gorgeous, lengthy profile on tier 1 fashion critic Cathy Horyn and the life she has rediscovered in her hometown. Just a really enjoyable read.
Keep ur ALD Moodboards tbh this is much more my speed. Ronnie is back in his bag.. an upgraded bag
“Brand Resilience” - the ever brilliant Sophie Bambuck on the real qualifier of brand strength, ‘can it weather the storm?’
Love this list of charming non-airspace-ified airbnbs on Anne Helen Peterson’s substack. Bring back personality in interiors please
requisite foot action:
these cdg x asics are a must:
obsessed w/ these mules from 2004, via Nike’s Considered line:
These may feel very nike-derivative but it works:
ok BYE!
GG x