035: The SSENSE sale's last breath
Plus Uniqlo U's spring collection, Yeezy Gap by Balenciaga, and an extra 25% off everything at The Outnet.
I have it on good authority that before the next send of this newsletter goes out, the SSENSE sale will have ended. While the exact date is subject to shift, according to my contacts on the inside, it’s doomsday for the SSENSE sale, once again. So where to start? Get your tabs ready (and make sure you’re logged in to see everything on Private Sale).
The black version of the Acne Studios oilcloth bag I wore all through NYFW is on sale (there’s just one left, but here’s a tall version), as are the Agmes x Simone Bodmer Turner earrings I plain wouldn’t take off. Another from my fashion week wardrobe (I have the green dress version), this A Roege Hove double-fold top, is under $70.
A bunch of star designers from that week have pieces at outrageous discounts, too. Here’s a Peter Do exclusive for 80% off. And an MNZ tweed bucket hat for under $150. A heartbreakingly good Commission blazer for 64% off, plus a cashmere polo from the brand that’s better than Prada’s version. A last Connor McKnight blazer for 80% off. A Khaite leather shopper that’s threatening to sell out. This Puppets & Puppets still-life sweater for 70% off. And the exact Dion Lee top Lauren Frauenschuh crowned the “best thing she wore during fashion week.”
From across the pond, Balenciaga gives us one last destroyed black turtleneck for 58% off and a robe I’d like as a coat for 53% off. Fendi’s mesh, logo-beaded mule heels that’ll probably end up in a fashion archive are nearly half off. These brown knit Bottega wedges probably already are in some university’s permanent collection, but they’re still 70% off right now. This fantastically draped Lemaire wool trench is half price, and this Y/Project double-paneled denim jacket is $200 off.
What else? A Rick Owens crepe shell top (73% off), a Saint Laurent latex bodysuit (70% off) that I didn’t anticipate yearning for so much, a Kiko Kostadinov button-down (60% off) with incredible flap-open sleeves, a Dries wool-blend bomber (70% off), perfectly minimal The Row slip-on sneakers (49% off), Charlotte Chesnais gold and rhodochrosite earrings (70% off), and these NOT-TO-MISS Hed Mayner judo trousers for 66% off.
There’s these By Far loafers for less than $150, another Lemaire coat for under $300, and an Acne Studios sweater for $200 that would make a great outfit. Or maybe you’d wear them with these Coperni knee-highs that came to devastate or these 70% off Martine Rose mules (that toe!).
Some $300 slingbacks are the best Tabi deal, and this 20% off Lemaire croissant is easily my pick for all-around purse deal. If you’re looking for something to buy in multiples, let it be Skims, which is on sale far and wide, as is Jacquemus’ (dubious) camping-themed collection.
On the house front, a last standing chair from Emmanuel Olunkwa’s E&Ko, a 70% off knotted fringe Jil Sander mohair blanket, lumpy Ottolinger dining ceramics, Tekla towels! (How could I not?) And Frama home fragrances and dishwares galore.
What’s new
The Lemaire team’s latest for Uniqlo U has landed, and the suit I ordered has already arrived. It is, as with the rest of the infallible collection, predictably great. Usual strengths—excellent tailoring, live-in-able fabrics, and whispered tones—shine through, while new avenues are explored to great success, namely an expansion into uplifting shades like tangerine and mint chocolate chip.
Confusion around the Yeezy Gap by Balenciaga tangle has been compounded by the opacity surrounding the collection’s drops, spread thinly out over the past six months until suddenly plonked down amid a very raised-on-reality-TV-like marketing campaign. The fact that the website has been continually blocked by my corporate computer’s IT department is just another comic hoop to jump through in order to reach t-shirts and hoodies that I’d probably sooner buy from Willy Chavarria anyway (the reference points for his oversized, football-shouldered tees is more compelling IMO). One respite from the mess, though, is the discovery that the collection is also pre-orderable on Farfetch, a much cleaner, more straightforward solution to a hair-brained purchase that I ultimately fully support.
Mugler has released a limited edition pink collection of its “couture sport lycra” pieces, which have become pop-star catnip under the direction of Casey Cadwallader, exclusive to The Webster. The leggings, bodysuits, bra tops, and dresses come in two shades of sheer paneling—a light nude and darker nude to match a greater range of skin tones.
COS has expanded on its Icons collection—a series of smartly designed basics that conspire to replace the otherwise “just fine” bones of your wardrobe. An oversized mockneck tee, a beige trench, and teensy gold pendant hoops are among the newest additions to the capsule concept.
Everlane, too, is vying for the attention of those in pursuit of simplified dressing. Drawing upon the capsule aspirations once core in its tightly edited original offerings, Everlane has released three new “elevated essentials” to stand as building blocks or perhaps refocus its attention to tailoring: The Gathered Trench, The ‘80s Blazer, and The Way-High Slouch.
There’s also: Nordstrom launches BTS-themed merch; Acne Studios collabs with Artist Rabin Huissen for Spring/Summer 2022 Men's Collection; J.Crew Partners with Artist Cassi Namoda on a pastel-forward loungewear capsule; Khaite and Elhanati release a limited-edition jewelry, brooch, and belt collection; Vacation sunscreen arrives at Nordstrom; Dear Frances introduces its pre-spring footwear collection; Lisa Says Gah launches a Desert Knits line of dresses, camis, and button-downs; Mary Katrantzou partners with The Rug Company on an 11-piece collection; Aeyde introduces the Bibi clog for pre-spring ‘22; Mansur Gavriel releases limited-edition upcycled woven totes in five colors; and St. John Knits’ spring ‘22 collection is live on the site—the label’s rebrand has been a fun and compelling metamorphosis that I’m watching closely.
What’s on sale
The SSENSE sale. If you somehow missed my opening diatribe, scroll back up and click every link, because the sale of the century ending after its three-month run is not something I take lightly. The one thing I’ll add is that we can realistically expect it to gear back up three months from now, which I promise will feel a lot longer than three months of having the sale by our side.
The Outnet is running an extra 25% off sale that applies to almost everything across the site. That brings items like these The Row mesh heels, which were already 45% off, down to under $440 and this Tom Ford leather case down by over $2,200.
A few sales from last week that are still happening—Nordstrom’s Winter Sale is going strong, especially its SPACE division, Verishop’s extra 30% off offer continues with code MINE22, and Matchesfashion’s Winter Essentials Sale is now up to 50% off.
There’s also: Brooklynite jewelry brand Verameat is closing up shop and clearing out all remaining inventory with a 65% off sale; Mansur Gavriel extends 30% off on its sale edit; and W Concept runs a weeklong sale on Oui Mais Non for up to 40% off plus an extra 10% off with OUIMAISNON.
What else
A new fashion search engine, Tagwalk, is boiling trend spotting through fashion month down to a simple keyword search—surging aesthetics from Milan, for example, include “Punk,” which is up 817%, and S&M, up 580%. Other interesting stats are emerging from the platform, too, like which shows from the week captured the most eyeballs. As it turns out, in that respect, Glenn Marten’s Diesel outperformed Matthieu Blazy’s Bottega Veneta by a fraction of a percent.
Nordstrom’s Women’s History Month shopfront has opened in mine with the event’s first day. While its selection of women-run brands centers lifestyle with athleisure brand Sweaty Betty and haircare Briogeo, clicking over to the end, you’ll find contemporary lines Nanushka and ALC. Still, it seems like a lost opportunity to not highlight the great female designers they carry in their SPACE section—Sandy Liang, Puppets & Puppets, Cecilie Bahnsen, Simone Rocha, Marine Serre, Collina Strada… really, the list goes on and on.
What else: Chloé becomes the first fashion company to develop a social impact measuring tool, which it is opening up for industry-wide use; and Passerbuy releases a vintage shopping guide to Paris.
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Okay 1. I just bought those Bottega shoes after reading this newsletter.
2. I want to hear more of your thoughts on Jacquemus’ “dubious camping-themed collection” (that made me lol) you prob discussed when it was released maybe, but which I must have missed. Which one are you talking about?
3. Cassi collab with J.Crew was not on my radar and is so lovely! Really want that collared cardigan
4. I’ve also been so attracted to St. John knits lately. Did not know they rebranded which makes sense!