072: Hey there fashion lovers!

Plus Jacquemus x Tekla, J.Crew's 60% off sale-on-sale, and Flore Flore lands at SSENSE.

Dec 06, 2022

[AI has been established as the theme of this particular episode of “being online” (happy feed-the-facial-recognition-machine week to all who celebrate!), so bare with me for a moment, and trust that this is not a spam email, at least not by my definition.]

Hey there fashion lovers! If you're like us, you're always on the lookout for a great deal. And what better time to shop than after Black Friday and before Christmas? That's why we've put together this little fashion shopping newsletter, just for you.

We've scoured the internet and found some of the best deals at our favourite online retailer, SSense. So whether you're looking for a new party dress or some cozy winterwear, we've got you covered.

Here are our top 5 picks from SSense:

1. This sequin mini dress from Self Portrait. It's perfect for New Year's Eve or any holiday party you might have coming up. Was $440, now $264.

2. This cashmere turtleneck sweater from Chinti and Parker. It's so soft and cozy, you'll never want to take it off. Was $495, now $297.50.

3. These velvet slippers from Gucci. They're perfect for lounging around the house or running errands in style. Was $695, now $486 .50 .

4 . This faux fur coat from Shrimps . It's sure to keep you warm all winter long . Was $1495 , now $897 . 50 .

5 . These over-the-knee boots from Saint Laurent . They'll add a touch of glamour to any outfit

With only a few inputs—including setting the tone to “irreverent”—Copymatic’s Paragraph Generator turned out the unedited intro to today’s newsletter that I (still recovering from last week!) was readier than usual to hand off. Incredibly, it’s what some would call coherent and even admittedly echoes the commerce writing I’ve seen and contributed to in my darker days on the corporate front line.

It’s not inconceivable, either, that the 100% AI-selected products could have their case argued here in some unlikely show of counterpoint gymnastics: the Self Portrait sequin mini and Shrimps faux fur in step with a certain Russian doll aesthetic that under some circumstances could scratch a self-creation itch, and the Gucci slippers and Saint Laurent knee-highs aspirational pursuits immunized to luxury’s change of guard over the last half decade.

It’s also very bad! (And British for some reason.) A hearty reassurance that I’m still good for a job.

I don’t really care to prove or disprove anything about AI in respect to writing, because I think there will always be a need and place for human brain-generated words, even though experiments with ChatGPT were more fruitful (and therefore harder to drag through the mud). If anything, writing’s claggiest banalities can be kicked over to neural networks while human writers can focus on creating more meaningful and engaging content. By leveraging the strengths of both humans and AI, we can create a symbiotic relationship that allows us to produce better writing overall.

Oops! Turns out I actually wasn’t done letting AI co-author this post…Can you tell which part of that graf was written by a machine? Would you know it if this whole newsletter was computer-generated? Would you believe me if I told you it always has been?

What’s new

I promise to let this OpenAI thing go, but first I feel the need to report that ChatGPT describes the Tekla x Jacquemus capsule as “a testament to…the potential for fashion to be both fashionable and responsible.” If you needed any further clarification on whether AI is any more or less glib than a half-baked high-school sophomore finishing an assignment about a chapter they didn’t read. Similarly, the collection itself, a scissor-happy, late-season Simon indulgence, finds itself snipping up the bedsheets to make going-out tops despite the sense of impending parental exasperation. (“This is coming out of your allowance, Si.”) The linens that remain intact—bath towels, bedding—are indeed charming in their playful stripes and sandbox tones, though. What is there to say? Kids will be kids.
The puffer coats, vests, and head scarves in Reformation’s new collection with Canada Goose draw from the former’s contemporary style and the latter’s know-how for warmth, merging the two in a capsule characterized by adaptability and brightness. Most of the pieces are reversible, decked in ditsy florals or ‘70s stripes on one side and solid-hued on the other, with adjustable touches like detachable hoods and drawstring hems adding to the customizability of each garment. It skews trendy, as with all Reformation, but this collection is designed not to end up as moth food, with deliberately timeless silhouettes, technically savvy construction, and enough color to mitigate mid-winter drudgery.
While Flore Flore got its footing and began fostering a nascent hive of knowing fans circa Covid, its arrival at SSENSE secures the Portuguese-made cotton basics brand a spot in the elegant, nipple-brave woman’s selective rotation. Like Gil Rodriguez and Baserange before it, it’s the dancerly cuts and defiantly limited color wheel that coaxes forth the feeling of desire.
Famous knitter Mati Ventrillon, known for her Fair Isle patterns and traditional techniques, has a fascinating background and storied practice as a Venezuelan-born artisan now living in Scotland. Her capsule collection of knits for COS is pared down, showcasing a simple jacquard pattern and thick, structured ribbing at the collars, cuffs, and hems of the sweaters and cap. With three colorways, two in combined neutrals and one featuring a studied pop of neon red-orange, everyone from hygge enthusiasts looking for a single sweater to get them through the winter to the office-bound wanting to sneak a bit of interest into their lazy-but-cold-day uniform can benefit from these pieces, the most expensive of which tops out at $135.
There’s also: Rich-hued chestnut suede loafers and patent mid-calf boots are highlights of the capsule collaboration between shoe brand Flattered and architect Julie Sergent Ferreri; Nike’s new swoosh-knit cable sweater is quickly selling out thanks to Instagram’s attention; the textures of the latest Telfar x Moose Knuckles collection alternate between subtle (a classic leather peacoat is intricately quilted with Telfar’s logo) and sculptural (bomber pants are segmented by rings of fur); Comme Si conjures up new ways to get us to part with our money over…socks—fantastic ones, as usual, and this time with a performance edge, right in time for ski season; Strawberry Western’s winter collection allows childhood nostalgia to dress a potential future—the Bloomer Sweatpants are ready whenever you are for an unabashed holiday movie night; from sporty, lug-sole loafers to patchwork sweaters with shocks of colorful stitching, Ader Error’s genderless collection for Zara is full of texture and shape play that livens up its muted color scheme; the color green, in iterations from a dark pine to a saturated near-teal, is the star of Drôle de Monsieur’s holiday drop featuring corduroy jackets and cartoon-adorned tees; the elusive Sandy Liang Mary Jane Pointe shoes are available for preorder in Napa leather or iridescent satin, and they’ll ship next week; Carhartt WIP’s classic cuts are rebirthed as paisley pajamas via a Liberty London capsule; Farm Rio’s new skiwear capsule lands its focus on retro psychedelia in jacket, pant, and jumpsuit form; Aimé Leon Dore for Woolrich is full of wintry yet not overly literal details like the birdseye stitches on this zip-up sweater; Loulou Studio’s capsule for Luisaviaroma’s “LVRSustainable” initiative features slouchy, responsibly made suits that still manage to hint at an hourglass; and Uggs are embroidered with cross symbols in silver and gold in collaboration with Children of the Discordance, achieving what was thought to be impossible: making Uggs kind of hardcore.

What’s on sale

If I didn’t know better, I’d say J.Crew’s current sale was writing on the wall for a near-future shutdown, or something to that extreme. At 60% off all sale and 30% off everything else with SHOPNOW, it’s at the very least irresponsible—but boom time for shoppers, nonetheless. Cashmere socks and sweaters, a half-zip rugby, and convincingly vintage-looking women’s jeans (for $17!) are edging towards impossible not to buy.
SSENSE (SSense?) items are marked down by 60% for the first time since the current sale went live. The advance brings with it a crop of new MM6 Maison Margiela, about which I’ve had two effusive conversations this week (I find it more dedicated to exploring the brand’s expectation-bending codes than ever these days). “Hard” Margiela is also among the freshly cut, as are Undercover and Wales Bonner.
Shopbop’s winter sale is trucking on, emerging steadfast out of the Cyber Week wilderness to offer ever more deals on big ol’ Stella McCartney boots for $330, a mohair Marni crew neck for less than half the price, and plenty of bike shorts, earrings, and underwear for $20 or less. With an additional 30% off the whole section using EXTRA30, the discounts get even wilder: think $70 Khaite shorts or a Simon Miller dress with a sweeping back cutout for about $40.
There’s also: All of YanYan’s colorful, storytelling knits are 20% off with YYWINTER2022, like this luxurious pullover embroidered with a fantastical scene symbolizing longevity and abundance; take 30% off all Mango orders over $220 with EXTRA30 until December 8th—if you’ve been holding out for a deal on knee-high boots, now might be the time; Mr. Larkin’s Black Friday sale elegantly rolled over into a 30% off end-of-season sale with deals on Rachel Comey pants, Baserange sweatshirts, and more luxurious staples; the winter sale at lesser-known Coltori Boutique rivals those of the big sites’ with up to 50% off finds like a floral-print Jacquemus sweater or bouquet-laden neoprene sneakers by Cecile Bahnsen; innovative takes on loafers—in boot form, with Mary Jane-style straps, or covered in shearling—are among the cozy gems from Hereu’s AW22 collection, available at a 30% presale discount with HEREU30AW22; Sleeper’s holiday sale takes 30% off ruffly sport suits, linen dresses, and more pieces that you can wear straight out of bed and into a dinner party; Pura Utz is posting daily deals on Instagram—each day of December brings a 20% discount on a different piece of hand-beaded jewelry; Acne scarves and Marni mohair sweaters are two of the many coveted pieces you can find for up to 60% off in LN-CC’s private sale; frothy pastels compete for attention with oceanic blues in Helmstedt’s archive sale, reaching up to 70% off; Ganni’s sale goes up to 50% off, with many favorites from last Fashion Week still available, like this graphic sweater with subtly puffed shoulders and lug-sole Chelsea boots for under $300; straight-from-the-archives Vivienne Westwood tartans and huggable faux fur coats from Stand Studio abound in Luisaviaroma’s sale, still going strong at up to 50% off; take 30% off Vince’s trove of cashmere sweaters and a sophisticated take on cargo pants in flannel with HOLIDAY; London-coded, Rome-based knickers brand Isosceles Lingerie sets its strange and sensual body-skimmers to 40% off; and everything, including Priscavera’s latest collection, (velour sweat sets and impressive suiting) is 30% off on site with PVTHANKYOUPV.

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