101: My DMs are open
101: My DMs are open
Plus Gucci x Collina Strada, Marimekko x IKEA, and two "Succession" fashion sales.
As I was very busy being effusive about…socks…on the 100th issue of this newsletter, I missed the opportunity to be, like, reflective or celebratory or humble or self-aggrandizing or self-deprecating or whatever people are expected to be on such occasions.
Honestly, I’m just not that sentimental on the internet. Not my brand! I think how I actually want to leverage this centennial-plus-one post is to ask for your honest feedback. I consume enough independent media (and otherwise) projects to have a million thoughts I’ll never actually share with the creator—because it’s a drag and a bother to type it all out, but also because input isn’t always welcome as a default.
So, selfishly, I’m going to harness whatever puissance a nice, round-sounding number like a hundred (plus one) might possess to get you to part with your unfiltered takes.
You know that thing where you can see exactly what’s wrong with someone else almost right away, but you’ll never know your own most obvious flaw? This is like that, but you tell me what “the thing about Magasin” is. What do you want from it that it’s not giving you or, alternatively, where would you trim the fat?
I know…how embarrassing. How needy! How sneaky of me to get out of writing a conversation-advancing intro on this day-late send dispatched from a long-haul to London (holler if you are there this week btw!). So maybe just hit reply and just say it?
What’s new
Gucci, like any right-minded mass brand, is doing everything in its power to capture some of the resale dollars being earned on its product on the secondary market. Gucci Continuum invites designers including Collina Strada, Rave Review, and Vans to spin archival materials into new products (for as little as $380), while Gucci Preloved—an initiative with Vestiaire Collective—introduces a buyback program and edit of its previously owned flagship styles counting the GG Marmont, Dionysus, Gucci Horsebit 1955, Jackie 1961, Gucci Diana, Gucci Bamboo 1947, Ophidia, Padlock, and Sylvie. (The latter site is being wonky for me right now.)
Marimekko’s version of March Madness entails two collaborations that bring its famed patterns in all their amoebic glory to first Adidas, in an impressively hefty sportswear capsule, and secondly Ikea, rendering the home goods titan’s impossibly cheap price points all the more impressive. The pieces on offer at Adidas are genuinely interesting, up-to-date riffs on Marimekko classics cut in crisp but easy sportswear silhouettes, the best of which include an elegant pair of track pants and a sports bra/tank top chimera in ripe tomato squiggles, already marked down to $14 despite its high ratings. Ikea’s BASTUA collection is full of gems like a kimono-style robe so buzzing with off-kilter color pairings it could well be mistaken for a Dusen Dusen joint if the price tag didn’t give itself away (it rings up at $45) and a jagged set of glassware that looks to be hewn from chunks of glacier but comes out as low as $6.50 for a water glass.
Gemsun’s latest, titled Vollblüte for the fullest bloom at the height of spring, guides us through the transition from our introspective eras with sophisticated blacks and coy navys into the true new year—minty greens and powdery blues that tease at that bloom we’re beginning to see around us. The accessory report speaks even louder, with leather-crochet berets, swingy fringe belts, and a side-zipping tall hobo bag instant favorites. How recently did I threaten to end my sheer streak and yet I’ve already purchased the Berta vest?
Still in the immediate aftermath of a stunning FW23 show, off-season New York designer Dauphinette has debuted a swimwear collaboration with J.Crew. Months in the making, the bikini, one-piece, RTW, and accessories feature hand-drawn designs and a refreshingly expansive size range.
Another familiar face around the city, Mari Giudicelli’s own swim collaboration with Haight draws on her minimalist Brazilian tendencies, featuring athletic maillots and two-pieces, crochet dresses, and sporty…almost gorpy separates.
The latest news from camp Gaultier is that Paco Rabanne’s Julien Dossena is set to be the next collaborator, however the house’s preferred partner by all signs seems to be Glenn Martens. The second of his two collections under the Gaultier label—trompe l’oeil excellence—has hit SSENSE (men’s, women’s) under the Y/Project brand.
Our deadened, winter-weathered eyes can look to CamperLab’s SS23 collection for a defibrillatory dose of podiatric levity. From a slip-on sandal in the skin of a beloved, frayed pair of jeans to calf-hair slingbacks with pointy toes and Crayola-style hues, not to mention a more wearable (and affordable) loafer—David to the Goliath of that puffed-up Prada pair—this collection lives up to the “Lab” of the brand’s name, the acid-drenched concoctions of a scientist with impeccable taste.
Helmut Lang’s amuse-bouche of a capsule for SSENSE is small but well-edited, in black and lush pink with strategic ruching that not only evokes rumpled-sheet sensuality but is also a nifty way to couch unintended wrinkles in the visual language of Stylistic Decision Making. A highlight is this tank top that slouches off one shoulder like the wearable gesture of an insouciant shrug.
In another of its characteristically ingenious attempts to reconcile a desire for accessibility with the realities of creating under capitalism, Telfar debuts its Live Price initiative, where prices for pieces like a cut-out long-sleeve or hoodie with a built-in baseball cap start around wholesale and increase every second after release. Whatever number each piece sells out at will be its permanent price when restocked, so if you’re part of the Telfarmy, it behooves you to run like the wind.
Moda Operandi partnered with the Fifteen Percent Pledge, an org that entreats businesses to devote more shelf space to Black-owned brands, on its latest Trunkshow, which features the work of eight Black designers, on sale for a limited time. From an Agbobly sweater nostalgic for elementary school afternoons to stark wool Anonlychild culottes to a cornflower blue Head of State gown worthy of its own mythology, the selection is enthralling.
The pursuit of a self-sustaining wardrobe that produces a myriad chic outfits with little effort—a capsule, essentially—should absolutely have Attersee, which just released its spring collection, on its radar. The remixable pieces in a contemplative palette are flattering, hot even, and would work well with the other major names populating this effort: Toteme, Tove, Maryam, anything from La Garçonne…
No doubt Gwyneth Paltrow’s ski trial is sending a nice hike in clicks to her digital properties, and thankfully a new collab between Goop and Emilia Wickstead is there to receive the bourgeoisie chasers in kind. The British designer pulls off flirty (and crop tops!) while courting royals, so her floral-washed, high-tea separates are a fitting proposal for the affluent fantasy in the ether.
In a crossover that shockingly had not already happened, Reformation infiltrated the old guard of mall holdovers with a springy collection for Anthropologie. There are, of course, the requisite flowered and bowed sundresses, but the footwear selection is what stands out, with metallic, strappy platforms and pumps that invoke Molly Goddard or Carel Paris at more impulse-friendly price points.
Killa Kate took three of Yume Yume’s signature silhouettes—an egg-shaped slipper, a puffy, tubular sandal, and a slouchy-calf boot—and bestowed upon them her sanctified paintings of acrobatic nudes, topped off with buckles, bows, and clouds of pink and blue hues.
There’s also: CDMX-based women’s shirting brand Chava Studio launches suiting, a first for the brand, but a nice nod to the country’s history of tailoring; Jenna Lyons curates a storefront of design-y collectibles on 1stDibs (I’ve been in her apartment and it’s worth copy-pasting); Casey Casey introduces menswear, available on La Garçonne; AERON launches a jewelry line centered around an “A” motif that looks like a glamorous version of a shark tooth in its necklaces and earrings; our veneration of Weyes Blood’s honeyed voice now has an object in the Hearts Aglow pendant featuring a soft-cut moonstone, co-designed with J.Hannah in honor of WB’s latest album drop; Susan Alexandra’s new Passover collection includes everything from a Seder plate to an Afikomen cover, all themed around the image of a fantastical, frog-filled lily pond; more frogs, these in repose and decked in crowns, can be found in candle form in a Redoux x Collina Strada collaboration; and the new Ganni x 66North capsule celebrates motorbike riding with gear colorblocked in neon, simultaneously clubby and technical.
What’s on sale
Helmut Lang’s Friends & Family Sale (tag yourself, I’m the cousin who got too high and paranoid at a wedding) runs through March 31, which automatically extends 25% off sitewide, including sale. There are a few ways to play it: Stock up on basics like asymmetrical tanks and better-than-the-competition button-downs to wear right away, or be very, very clever and get the most amazing next-winter coat for a combined savings of $1,300+.
We’ve reached the point in the Tory-ssaince at which pieces from the “New Tory” are finally going on sale. The brand’s Spring Event includes RTW, bags, and shoes from the runways that made us say, “Wait, is Tory…good?” The answer, as evidenced by this pleated two-tone dress, striped cardigan, cat-eye bag, and these braided-brass loafers, is, well, yeah. Tory Sport also has some great pieces up in the sale like this knit skirt and polo set, and these sunglasses look just like the Marni shades I’m always going on about.
Not usually one for a sale, culty Spanish knitwear brand Babaa is offering 20% off sitewide with COJ23. It’s a bit tricky to find where to enter the code (or at. least it was for me), but it’s snuck under the login prompt once you hit “proceed to checkout.” I’ve just come off another winter of wearing two sweaters from the brand on regular rotation, but its spring concepts are just as good: cropped jumpers, chunky cardigans, and wide-leg knit pants are very good ideas for this in-between period.
A new season of Succession and further proof that Naomi Pierce simply never misses is ammo for the Proenza Schouler Archive Sale, which brings the heiress’ monochromatic favorites down to sample sale prices, tickling the low $100s. I’m paying special attention to the dress version of here crepe twist-back top, a capacious, slouchy bag (or this one, I can’t choose), this gorgeous collared knit, and this sculpted dress I shared in the last Broadsheet.
Team Kendall keepers-up of the @successionfashion account will find a scratch to their own episode-one itch at Italist, where Brunello Cucinelli’s suede clogs—basically Birkenstock Bostons for people with fuck-you money—are listed for 40% less than they are on the Brunello site.
Nordstrom’s unlikely experiment of introducing the artfully “ugly” creations of LES’ Cafe Forgot to its otherwise safe-playing shopper base has come to a close. The curated capsule featuring Maroske Peech, Gabe Gordon, KITS, and other names more familiar to this channel than Fifth Ave are on sale for 40% off. I’m an incorrigible serial buyer of cutout pants, so I’m fighting the fiery urge to buy these seriously hot Urte Kat trousers.
Imperfect and discontinued stock from Mondo Mondo’s trove of perfumes and jewelry is 80% off in its resplendent archive sale, with Magasin-vetted and beloved Hysteria, a perfume featuring notes of sunscreen and musky jasmine—$25 for a sizable bottle—and a hypnotic, talismanic charm bracelet among its many very worthy offerings.
Take up to 50% off a dizzying, over 20k-item strong assortment of menswear winners in the END. mid-season sale. In the mood for patchwork? Go affordably unhinged with Ralph Lauren or unhinged-ly less affordable with Bode (though some button-downs and tees do, as if under a blue moon, dip below $300), explore a cavernous collection of Crocs and Carhartt, and (almost too) much more.
It’s a delight to see several recently recommended pieces from this newsletter show up in Mr. Larkin’s mid-season sale, including MNZ’s Mia cardigan and Luna gown in the same slinky fabric, the MNZ Lido wedges, an explosive Diotima crochet top-scupture-type piece, and a fiery orange Mara Hoffman ribbed dress.
Hopefully not due to SEO failure, the designer Vejas Maksimas (whose brand went by Vejas for a long time), is sadly closing. A great source for interesting gets since the Opening Ceremony days, Vejas’ askew basics are going for extreme liquidation prices on the site, which you can access with the password FINALSALE.
Get 50% off all prescription sunglass lenses from Jins, sans code. With the discount, these prices undercut even Warby Parker, and Jins’ styles are just as unfussy and numerous as (though with a less divisive reputation than) the infamous supplier of “slut glasses” to Bushwick boys.
For those of us who still struggle with the ambiguity and reckless deployment of the term “postmodern,” Ganni’s Postmodern Sale will clarify absolutely nothing semantically, but it will offer up to 70% off past Magasin-starred pieces like these chunky Chelsea boots and boxy leopard-print coat, which you can then wear while reading Derrida and feeling vaguely hollow inside. Or, like, to a dinner party, whichever appeals.
There’s also: Mango is offering 30% off orders of $210+ with EXTRA30—should be easy to accomplish with the spotty, Saks Potts-y pieces and Donna Karan-ish suiting in the New In section for a start; Isshi’s beached-mermaid-style baubles are 40% off in its dazzling sale; and Sir. The Label’s statuesque gowns, royal blue prints like porcelain vessels, and beachy netting fashioned into sheer sets are discounted up to 50% in its sale section.
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With contributions from Em Seely-Katz
loves it and i bought like 3 things from this newsletter alone lol