227: The first Monday in May is none of my business

Plus SSENSE's Private Sale returns, The Row's Alexia bag and Margaux clutch enter the chat, and a hot tip from my hair journey.

First off, can I just say: Loewe girls Tay Russel and Greta Lee 4ever, the Solawave PR team deserves a vacation, and if something scandalous happened I don’t know about it because I checked out early to watch Hacks. I hope everyone had fun though!

Here in the little universe of my own making, my mind is on other matters. I’ve touched on this previously, and even teased that it was coming soon when, in fact, that was a reckless use of the word “soon.” But I want to announce that our Q+A feature is finally launching later this week.

In AMA (Ask Magasin Anything, ha ha) paid subscribers can write in with their shopping questions, and the Magasin team—me,

em seely-katz

, and

Louis Cheslaw

—plus rotating guest editors will pick a handful to answer each month.

This will be the first time we’re actually paywalling content, but free subscribers, don’t worry, all other content including these weekly news sends, style outs, miscellaneous guides, and spreadsheets will continue to land in your inbox without having to pay a penny.

If you are interested in upgrading, you’ll be able to submit your burning shopping Qs to us, and we’ll consult our saved searches, wishlists, trusted stores, expert networks, institutional knowledge, and other classified sources to bring you a minimum of five solid options per prompt.

The first edition of AMA is coming this Friday, and since dealer rules dictate that first one’s free, everyone will be able to read it and send in their questions.

SO. What are your questions for us??? The chat has put us on the scent of some great shopping hunts already, but I wanted to open it up to anyone who’d like to petition our shopping help—what can Em, Louis, and I help you shop for? A tough category? An outfit for an upcoming event? Just something that makes you feel alive?

Whoever sends in a question we end up covering gets a free yearly subscription to Magasin :) You can drop them in the comments, in the chat, or by replying to this email. Thanks for playing, we can’t wait to bring you AMA in just three short days.

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With News Editor

em seely-katz

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What’s new

Act+Acre

• For those keeping up with my hair journey—thin, fine, slow-growing—I found something on Reddit that looks really promising. I’ve been seeing apple stem cell technology being compared to prescription treatment Minoxidil for its efficacy in promoting hair growth (this study appears to support the mechanism). A lot of users are pointing to Act+Acre’s Stem Cell Scalp Serum, which uses Swiss apples (notably mentioned in this other study), plus aloe vera, hyaluronic acid, and a bamboo and pea sprout blend that I can’t speak to but which sounds pleasant at the very least. Clinical studies for Swiss apples found that they reduced hair thinning by 34% in just one month, but Act+Acre recommends using its serum for at least 12 weeks to start seeing results. Wanted to share this intel since hair is one of the topics I get the most commiseration around, but also because the usually sold-out serum is actually in stock now. It’s also running a pretty compelling 40% off promo if you subscribe, which makes sense to do anyway for upkeep.

• The most important arrival from The Row’s Summer 2024 collection is not the jellies (although they’re obviously fun and imminently ubiquitous—Ancient Greek Sandals’ version is still in stock and only $125), it’s the Alexia Bag, the floppy leather tote with overalls buttons attaching the straps. At just under $6k, The Row isn’t mincing words when it says this is its next Margaux, and they were apparently right to bet on it given that there are only two units left at Bergdorf’s. It also released a clutch version of the OG Margaux, but don’t expect a discount just because it’s lacking straps.

• More good bag news: The ranks of Bottega Veneta’s puffy-but-sleek foldover Lauren 1980 have increased to include mini “Teen” bags with chain straps, plus a few—hold your gasps—non-intrecciato versions; Medea’s cheeky new Nina bag evokes the crotch of a Minecraft avatar, sporting a fly and pockets on a structured body available in upcycled denim or less literal leather; and a new, smaller size of Lemaire’s slouchy Scarf Bag can be worn crossbody, promising to become even more drapey with wear.

• Remember when Jacquemus opened a restaurant in Paris and suddenly everyone reframed their entire personality around plaster shelves and walls? (Or just bought that one Urban Outfitters bookcase…) The brand’s latest gawkable interiors project is its new office space featuring imitable gallery walls, sculptures, and modernist furnishings, some of which can actually be found on auction right now: How about this nude by Maurice Louis Savin for $391? Or a Wolfgang Tillmans poster (this isn’t an exact, but is available for $550), of which they office has two? Here’s a Louis Fratino, Red Figure from the same collection as Jacq’s going for an entire $33,000 on Artsy. But if you’re looking for a deal, there’s an Aristide Maillol sketch for $290 (compared to this one for $14,000). And why is this certified Modigliani only $196? The office naturally includes some great collectible furniture, too, including this Astier de Villatte floor lamp and Marc Du Plantier brass wall sconces.

• In honor of AAPI Heritage Month, Bergdorf Goodman curated a collection of pieces by Asian and Pacific Islander designers, featuring Altuzarra pieces like a coyly Hepburnian off-the-shoulder going-out top; an Oscar de la Renta cardigan that looks precisely like it was thrown in the laundry with a Van Gogh painting; and more by icons such as Peter Do and Prabal Gurung, plus a host of products from AAPI-owned beauty brands like Sulwhasoo and Superegg.      

• Perhaps smartly refusing to post feet on main, as it were, SSENSE nevertheless blogged about its sandals of the season, a lineup that ranges from crunchy, e.g. Keen’s knottily bungee-corded (and heroically odor-resistant) Uneek sandals; to cream-colored, à la the Maryam Nassir Zadeh suede-bodied sleeper hit Tupelo thongs; to cloven, with the requisite inclusion of a strappy Tabi flat. 

• It’s just barely getting nice outside, which means that brands like The Row and now Prada, are naturally putting out their peak summer collections. The latter’s proposition for poolside lounging and seaside Instagram posting includes a silk scarf-print mini dress (also in skirt form), a bra top I’m liable to spend too much money on, a stemmed rose brooch, and these floral satin slides I can feel in my bones are about to sell out.

• Like coquette Charlie’s Angels, Heaven, Sandy Liang, and the New York City Ballet teamed up to deliver a capsule of pieces designed to jog our dearest memories of Limited Too: sparkly pink bolero sweaters and NYCB baby tees topped with satin bows are an inventive take on the concept of “merch.”

• Instead of taking the Miu Miu dalliance with boat shoes lying down, Sperry has stepped up its game, collaborating with Todd Snyder on a suede version of its classic style in three colorways AND with J.Crew on a limited-edition chocolate brown boat shoelaced with caramel-colored leather.

• There’s also: Lauren Manoogian releases the Double Face Trench I own in charcoal and tan in a new cream colorway—do I get it?; Moda Operandi has the exclusive on a few Frankie Shop pieces as part of its “Art of Dressing” capsule, now live on site; affordable queen Rue Sophie launches Summer ‘24, its viscose Sud pant an instant favorite; Sophia Coppola has her celebrity beauty brand moment with an Augustinus Bader lip balm collab; Christopher Esber introduces a leopard print bikini that damn near got me with a sponsored ad (it’s great); Bella Hadid’s fragrance brand Ôrəbella claims to be the “first intentional skin parfum”—it launches with three scents and features an interesting shake-to-activate mechanism; pink and green freshwater pearls strung into necklaces or stuck on silver toothpicks, plus vintage doilies reading BREAD and satin bags designed to hold exactly one baguette set the tone for Gohar World’s picnic-minded summer offerings; Linnea Lund’s SS24 collection is full of lightweight knit tees and vests, all ethically made and designed to be unisex; On x Post Archive Faction collaborate on a capsule of techy running shoes and minimalist-but-punk-leaning gear; and Staud collaborates with Keds on a capsule of sneakers and matching clothing that focuses on color blocking and Euro-summer stylings.

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What’s on sale

SSENSE by WooJeong Lee

• The endurance of SSENSE’s silent sale, which was humming like a refrigerator in the background for the last two months, almost had me diminishing the the impact of its more bombastic sale events in my memory. With the return of its Private Sale, available to its inner circle (log into your account to see if you were granted access) as of this week, I can see how wrong I was: A lot of Lemaire is on sale, but I never expected to see its Egg Bag for 23% off (likewise its Fortune Bag, an update to the cultish Croissant…also on sale); plenty of Salomons are under $200; The Row’s elvish Tyler boots are down to $665; this paper-thin Toteme knit polo sitting in my cart would get untold wears through the year (now just $310); still quite pricey but at 30% off, this Sophie Bille Brahe earring is nearly $1,000 down; weather notwithstanding, now might be the time to get a Cawley sheepskin coat for under $900; fab Bottega sunglasses for $288; and how about these clean Skims sweats for $55? I barely scratched the surface of the Everything Else sale (nor the men’s at all), but you can bet I beelined to this Tekla linen bedspread for 25% off (I could be considered a collector at this point, I adore having these around).

• With a lesser brand, we would have gotten an email along the lines of “getting into the SPRING of things,” but COS’ suaveness has not been compromised with the quiet introduction of a 15% off sitewide sale using HELLOMAY. Even its obvious dupes are well-considered enough not to feel hokey—how about some ski-style sunglasses à la Phoebe Philo but for a sweet $115 as opposed to the latter’s $750? Or leather Mary Jane flats for $400 less than Sandy Liang’s?

• Say what you will about Balenciaga, it’s all fair game at this point. But if you can recognize the brilliance behind those pieces that have truly been designed and not just merchandised, it’s possible you’ll appreciate the 40% off sale on the brand at Bergdorf’s that extends to these anatomic ballerina flats (toe-ier than tabis), down to $555, or this tote bag that requires your entire arm being slipped into a glove to handle it, over $1,000 off.

• Negative Underwear was one of the most-clicked brands from my intimates deep dive last month, so some among you might be interested in its Spring Sale, which brings “whipped” modal tees, cotton bralettes, mesh underwire bras, stretch nylon thongs, swimwear, and quite a lot more down by as much as 50% off.

• The Hereu Summer Archive Sale is brimming with half-off pieces in a rainbow of shades, from summery orange suede flip-flops that bloom with scrunchie-style straps and pool blue embroidered flats to all-weather neutrals like lace-up babouche-style flats that might actually trump the Jacquemus x Repetto derbies in their kinetic dance teacher energy, plus a handful of bags for good measure, each cleverly structural or handily referential (this one to the classic MM6 tote, done here in emerald satin). 

• The filtering mechanisms for the Shopbop Summer Sale are enough of a reason to check it out—no gratuitous page reloads every time you click on a new designer to focus on, and that counts for A LOT with over 5,000 pieces to peruse—then sporty, golden Wales Bonner day dresses for 40% off prove the sale’s worth, as do electric guitar-like purses from Puppets and Puppets under $200 and Tory Burch pearl drop earrings for less than $70. 

• Accessories are the headliners of LN-CC’s seasonal sale, taking up to 70% off its always-wide-ranging selection of pieces from apex designers as well as newer labels: a bunch of Balenciaga bags in seasonally-apt colors are 40% off, like a cerulean mini Le Cagole; emerald Prada sunglasses like square-cut gems are $209 down from $380; and Paula Canovas del Vas’ forked Diablo ballerinas in a snakeskin print go for under $250, to name a few.  

• Cecilie Bahnsen’s rare archive sale is on, with, of course, plenty of dresses—an asymmetrical number with classic Cecilie volume cut in turmeric-tinted cotton, a floaty black wrap dress in recycled faille (essentially ribbed silk) rings up under $300, and a white off-the-shoulder bubble dress is certainly fodder for a summer elopement—but perhaps most exciting is its footwear, with a few styles of the label’s genre-defining, sporty but floral neoprene sneakers more than 50% off.

• At Maison Rogue 40% off sale, already-on-sale items get the discount ax too, leaving torso-baring Christopher Esber gowns in mossy 100% silk $322, down from over $1,000, well-heeled MNZ canvas mules $135 from $520, Agolde cargo pants under $100 from $258, and more like-minded summer styles at similarly steep discounts.

• Violet Grey’s bougie, expensive beauty roster is worth spoiling yourself with now a little more than other times given the 50% off Private Sale currently underway: Omorovicza vitamin-C eye cream, a Byredo pigment multi-stick, and Margiela fragrances among them.

• The mysterious machinations of Sensoria have led to a 60% off sale on its currently-featured Salie 66 stock, a boon especially for MNZ fans who appreciate subtly-shaded, all-season knitwear like a pale blue ribbed polo, a well-cut navy tank ($136!), or a richly cable-knit crewneck in ivory cashmere—you can tell the brand doesn’t cut corners with its all-natural materials, but everything runs under $350 in this unique sale. 

• Fred Segal is showing true game this season, with a spring sale taking 30% off supportive-seeming tabi sandals knit in Tencel fibers, Leset polos with necklines that call to mind that Interior sweater that was seeded to every last inch of the fashion set this season, diaphanous St. Agni double-layered tanks under $200, and more on-point summer pieces.  

• Take 30% off in Miista’s mid-season sale, featuring easy picks like curvy-heeled mule sandals and heavier-duty clogs under $200, tons of sizes left in genuinely intimidating (to everyone but the wearer) pumps with nearly-stiletto lucite heels, and 100 other pieces of both footwear and other garments sharing the same energetic sensibility. 

• The Closed Archive Sale offers up to 70% off a truckload of experimental denim, like this light-wash pair sporting a self-belt itself in denim, plus Cobain-style striped knit polos around the $100 mark, woven leather slides under $200, and more pieces with a punk-gets-spirited-to-Martha’s-Vineyard ethos.

• There’s also: Take up to 70% off in the Nour Hammour sample sale for forward-thinking shoppers looking to invest in leather outerwear ahead of the inevitable autumn; fringy, flowy formalwear in simple but seductive cuts at up to 50% off dominates the Studio Amelia online warehouse sale; the Feit warehouse sale offers the label’s better-with-wear house slippers for $100 down from the usual $300 alongside other discounted, outside-the-house styles; get up to 40% off footwear from woven sandals to straight-shafted riding boots in the LoQ Mother's Day Sale; Patou’s archive sale takes more than half off a selection of its drama-filled but warm-weather-ready styles—doesn’t this voluminous dress look like the angel to Vaquera’s devil?; Le Specs offers 30% off sitewide, a great bet for stocking up on sub-$100 sunglasses that will inevitably succumb to sandy scratches or the simple disaster of sitting down upon a pair

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