315: She said, Januarily
Plus Lauren Manoogian leather, Araks x J.Crew, and Saks Potts' goodbye sale.
Fit check: I’m on day whatever of wearing the latest leisure suit of my own composition—navy Aritzia sweatpants from Monday’s workout post (never met a better sweat) and a color-coordinated Banana Republic cashmere polo that I wear all the time and have previously compared to Khaite.
The period since Christmas has measured record shopping lows from me. In fact more returns have been made than purchases, like the Hodakova dress I got from SSENSE as a birthday option (a Lauren Manoogian knit (similar) ended up being more my mood) and a ‘90s Prada suit from The RealReal that was slightly off on my figure in a way such a slim-fitting silhouette shouldn’t be.
A few notable exceptions:
My family had a big, random reunion in a castle in Ireland over the holidays, and after some sleuthing, I discovered that we were staying about an hour away from Cushendale Woolen Mills, est. in the 1700s. It’s one of the last vertical mills in the country (meaning they create both the yarn and the products using the yarn) and one of the only operations using Irish wool, i.e. wool from the local sheep, rather than imported Merino wool from New Zealand/Aussie sheep. This is due to the industry being hit hard in waves from 1. the culture turning on wall-to-wall carpeting in favor of hardwood and 2. Big Duvet coming for the wool blanket trade. Cushendale still makes big, dramatic blankets out of the few remaining Galway flocks producing textile-appropriate wool (most of the sheep in the country are bred for meat and their wool isn’t a good fit for the job). If you’ve heard of Ton Magazine or come across EIC Jermaine Gallacher’s Bed Blankets, you should know they’re produced by Cushendale. I got to chatting with Trevor of the Cushen family who told me they’d be producing more units of a deep, gorgeous blue I was admiring at the showroom by early this month…I’ve also asked about potentially commissioning al all-black version. More to come on this in this month’s ROOMS, I’m sure.
By similar kismet, I discovered we were just a 15 minute drive to the studio of ceramicist Mark Campden. Mark’s an English fellow who has been working with the extremely rare process, Reduced Pigment Lustre—a long-dormant Arabian technique revived centuries later in part by his father, who passed along the know-how. The effect is basically golden iridescence that’s a magnitude more radiant in person than in photos. I bought a footed bowl.
Very Januarily, I purchased a new notebook: a soft-cover XL Moleskine in a navy blue (unlined) that exactly matches today’s leisure suit.
Here’s what’s happening in shopping news this week, below the fold.
What’s new
A single inaugural Lauren Manoogian leather apparel item is here, and what an arrival. The sleek, oversized leather bomber in a heady-goth black feels like a nod towards the brand’s ostensibly nearing menswear collection that it’s been teasing for a year+ now. The jacket is made by hand in Peru (where all of the collections are made) and has a baby alpaca trim. You can tell this one took a lot of well-dedicated time to perfect.
J.Crew continues its tear of killer collaborations (see: MNZ, CJR, Holiday Mag), now leveraging Araks to sophisticate its underwear offering. Araks is the brand behind the panties in the Lost In Translation opening shot, but more importantly, an overall high quality designer of intimates that pull off grown-up and colorful. Araks’ founder—who actually got the idea for her brand while working at J.Crew in the ‘90s—brings some refreshing reds and blues to the retailer’s lounge, bra, and undies categories.
A couple items to report from COS, starting with the new season 2025 collection. These square-toe court shoes are a Cossified version of Loro Piana Rebeccas and this $70 “Kite” tote is the brand’s answer to Lemaire’s scarf bag. Annd, COS also collaborated with photographer Chris Perani on a printed capsule that reflects the creative’s focus on patterns found in nature—a non-cheesy departure from solids, IMO.
The skincare brand Eighth Day—which leans more “biohack” than “beauty”—introduced a new serum designed to address a multitude of the most common concerns at once, e.g. loss of volume, fine lines, elasticity, dullness, texture, UVA and UVB sun damage, while stepping into a defensive role against environmental factors like pollution, blue light, and dehydration. It was rated extremely high by testers on all fronts. Over the last decade, skincare splintered into single-purpose solutions, which made sense following how annoyingly one-size-fits-all the last generation of products were. But we’ve come so far with formulations since then, and considering how done I’m feeling personally with many-step, inefficient, and redundant regimens, I think Eighth Day is making savvy moves with this release.
So far on my Lunar New Year release radar: Tory Burch’s exclusive capsule (love love love this sweater), Acne Studios presents the Year of the Snake collection, and Norlha put together a giftable little token called the Wood Snake Set.
OG influencer Aimee Song launched a quiet luxury sweater brand, Amiya, a diametrically opposed move from DB’s WeWoreWhat, say, and a closer cry to Elin Kling’s Toteme…I assume the thinking goes.
Bushwicky knit talent Gabe Gordon released an EDP dubbed Horse Play…remember when SC103 launched a fragrance in 2023? The category appears to be broadening beyond French and hyper-femme in relation to fashion.
There’s also: Two new It socks from brands we’d accept such a title from—Comme Si’s Ski Sock and Sandy Liang’s Recital Sock; four new colors from Flore Flore—purple, syrah, sage, and tan; and Tory Burch introduces a new bag family, the Romy, which comes in bucket, tote, and mini forms.
Home releases
USM Modular Furniture! Between a media console with a hidden projector screen made in collaboration with Leica (precisely built to pair with the Leica Cine laser TV) and an audio equipment furniture collaboration with Symbol Collection, USM stays smart, busy, and engaging our senses.
Sonoma-based design studio Hommeboys Interiors have leveraged their custom workshop previously only used for client one-offs to create a line of ready-to-ship furniture—poufs, ottomans, grandiose desks—called Haus of Hommeboys. There’s a great edit of collected pieces mixed in, the Marva Studio candelabros are my favorite.
What’s on sale
The time that’s passed since an SSENSE sale check-in has been criminally long and against the better nature of this newsletter. Discounts now reach the 70s and continue to climb, despite sale season loyalists perhaps thinking otherwise. Their wrongness works for me, though, as I like to shop where there’s less competition and better catch. The most pressing to report: Toteme lambskin pants (70% off!); the most sumptuous Carven suede car coat that’s 50% off even though Louise Trotter’s about to go and design one for Bottega that’ll sell for $10k+; a The Row Sophia bag (!!!) for literally half off (???); lots of 2024’s hottest mononym, Rier.
MyTheresa, too, is slyly increasing its sale up to 70% off…better than Black Friday rates?…while few take notice. Their loss! I found a totally melodramatic JPG dress for under $300, an imminently more wearable Khaite one for just as low, fantastic MM6 jeans for $190, and drama once again from Norma Kamali, this time cozier and only $98.
I’ll always click on a Nonna sale, knowing the actually worn part of my wardrobe stands to benefit. A little unseasonal, given none of my planned travels are to anywhere warm, but this full Chelsea Mak shorts-silk top look is me-catnip…me-nip…Mag-nip…anyway. This MNZ mesh tote has stood out to me across multiple sites, I’d throw in last night’s purse and a sarong and head tanning. Paloma Wool low-rise pants, a tree I’ve been barking up lately.
I feel similarly about Milwaukee’s Bona Drag, currently 20% off sitewide with BYE2024 (today’s the last day). The MNZ mules I got on Black Friday are now sale-on-sale, and the recent addition of dishware brand Service Projects puts its stainless steel espresso set up for grabs.
The Toteme sale rips on, with new styles added several times over since our last coverage. My unofficial surveys (conversations with friends) tell me that footwear has been a leading category among shoppers—these knit ballerinas are $300 and these boots are under $600—but everything happening outside my front door is making me keep tabs open for these two curly coats. Also, this vest, this trench, and ok one more furry coat.
When Saks Potts says “archive sale,” it means it. Within weeks of announcing that it would be shutting down, the brand is liquidating its stock for the last time, including whatever past-season pieces it. was holding onto through the years. Gut wrenching, no doubt. But, also impossible not to make a drive by to load up a cart one last time. Mine, personally, has a few pieces from the Oscalito collab, a pair of undies by Teget, and this dress I’ve crushed on over the years.
Lemaire’s Private Sale is so inasmuch as you do need to create a (free) account to access the discounts, which run around 30% off. Many of the Ransel family bags are included, as is a healthy selection of coats and pants (Lemaire turn-tos). Still, I’d cross-reference the SSENSE offering for who’s got the better bottom line, to be safe.
A couple times a year, Miu Miu and Prada (and often Bottega at the same time for some reason) allow retailers to advertise markdowns, and thus inboxes get filled with whatever limited language they’re contractually able to use when doing so. Moda Operandi’s Miu Miu promo is stellar—40% off with MODA40VIP (I covet this skirt), and Bergdorf’s selection is especially strong for shoes, like maybe I should finally get these bicolor Pradas?
Baserange’s sale takes 30% off a bunch of fall/winter stuff that was priced, for the most part, below $200 to begin with. I was never not bullish on the brand, but a few recent sightings in the wild have reinvigorated my belief. These cords, these lounge pants, ahh this dress <3
There’s a big sale happening at famously stringent Tibi, and its a total treat for sporty, proportion-bending stylists at heart. These Italian nylon shirts have been longtime faves, now half off, and here’s one of those elegantly understated things (a stretch tank) that you can tell would complete the whole category for you.
Aritzia is on sale for up to 50% off, and while I’ve been pretending all it does it activewear, there’s a whole range of other apparel included, from office-friendly stuff to lounge that vows to look good, if only for you to observe alone at home. (I still stand by the fact that its sportswear section is one of the best out there.)
There’s also: New additions hit Alex Mill’s sale, including $97 alpaca rollnecks in the men’s section; for the “Eres or nothing” crew, there’s a timely sale on swim (and intimates); beauty brand Winden had a good premise—elevated haircare formulas in zero-waste packaging—but the brand’s closing and is hosting a final, 80% off sale; Rachel Comey is up to 60% off…I’m feeling awfully strong about these mules; UK silk accessory and RTW brand Hai is on its way up, but you can catch it along its way at a discount in its end-of-season sale; and it’s hard to imagine beating the Gimaguas sale, most of which falls under the $100 water line.
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Love your Irish discoveries - thank you for sharing!
Greetings from Ireland Laura. Hope you had fun !