A Merchandiser's Mindset
Volume II: Industry Headlines, The Way a Merchant Sees Them
A couple of months ago, I experimented with a new format called A Merchandiser’s Mindset and was blown away by the response. Many of you told me it felt like sitting next to me while I scrolled the internet, connected a few dots, and overanalyzed the things catching my attention.
Since my browser tabs have only multiplied since then, I figured it was time for another round. On deck: Isaac Mizrahi’s Target homecoming, Tory Burch’s latest collection, Balenciaga’s surprising attempt to become your wellness coach, a luxury wholesale debate, and the bag that unexpectedly stole the spotlight.
Let’s get into it!
1. Target Names Isaac Mizrahi Creative Director at Large
Making Headlines: In a move that feels equal parts strategic and nostalgic, Isaac Mizrahi is heading back to Target 23 years later. The company has created a new role where he'll advise the design team and help shape future creative initiatives.
Borrow My Glasses: I wrote my college thesis on the rise of designer collaborations and their impact on mass-market retail. Back then, Isaac Mizrahi for Target and Karl Lagerfeld for H&M felt revolutionary.
Fast forward two decades, and retailers aren’t just partnering with designers. They’re hiring them. Zac Posen is helping shape the creative direction at Gap, while Brandon Maxwell oversees Scoop and Free Assembly at Walmart.
What’s fascinating isn’t that Isaac is returning. It’s that Target is looking backward to move forward. While the rest of retail is searching for the next creative star, Target still has Isaac on speed dial.
Hit or Miss: Miss. Isaac Mizrahi's return will undoubtedly resonate with the generation that remembers his original Target partnership. I'm less convinced it carries the same weight with younger shoppers. Nostalgia is a powerful strategy, but only if your customer remembers what they're supposed to be nostalgic for.
2. Tory Burch Resort 2027: Everything but the Kitchen Sink
Making Headlines: Tory Burch's Resort 2027 collection embraces an "everything but the kitchen sink" mentality, layering textures, colors, accessories, and patterns into a collection that feels distinctly her own.
Borrow My Glasses: Tory Burch launched her namesake brand in 2004. More than twenty years later, she’s still one of the most interesting voices in American fashion because her point of view keeps evolving. The Tory Burch of today looks very different from the Tory Burch who built an empire on Reva flats and logo tunics, yet somehow the brand still feels unmistakably hers.
Tory could easily spend her seasons iterating on proven winners. Instead, she’s still curious, still experimenting, and still having fun. A striped knit with polka dots. Raffia with resin. Pastels next to saturated color. It sounds chaotic on paper. Yet somehow, when Tory mixes patterns, layers textures, and pairs colors that shouldn’t work, she makes it all feel completely natural.
As someone who has never met a polka dot, a stripe or leopard she didn’t like, this collection felt deeply validating. The funny thing is that most of us won't be able to shop Resort 2027 for another six months. Here are a few ways to recreate the spirit of the collection using pieces already in stores today.
Hit or Miss: Hit. After a very public divorce, a business breakup, and more than two decades in fashion, Tory Burch is still giving us something new to talk about. That might be her most impressive accomplishment yet.
3. Balenciaga is on a Wellness Kick
Making Headlines: Balenciaga is trading champagne for smoothies. The brand is marking the launch of Techwear with workout classes, recovery drinks, and wellness-focused pop-ups across the globe.
Borrow My Glasses: Luxury brands have always been experts at creating desire. Traditionally, that meant runway shows, celebrity endorsements, and exclusive events. Today, it’s a wellness routine.
What Balenciaga is really launching is a lifestyle, one that looks remarkably similar to the customer already standing in line at Erewhon. The clothes may be new, but the message is familiar: the modern aspiration isn’t to look wealthy. It’s to look well.
Not everyone can afford a Balenciaga wardrobe, but plenty of people can afford a $19 mixed berry and banana beverage. Luxury’s newest entry price point is no longer a fragrance. For the price of a liquid lunch, you can participate in the fantasy.
Hit or Miss: Miss. Demna spent a decade convincing us that the chicest person in the room looked like they hadn’t slept in three days. Balenciaga sold us the afterparty, the walk of shame, and the existential crisis that followed. This pivot is admittedly a little comical. It’s a bit like discovering your college party friend now wakes up at 5 a.m. to journal and track their protein intake. What a time to be alive.
4. Loro Piana Pulls Back From Wholesale
Making Headlines: Luxury retailer Loro Piana is reportedly pulling out of traditional wholesale, becoming even more selective about where customers can buy the brand.
Borrow My Glasses: My first reaction wasn’t “good for Loro Piana.” It was “that’s a blow to Saks.”
Luxury brands love talking about control. Control of pricing. Control of inventory. Control of the customer relationship. But it also raises a bigger question: at what point does the pursuit of control come at the expense of reach?
Nike spent years pulling back from wholesale in pursuit of a more direct relationship with consumers. More recently, the company has strengthened relationships with key retail partners again, a reminder that even the biggest brands continue to balance control with reach.
The difference is that Loro Piana can afford to be selective. When you’re selling a $4,000 cashmere coat, scarcity becomes part of the value proposition. When you’re selling a $98 sweatshirt, scale is often the business model.
Wholesale isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s a tool. Luxury just happens to use that tool very differently from everyone else.
Hit or Miss: Too early to call. It’s a bold move, and I wouldn’t be surprised if other luxury brands eventually follow. But if they do, the impact won’t be limited to Loro Piana. Department stores like Saks don’t just showcase luxury brands. They depend on them. If more of those brands decide they no longer need wholesale, the ripple effects could extend far beyond a single cashmere company.
5. The World Cup's Best Accessory
Making Headlines: Before kicking a ball, DR Congo may have already won the World Cup arrival competition. The national team touched down in Houston wearing custom leopard-accented suits and matching bags by Congolese designer Alvin Mak, creating one of the tournament’s most memorable first impressions.
Borrow My Glasses: My favorite part of the story is that the internet and I immediately wanted the bags. Forget the jerseys. Forget the match tickets. The bags have my undivided attention.
Last week, Dana wrote about how the Knicks' championship run transformed New York. What I loved most about her piece wasn't the basketball. It was the collective enthusiasm of it all.
DR Congo is ranked #45 in the world. Most of us probably couldn’t have named a player a week ago. Yet somehow, a team arrival turned them into one of the most talked-about stories of the tournament. Maybe they’ll make a deep run. Maybe they won’t. But this week, I’m rooting for DR Congo.
Not bad for an airport arrival.
Hit or Miss: Hit. Alvin Mak, are you taking pre-orders? My credit card is waiting.
That’s what made my cut this week. Now tell me: what headline, product, trend, or internet shopping rabbit hole have you been thinking about more than you probably should?
Loved learning from your expert insights Evonne! I can't stop thinking about the shoes at Tory Burch. It's so interesting how many luxury brands are using food as an entryway now that they've basically priced out every aspirational consumer over the past few years 🫠
I attempted to stream Unzipped to watch with my young adult daughter and couldn't find it anywhere. Re release it, publicize it and you'll have Gen Z's attention. Feature Isaac in ads too, his Instagram is a delight.