This hit hard in the best way. So much of product work lives in the tension between meaning and movement — you captured that perfectly. And yes… it’s always about the sweatshirt.
This was spot on! But I wonder about the longevity of these personality driven brands. How long do they last? Especially in fashion.
At least in beauty you’ve had breakout stars like Rihanna and Selena. Fashion is much tougher to sustain, potentially because the need for newness is much higher vs in beauty you can really rely on repurchases of hero products?
Thanks, Xue. I agree — beauty is built for longevity. You stick with the same hero products, and most brands only launch once or twice a year.
Fashion’s a whole different ballgame. The pressure for newness doesn’t let up. If the product doesn’t evolve beyond the personality, it fizzles. Without strong merchandising and a clear plan, there’s nothing to sustain these influencer brands for the long haul.
For Parke, category expansion feels key for their next move. If they can’t move beyond sweatshirts and denim soon, they risk losing all the momentum they’ve built.
Sadly, while hero products are ripe for repurchase, loyalty is fleeting in beauty today as the category is flooded with new entries constantly. Drunk Elephant, the darling of the beauty world last year, has dropped 65% in sales and is looking to revamp the brand. This Spring, Target alone launched 50 new brands — with 2,000 new products. In luxury, the $55 billion market is going to grow another $28 billion in 7 years. It's too much to navigate and very few brands will survive.
You’re spot on, Christine — loyalty in beauty is fragile, and attention is fleeting. Drunk Elephant’s decline shows how quickly a darling can fall in a saturated market. The brands that survive won’t just sell product — they’ll need real staying power and emotional pull.
You articulate this so well. I’ve been having similar thoughts for a while, but you really pulled the pieces together in a way that clicked for me. Yes—identity, and how everything we do feels like it’s communicating something. There’s so much to unpack there. I’m really enjoying your content.
Thanks so much, Lisha. I’ve been sitting with these ideas for a while, so hearing they clicked for you is the feedback that keeps me writing. I’m really glad to have you along for the ride.
I loved the Parke crossover denim shorts (and raved about them in The Quality Edit editorial in October, 2022) but never felt any inclination to purchase from the brand again. Being 56 and having moved from the West Village (literally and figuratively) twenty years ago is likely the reason. If I had to venture the future for the brand, I would say they don't have long — the next cool girl obsession is already in the works.
Christine! I can't believe you were once a WV girlie (ha). Parke really does feel like a moment, not a mainstay. If they don’t evolve past the cool girl starter pack, it’s only a matter of time before something shinier comes along.
In the early aughts, I'd say we were not dependent on such group think — no social media really helped — then again, we did mirror one another's looks thanks to print influences and the (pre-Row) Olsens.
This is so interesting Evonne! This isn't my type of brand, but you're so right that community is going to play a huge role in how people dress going forward.
And I'm so curious if buying and merch jobs are as coveted today as they were before being an influencer became an actual career opportunity in fashion?
Thanks for reading, Tina! I so appreciate it, especially since it’s not your usual lane.
Buying and merch roles used to be the dream (still is mine, btw). They still matter, but the spotlight has def shifted. It feels like the strategy is happening behind the scenes while the influence plays out front and center.
Yes! When I first started in buying, it was the fashion role everyone wanted outside of being a designer. I also still love merchandising today and it's amazing to get to see your POV on Substack.
I have so many thoughts here! 1. im sitting in jury duty in vegas in my sambas and slick back with an iced coffee - am I a cool WV girl? also this: The once-coveted roles of retail buyer (hi, Rachel Green) and merchandiser aren’t what they used to be. Yes, I still spot trends, sense demand, shape taste, and time the shipment. But now, my role competes with the feed.
I've never thought of it like this! In fashion school becoming a buyer was the epitome of cool (i still think it is), but somehow I never thought about how social was impacting these roles at this level.
This made my day — thank you, Carly! Honestly, your Monday report planted the seed for this whole piece. And the fact that you read it in Sambas with an iced coffee? Iconic. Move over, WV girlies — we’ve got a new resident.
Buyer and merch roles were the dream — still are (at least to me). But they’re up against a new kind of influence now, and that shift has been wild to unpack. So glad this one resonated.
This hit hard in the best way. So much of product work lives in the tension between meaning and movement — you captured that perfectly. And yes… it’s always about the sweatshirt.
Have a safe and wonderful trip to Brazil!
I'm deeply flattered by your comment, thanks, GB!
So good! 💖
Thank you, Kathleen 💕.
This was spot on! But I wonder about the longevity of these personality driven brands. How long do they last? Especially in fashion.
At least in beauty you’ve had breakout stars like Rihanna and Selena. Fashion is much tougher to sustain, potentially because the need for newness is much higher vs in beauty you can really rely on repurchases of hero products?
Thanks, Xue. I agree — beauty is built for longevity. You stick with the same hero products, and most brands only launch once or twice a year.
Fashion’s a whole different ballgame. The pressure for newness doesn’t let up. If the product doesn’t evolve beyond the personality, it fizzles. Without strong merchandising and a clear plan, there’s nothing to sustain these influencer brands for the long haul.
For Parke, category expansion feels key for their next move. If they can’t move beyond sweatshirts and denim soon, they risk losing all the momentum they’ve built.
Yes! I’m really intrigued to see if they can sustain this. Gen z moves on so quickly from trends!
This was such a great analysis. Thank you for sharing. ❤️❤️❤️
They seriously do, it is wild! Thank you for your kind words; they mean the world to me 💕.
Sadly, while hero products are ripe for repurchase, loyalty is fleeting in beauty today as the category is flooded with new entries constantly. Drunk Elephant, the darling of the beauty world last year, has dropped 65% in sales and is looking to revamp the brand. This Spring, Target alone launched 50 new brands — with 2,000 new products. In luxury, the $55 billion market is going to grow another $28 billion in 7 years. It's too much to navigate and very few brands will survive.
You’re spot on, Christine — loyalty in beauty is fragile, and attention is fleeting. Drunk Elephant’s decline shows how quickly a darling can fall in a saturated market. The brands that survive won’t just sell product — they’ll need real staying power and emotional pull.
You articulate this so well. I’ve been having similar thoughts for a while, but you really pulled the pieces together in a way that clicked for me. Yes—identity, and how everything we do feels like it’s communicating something. There’s so much to unpack there. I’m really enjoying your content.
Thanks so much, Lisha. I’ve been sitting with these ideas for a while, so hearing they clicked for you is the feedback that keeps me writing. I’m really glad to have you along for the ride.
I loved the Parke crossover denim shorts (and raved about them in The Quality Edit editorial in October, 2022) but never felt any inclination to purchase from the brand again. Being 56 and having moved from the West Village (literally and figuratively) twenty years ago is likely the reason. If I had to venture the future for the brand, I would say they don't have long — the next cool girl obsession is already in the works.
Christine! I can't believe you were once a WV girlie (ha). Parke really does feel like a moment, not a mainstay. If they don’t evolve past the cool girl starter pack, it’s only a matter of time before something shinier comes along.
In the early aughts, I'd say we were not dependent on such group think — no social media really helped — then again, we did mirror one another's looks thanks to print influences and the (pre-Row) Olsens.
I miss the days before social media where all we had was each other, print influence for muses and of course the Olsens.
This is so interesting Evonne! This isn't my type of brand, but you're so right that community is going to play a huge role in how people dress going forward.
And I'm so curious if buying and merch jobs are as coveted today as they were before being an influencer became an actual career opportunity in fashion?
Thanks for reading, Tina! I so appreciate it, especially since it’s not your usual lane.
Buying and merch roles used to be the dream (still is mine, btw). They still matter, but the spotlight has def shifted. It feels like the strategy is happening behind the scenes while the influence plays out front and center.
Yes! When I first started in buying, it was the fashion role everyone wanted outside of being a designer. I also still love merchandising today and it's amazing to get to see your POV on Substack.
Right back at ya Tina! Your weekly newsletter is a favorite in my inbox each week.
Have I been living under a rock?! Never heard of Parke. God I’m old.
You’re not alone! I only discovered Parke this year, too. Maybe I just crawled out from under the rock a few weeks earlier...
As I am 100, I can vouch for you not being old, but rather you have your head above the West Village fray. Which is a great place to be.
Aw, thanks Christine. I’m enjoying this place too.
I have so many thoughts here! 1. im sitting in jury duty in vegas in my sambas and slick back with an iced coffee - am I a cool WV girl? also this: The once-coveted roles of retail buyer (hi, Rachel Green) and merchandiser aren’t what they used to be. Yes, I still spot trends, sense demand, shape taste, and time the shipment. But now, my role competes with the feed.
I've never thought of it like this! In fashion school becoming a buyer was the epitome of cool (i still think it is), but somehow I never thought about how social was impacting these roles at this level.
love love love this post!
This made my day — thank you, Carly! Honestly, your Monday report planted the seed for this whole piece. And the fact that you read it in Sambas with an iced coffee? Iconic. Move over, WV girlies — we’ve got a new resident.
Buyer and merch roles were the dream — still are (at least to me). But they’re up against a new kind of influence now, and that shift has been wild to unpack. So glad this one resonated.
So insightful and spot on.