Open To (Way Too Much) Buy

NYFW notes, a $3 million dress rumor, and a pop-up hack worth stealing.

A week filled with meetings, showroom visits, fashion shows, Channel Checks, a delightful podcast recording, photo shoot, a dinner celebrating an exciting collab, and ending with family time means I’ve combined Thursday’s Deep Dive and Saturday’s Shoppies/Open To Buy send. This weekend edition of Private Label will be a little different than our typical. But when is retail ever typical?

In this send: The start of fashion shows always has me split between what is in stores now, and what I can’t wait to wear next. During fashion weeks the cities always go into overdrive to engage those with the shoppies and show off the best retail experiences. Thank you retailers! Great work. Plus: Alex Harrington, double denim at Rùadh, aprons (not for cooking or tradwives), kitten heels, scrunchies, F1, preorders at Lingua Franca, Super Baby Puff™, Vivrelle, Gucci Westman’s pop-up, and an idea on how to DIY your own pop-up.

Open to Buy

• Field Notes — noting from NYFW

• Collabs — Banana Republic x La Ligne, Eckhaus Latta x J.Crew, and a whole lot more

• New Launches — Lingua Franca tests pre-orders, and insights from an art auction expert on Diana’s revenge dress

• New Stores & Pop-Ups — It’s a long list, take notes

• Fashion & Beauty Finds - A few odds and ends

• In My Feed - keeping it short with a good podcast

Field Notes

It’s a little early to make any true trend predictions, but here are a few things I kept noticing during NYFW. And maybe noticing is a pre-cursor to trending.

• Double or nothing: If one is good, might as well layer on two. TWP’s Double Take Blazer has the appearance of wearing two blazers at once without the bulk. At the TWP show on Thursday many attendees were wearing and I saw it on Kate Alper, TWP’s head of communications. At Rùadh stylist Alex Harrington worked with Creative Director Jac Cameron and a cropped/gaucho style denim was worn over a second longer wide leg pair.

  

  Alex Harrington styled Jac Cameron’s Rùadh double denim.

  Of course carrying more than one handbag on the runway is a way to highlight multiple styles with limited models, but in retail terms I’d explain this as the way to get a shopper to buy multiple handbags. Layering isn’t a new trend, but I still took note of these styling tricks.

• Aprons: Not for the tradwife, and it almost felt a bit more utility and for functionality. But the apron felt very central at TWP. There is an apron style dress, an apron style belt, and apron skirts. Attersee had an apron style belt in previous seasons and I spotted an updated style in their current fall collection.

  

  From left to right: TWP S/S 27 pieces, Attersee current belt accessory, Attersee previous collection apron belts.

• Jamie Haller’s kitten heels: And I’m not just saying this because I wore this pair in fire to the Banana Republic x La Ligne dinner. I spotted multiple pairs on the extra long front row at TWP — attendees were wearing in white specifically. I totally get it because these shoes give the elegant appearance of a heel but the comfort of a flat. It was also telling to me at the TWP show to see multiple people wearing Jamie Haller shoes. Also had me wondering TWP footwear when….???

Collabs

• The Banana Republic x La Ligne collaboration is live and as soon as the images started appearing I could see the difference and evolution from the La Ligne x Target collab to this one. The color palette, the volume, silhouettes, pattern play all feel more sophisticated and a serious, but still playful (there are scrunchies), version of La Ligne. That is how I see the BR workwear classics coming through. I attended a dinner at Raoul’s to celebrate the launch and just like the collection, it was fun and sophisticated and the perfect way to toast the La Ligne and Banana Republic teams that executed this. I also had the best (off the record) conversations. My favorite display of this collab include the-a-million-ways-to-wear shirtdress, the sold out cotton sweater, and the wide leg chinos and adjustable pants. Want to know how serious this is for Banana Republic? They put La Ligne in the navigation.

  

  Banana Republic x La Ligne landing page with La Ligne in the navigation.

• Last winter Eckhaus Latta x J.Crew had a collab on a single SKU¹ of the rollneck sweater along with Collina Strada, Tanner Fletcher, Buci, and Patrick Taylor. The Eckhaus Latta campaign was enough of a win on both sides for them to come back with a 27 piece collection launching September 15th. Prices range from $75 to $650 and the inspiration for the re-worked barn jackets, double waistband (see…taking note of this) pants, sweater skirt sets, etc. are from the 1990’s J. Crew catalogs.

• Kallmeyer x Nike sneakers have already launched and sold out. I wrote about the post when it was announced and there has been so much excitement over this pairing, and interest in a Kallmeyer designed sneaker. I feel like this gives permission for Danielle Kallmeyer to explore and lean into more performance and sporty styles. The timing of all of this was also like a well matched duo, between the U.S. Open and Kallmeyer’s runway show which received rave reviews and praise all around.

• Rhode x Alexandra Leclerc, a shimmery, mini sized collab. My first thought (after, oh…how cute are those tiny blushes) was that I had no idea who Leclerc was before her Frame collab. I’m not an F1 or F1 WAG follower, so she wasn’t on my radar. But reporting on that Frame partnership taught me she can sell. Her Frame collab landed on the ShopMy top 10 for June and drove a lot of online chatter through her millions of followers on social.

• Everyone went wild for the Celine x Reebok campaign this week and selling out the sneaks. My 13 year old daughter recently told me she wants Reeboks (non Celine) as her new sneaker for this school year because it is different from what her friends have and I:

  • was proud of that desire to be different and make her own choices

  • noted that she was aware of Reeboks without anyone else having

• Fruit of the Loom x Zara interesting given the recent Fruit of the Loom x Homme Girls collab.

• Elie Saab x H&M is coming October 22nd. The collection heavily hints at his elegant, bridal wear and haute couture, the styling leans into the ability to wear for everyday and not just special nights out.

• Simone Rocha x Adidas Originals is launching October 9th. Rocha’s details are bringing a softer side to the Adidas sneakers and sneakerinas. Much like Rocha’s collab with Crocs.

• Evereve has an exclusive collab with Gola, the heritage sneaker brand. They also highlighted the sneakers in their denim guide — an option to wear with straight leg jeans like this pair from Citizen of Humanity.

• Hunter Boots x Ganni a first collab for the pair. Hunter Boots had a recent collab with Love Shack Fancy.

• I’m seeing Wrangler popping up in interesting places and I wonder if they will have a bigger moment soon, especially for vintage styles. Love Shack Fancy collaborated with Wrangler recently and Lindsay Sword is another reason for Wrangler on my radar. Imogene + Willie x Wrangler.

• Funny — both the above collabs were recently with Love Shack Fancy.

New Launches

Pre-Orders As A Test:

Lingua Franca is testing pre-orders of their Spring 2027 collection for one week only. It’s a fast pivot for this team and I stopped by their retail store/offices this week and they walked me through the collection and explained their business reasons for this test. It allows the team to gauge demand by style before finalizing production and make well-informed bets. It matters when your best styles in the collection are also higher retails due to the level of craftsmanship and materials. Some of the sweaters are hand-knit in Peru and when an item sells out in-season going back to produce more isn’t timely.

This new collection is a love letter to Sara and Gerald Murphy, the Riviera-loving couple who inspired Fitzgerald’s Tender Is the Night and is done in partnership with the Fitzgerald estate. Rachelle Hruska also shared with me code FITZ20 for 20 percent off of pre-orders. Consider this a way to be a buyer at market. Worth checking out: this fully reversible Provencal jacket, an embroidered dress you can wear all summer, and a nautical sweater that is embroidered with the details Lingua Franca is known for.

• Princess Diana’s Revenge For Sale: I asked my former Puck colleague Julie Brener Davich, she writes The Appraisal — a best selling culture and art Substack and covers the auction world closely to give me her take. Her theory, Sotheby’s used the $1.1 million sale of Diana’s “black sheep” sweater in 2023 to convince this dress’s owner to sell now. The dress last went to auction at Christie’s in June 1997 in a charity sale that Diana herself attended, for $74,000. Only two months before Diana’s tragic death. It wasn’t the “Revenge Dress” yet, Julie notes that the name is an internet-era invention, like Reese Witherspoon’s yellow dress was branded. What’s changed since the 1997 auction is the audience too. Post Crown watchers that might not have lived through it the first time is driving new interest and demand. Julie expects this dress to beat the sweater’s price, and I’d bet on it too. Auctions aren’t my beat but retail pricing is. For scale, the entire 1997 sale — all 80 dresses — made $3.25 million. This one revenge dress could beat that. Any guesses on who might possibly purchase it? Could it be Renea Plant, an avid collector, or a fashion person like Sarah Staudinger who bought three CBK items, or a more institutional purchaser like the businessman Shinsuke Sakimoto — the CEO of resale company Valuence Holdings that purchased Jane Birkin’s Birkin? Anyone reading looking for revenge?

• Attersee’s new fall collection launched and the highlights worth checking out: a new take on Attersee’s popular sculpted cardigan, the pop-over that makes me want to wear red (this would be the most stylish sports parent side-lines style ever!), and my favorite bag-in-a-bag starter — put this mini bag in a larger work tote or super easy to travel with and find many uses for it.

• Rothy’s gets the point: 10 years after launching Rothy’s is back with a new point. Well, an updated and refined pointed ballet flat. The recycled and washable shoe brand is bringing back The Point reworked with customer feedback and material upgrades right when the brand is focused on global distribution. Details: a lower vamp, increased arch support, and a toe box with more wiggle room. I’d suggest the yves klein blue as that color is one of the statement makers this season, the Revelvet™ material in a printed python, and I’ll aways point you to the black.

• Shrinky Dinks: Aritzia shrunk their Super Puff™ to toddler size. The Super Baby Puff™ is their first time having a mini puffer coat for babies and toddlers.

• Kendall Jenner gets Framed: Kendall Jenner has an edit with Frame. The pieces run a little more ready-to-wear versus denim heavy, but I do think the leather Cigarette style and the Cigarette jeans in general will see a sales pop. The Frame Gray Jean*, the partnership with model Amelia Gray, has been a really strong style for the brand and often a top ShopMy link.

• Donni’s Fall Part II is now available to shop. I added this to my personal wish list.

• Abbode, the custom embroidery shop, announced they were closing their store after 5 years. But then came the announcement that they were opening at Bloomingdale’s 59th Street. I see the Pro: consistent traffic, a lot of tourists, depending on the relationship — no rent overhead, don’t have to manage a store. And the Cons: losing the community aspect of the store, less interesting location, can’t customize the space as much, having to manage up to the Bloomingdale’s/Macy’s business.

• Alo is making another big push for their leather goods, including a partnering with Style Not Com on a blue square Instagram ad. If I was advising Alo on handbags and accessories, I would push more in a nylon sub $300 handbag and let the Alo shopper carry designer handbags or their Birkins and Chanel 25s with the Alo clothing.

• Is Negative launching performance? This could be very cool. Negative is known for their super soft lounge-y sets people love to sleep in.

🛍️ Quick note: I write a lot (too much good stuff to share!) If you’re reading via email only, you may need to click through to the web version or read on the Substack app. I promise it will be worth it. 🛍️

New Stores & Pop-Ups

Morgan Stewart McGraw’s Vivrelle x Renggli Pop-Up

On Wednesday evening I stopped by the launch event for the Vivrelle x Renggli pop-up, open through September 13th at 76 Wooster Street. Morgan Stewart McGraw is an early investor in Vivrelle, and Renggli is her apparel line — knitwear and elevated staples, which she made clear on a recent podcast interview speaking with Paige Paul that “basics” isn’t the word she’d use to describe it. For Vivrelle she also has her own “edit” on the site.

For her audience, this pop-up is interesting for two reasons. Renggli, a brand with mostly online distribution, the product is available in a store you can shop IRL. Shoppers can browse Vivrelle’s assortment in person here too. A members’ club where you can borrow designer bags and jewelry instead of buying outright. You can hold the pieces before deciding and see the quality if you are skeptical. For someone who likes to try trends and a variety of styles, or doesn’t/can’t want to spend $$$ upfront for product you can play with the merchandise for an extended time or even buy outright.

• During fashion week, Róhe opened their first store at 77 Mercer. An elegant flagship where you can go try on the sculptural dresses, decadent outerwear, and double waistband pants. It’s a thing.

• And right down the block at 160 Mercer, Rùadh announced during press previews and showroom visits that their new showroom location is also available by appointment to shop. I’m already planning my visit for later this month. I’m eager to try on this perfect t-shirt sweatshirt hybrid and a pair of her excellent denim.

• Margaux is expanding their store fleet with their second location in the Bay Area. In addition to Filmore Street in San Francisco Margaux is now open at the Marin Country Mart. This week I saw founders Alexa Buckley Roussel and Sarah Pierson, and Pierson walked me through the new launches. The boots and loafers have expanded for Fall 2027 so get ready for more options. Personally I love the sacchetto construction of this loafer. In the Bay Area, the Phoebe ballet flat with a thin elastic band is an incredibly popular style according to the brand.

• Skims store expansion — Kansas City is getting a store.

Pop-Ups

• This pop-up requires advance planning and an appointment. At the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas a Lily Eve (jackets made from Hermès blankets) and Suzie Kondi have a pop-up for September 23rd to 25th. Details for scheduling an appointment here.

• Parke yourself in line if you want to check out this pop-up. Parke will be at 21 Greene Street from September 18-27. The brand just launched a new kids collection too for mommy & me dressing.

• Aviator Nation is getting in on the campus craze with a roster of visits this fall from Notre Dame to Vanderbilt to Harvard to SMU to UGA and more.

• There was a Skims pop-up at the University of Texas at Austin Friday. When I visited the campus during college tours I was told that at one point the dorms were so large they had their own zip code. If that tells you anything about the potential size of the customer base and interest in popping up in Austin.

• An interesting take on the pop-up experience. ShopMy partnered with Gucci Westman Neville from Westman Atelier on a pop-up built around her favorites, timed to the launch of the new Supreme Bio-Complex Liquid Foundation*. Through September 13th, the shop has that foundation alongside the rest of her “Good Foundations” picks like the Leset t-shirt, La Bonne Brosse, Roz Haircare, and even a weighted vest. Items are sold via QR code and is browsable in-person, which will route through ShopMy. The inventory is therefore owned directly by the brands. I’m really into this idea and I see this pop-up experience as being a strong playbook for a Holiday Gifting Suite or Pop-Up.

  I’ll take this a step further with an idea for creators: host your own trunk show of favorite pieces, but skip the physical checkout and inventory management headache. Instead of guests leaving with the item in hand, let them scan a QR code you create at each piece linking to your affiliate page. They check out online, and the item ships to them as a gift or directly to recipients. It’s an easy way to build your own gifting suite or Trunk Show and customize with your favorite snacks, drinks, or other treats.

• Anya Hindmarch coming to Marin Country Mart for the holidays 👀 Gift giving checklist will be covered! Stock up on items like this perfect travel pouch and this passport holder.

Fashion & Beauty Finds

• A new color of my favorite Valesque spaghetti strap handbag arrived. I’m telling you now because this style keeps selling out. If you don’t want a neutral shade, this one is for you.

• My virtual wish list from High Sport - I’m a huge fan of this brand and I need to just see everything in person. The challenge is there is no store and while I know boutiques have, it is never the full edit or size runs are broken. I need to just do a big order to try-on at home but my fear is I would want to keep everything and once I have it in my house it will be hard to send back. Ideally I would just invest in one more pair of pants and one more sweater for fall, but here is what I would order:

  • Pants: the non-kick pant version of my pants

  • Sweaters: the star sweater Greta Lee wore on the Amy Poehler podcast Good Hang — but I like with the red star and navy, I don’t have a polo sweater. And a thin knit is perfect for year round layering.

  • Slinky knits: this top is pretty much sold out, I need a petite version of these pants

  • I’d also need to try on the blazer. And this top literally has my name on it (but missing the h)

In My Feed

• After seeing these bags carried by everyone at a resort pool on vacation this summer, I immediately listened to the How I Built This podcast with Kim Vaccarella from Bogg Bags. One of the interesting lessons from the episode, is in retail when dealing with a make or break moment like COVID, there’s not one direction or strategy of how to survive and thrive and make a business work. I love how it’s so unique to every business — the thing that could actually help you through a challenge.

• Team Magasin is back with the Report Back. I love these. Thank you laura reilly

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I also want to acknowledge that this week in addition to fashion, beauty, and retail, has been filled with memories, reflections, meaningful conversations, and celebrating a new year. Shanah Tovah and happy and healthy new year. I remember being in NYC twenty-five years ago fresh out of college and starting my career and adult life and the heaviness and impact of 9/11. I still don’t have the words. I also had an amazing experience this week to participate in a very special Women’s Talking Circle that Sali Christeson and the Argent team hosted at Gloria Steinem’s Townhouse. Being there this week and around an incredible group of women was truly special. Leaning into my observing personality I took it all in and it is only 24 hours later that I feel like I have the words to describe.

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What’s Next

Earnings happened this week too! Macy’s, American Eagle, and Reformation’s first earnings. I’ll dig in and see if there is anything we want to look into next week. I also held Channel Checks from today and I’ll share more soon. Plus Fashion Week(s) aren’t stopping any time soon.

Made just for you — always. See you Tuesday

xx, Sarah Shapiro

Private Label Issue 46

Catching Up:

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Quick note: some links here are affiliate links — I may earn a small commission if you shop through them, at no cost to you. It helps keep this newsletter going. Gifted items are marked with an *. All opinions are my own, and everything I share, I’d tell my best friend about and probably already have.

1. SKU = Stock Keeping Unit