29 November, 2022

A coffee vs commerce conundrum

“Six pounds for a cup of tea and you don’t even get a china cup!” This complaint was quoted to me some 30 years ago by my friend G; his mum aghast at the price of a cuppa in some National Trust cafe or other. Yet it’s a refrain that auto-plays all too frequently in my head when I pass any number of overpriced chain coffee outlets. Especially in the last two years when the premiumisation of, well, everything has played out in the world’s fashionable metros.

At WatchHouse (below), a new-ish UK coffee chain, you do get a lovely ceramic cup. The chain is notable for its upscale Aesop-esque branding (its design team is headed by a former Aesop designer), superior snacks, well-mannered baristas and several-steps-up-from-Starbucks hospitality area. (more…)

Disneyrollergirl 0 Comments Brands, Design, News, Retail concepts, Trends Aesop, Blank Street Coffee, Emma Chamberlain, gen z, long read, retail concepts, TikTok, trends, Watchhouse Coffee

11 August, 2021

YSL Nu is the latest in the line of anti-flawless make-up ranges for Gen Z (but Gen X might enjoy it too)

YSL Nu*, the new make-up-meets-skincare hybrid from YSL Beauty is one of the best (dare I say ‘authentic’) iterations of the current ‘real skin’ beauty ranges I’ve seen yet. While the photography adheres to the ‘Glossier’ playbook (think extreme close-ups, racially diverse casting, un-perfect skin) it’s also clearly unretouched and the lighting is fairly unforgiving. Yet the images are striking and the cast cool enough to make this a compelling sell.

According to Hypebae, these five items were created with Gen Z for Gen Z. (more…)

Disneyrollergirl 0 Comments Beauty, Brands, Business of fashion, News, Trends 1990s, diversity, gen z, Glossier, make-up, shopping, skincare, trends, YSL, YSL Beauty

27 July, 2021

Can Gen Z save Gap?

“Gen Z likes to look for Y2K trends that haven’t become popular yet, so they can be the first to find things. They come across brands from the aughts, like Gap and Von Dutch, and try to rework them and style them in a way that’s fresh.” (more…)

Disneyrollergirl 0 Comments Brands, Business of fashion, News, Trends Emma Chamberlain, Gap, gen z, influencers, Refinery29, TikTok

29 June, 2021

Business of beauty: Chanel N°5 Factory Collection [updated]

[UPDATED: THE COLLECTION HAS NOW LANDED AT SELFRIDGES…]

If I could do a career switch, I would love to be a Chanel beauty-packaging designer. Every product I’ve ever interacted with, from the lipstick bullets to the Les Beiges bronzer compact has been the ultimate personal luxury experience. (Also, the products are the best of the best.)

Just launched is the Chanel N°5 Factory Collection*, a limited edition line that takes that idea to its logical conclusion. Chanel has taken its 100-year-old flagship product – Chanel N°5 – and turned it into a brand in itself. The Chanel N°5 Factory Collection is a capsule of 17 limited edition products, all scented with the smell of Chanel N°5. Genius.

The real genius part is the packaging. Functional-looking tubes of body cream*, individually wrapped bath tablets*, gouache-style body lotion tubes* and a body oil bottle that looks like it belongs in the garage (top). The collection is designed to mimic utilitarian products, giving Chanel N°5 a witty, youthful accessibility. (more…)