The Walmart Birkin is a nothingburger. The die-hard Hermes customer couldn’t care less and is also likely unaware of the lookalike. The potential upside of the rumored decline in demand for the original could flush out all the status kiddos who never actually were fond of the bag or the brand but just bought it to get themselves a slice of social-signaling-salami.
Was the FW season and sales a bit dull ? Sure, only some European markets already have SS25 collections available in stores, but the FW collections have been a bit lackluster from an SKU and sales perspective. Or is it just me ? I’ve always spent Q5, the period between Christmas and Q1, browsing and clicking down rabbit holes, looking for something interesting that I may have overlooked or wasn’t aware of. The bounty this season was 0.
Catterton injecting Kapital isn’t surprising, considering that L Catterton always looks for underinvested hype, a defined customer base, and (perceived) product quality when it invests in brands. After the private equity firm has overgrazed the European fashion landscape, this trifecta is most prevalent among Japanese brands. They have a dedicated following (with business-sized resellers), the Japanophile/shinnichi will “eat it up” regardless, and most are built on the ethos of Japanese craftsmanship (thanks Toyota and post-WWII machinery imports),
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I wish you all a fantastic start to 2025.
- Fabricateurialist -
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