In Spades

This past week was crazy, so today I bring you Fashion Friday… on a Sunday!  Check out my Fashion Friday IGTV here.

There are three topics I want to chat about today.  First…

Prada’s “The Show That Never Happened”

Photos via Prada.com

Prada debuted their S/S21 collection in a “runway show” they dubbed The Show That Never Happened.  Five artists contributed their perspective of the collection each with their own unique bent.  This was a lot like watching the Instagram Stories of those normally seated in the front row, but elevated.  Susie Bubble and Chriselle Lim are two that always share a unique perspective on their Instas and I loved how Prada took this concept to the next level.

As Miuccia’s last solo collection before Raf Simons comes on board as Co-Creative Director, the collection was especially poignant.

You know I’m a Prada girl for life, and I adored it.  Miuccia said it was important for her to infuse the reflecting she’s done during quarantine with a bit of fun.  The result was quintessential fashion meets function.  Every single piece was super wearable and can be interchanged a million different ways to achieve different looks.

I loved the simple ballet flats and stirrup pants she paired with cocktail dresses.  It grounded them in a way that was cheeky and fun.  Tried and true Miuccia.

Of course I would wear 100% of the men’s looks as well.  Sleek tailoring juxtaposed in certain looks with long or oversizes proportions.

Need Supply and Totokaelo

If you’re not familiar with Need Supply and Totokaelo, now is the time to get acquainted.  They are sister boutiques with a robust online and brick-and-mortar presence.  Both offer a unique curation of designer brands.

Sadly, it has been announced that both will close up shop as a result of the coronavirus.

Need Supply has a great mix of advanced contemporary brands and luxury designers.  They also have 3 in-house lines at super affordable price points – NEED, Stelen and Farrow.

Totokaelo is super bad ass in that the major of what they carry is hard-to-find designer brands.  Founded by the super stylish Jill Wenger, the coolest of the cool take their styles notes from Totokaelo.

Both stores are currently having sales of up to 80% off.  Stay tuned tomorrow for my top sale picks from each.

Influencer Fashion Lines

This past week mega-influencer Arielle Charnas of Something Navy launched her first standalone fashion line.  She had previously collaborated with Nordstrom (a la Blaire Eadie) on a collection, but that partnership ended after Arielle’s snafu in the press after contracting COVID-19.

Her standalone line is offered solely on her website and sold out within a day.  The next drop will happen later this month and the frenzy surrounding it has me wondering…

Do you shop blogger fashion lines?

What’s unique about Arielle’s launch is the way she polled her followers.  Her original launch date was in March 2020, but due to the pandemic, it got pushed back.  In that time, Arielle regularly asked her follower’s opinions on fit, colorways and what else they wanted to see in the collection.  The result is a data-crunch of consumer opinions morphed into a clothing line.  Smart?  Yes.  A great revenue stream for Arielle?  Of course.

But I’m so curious about her long-term goals for the line.  Could she be like Victoria Beckham and transcend from celebrity to bona fide designer?  I doubt it.

Questions I’m pondering:

Does she wear these pieces herself (and not just for marketing photos)?  Who is driving the creativity – Arielle or her followers?  Finally, this begs the question, is she a designer or a marketing machine?

My point in covering this story is not to knock her hustle.  Clearly tons of effort goes into creating something like this.  But the fashion nerd in me wants to know… what’s the long term angle and who really buys this stuff?