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Ariana Grande is doing a Fortnite concert, Apple and Tesla are among the most popular stocks for Gen Z, Juicy Couture and Forever 21 collab on (another) Y2K collection, Frank Ocean headlines Coachella (!), and…
SQUARE TO BUY ‘BUY NOW, PAY LATER’ PLAYER AFTERPAY FOR $29B
My one-woman crusade against the spread of BNPL takes another hit. retaildive // Plus: Fellow BNPL-er Klarna acquires platform that connects content creators and retailers — they’re making some super smart moves. retaildive
THE FUTURE OF AMERICAN PREP AND THE RETAILER THAT ONCE MASTERED IT
Pardon me while I dust off my copy of The Official Preppy Handbook (which I memorized from cover to cover when I was 12 — I was a weird kid). All that aside, I would love a J.Crew comeback and I do believe the retailer has it in them. fashionista // Not news, but news to me: Rowing Blazers is selling a copy (from 1981, printed in Japanese) for $750.
WHY ELITE FEMALE ATHLETES ARE TURNING AWAY FROM MAJOR SPONSORS
Big fish, small pond: With smaller names like Tracksmith, equity’s on the table, and so is having a hand in actually developing products and shaping the brand. nyt
LUXURY BRANDS SHOULDN’T RESIST CHINA’S OUTDOOR OPPORTUNITY
Gen Z’s interest in “slowing down and reconnecting with nature is fueling demand for high-end outdoor brands, collections, and collaborations” in China, a trend we’ve obviously seen in the U.S. too. Will it slow? Jing doesn’t think so. (Neither do I fwiw.) jingdaily
GENERAL MOTORS, FORD FOCUS ON SAFE TEEN DRIVING
GM is rolling out a campaign called “Road to Self-Care” (come on guys, really?) that “aims to spread awareness about the link between mental health and driving safety.” mediapost // Meanwhile: Dodge partners with Billie Eilish on a 60-second spot. (Apparently “Eilish's first car was her ‘dream car,’ a black Dodge Challenger.” I’m assuming her dream car evolved a couple 7-figure paychecks ago.) mediapost
THIS IS OUR CHANCE TO PULL TEENAGERS OUT OF THE SMARTPHONE TRAP
There’s some interesting stats in here but: While I’m no social psychologist, might I humbly suggest that chance passed in, oh I dunno, 2006? nyt
One last thought: