

Discover more from After School by Casey Lewis
After School is a daily newsletter about youth culture read by execs from Facebook, Nike, and Depop. I’m so happy you’re here! If you like it, consider forwarding to your coolest friend or extremely powerful boss (or becoming a paid subscriber).
Inside Amazon’s “bizarre Supreme-like” store; speaking of Supreme, the streetwear label is collaborating with Tiffany; the UK is facing a major fake tan shortage this winter due to supply chain issues and also, presumably, a desire to not be pale; and meet the millennials who wish they were Gen Z.
‘PEOPLE BELIEVE PEOPLE LIKE THEMSELVES’: MEET THE SHOP-FLOOR TIKTOK STARS, guardian
Every store (every company?) should be doing this, imo: UK department store John Lewis started working with staff on social media in 2017, providing social media coaching and training on how to create engaging content; now 366 employees have Instagram accounts linked to their work.
Victoria Thewlis, a personal stylist who has more than 30,000 followers on Instagram, with some of her posts being viewed millions of times, says she began with picturing potential outfits laid flat. Now she posts videos and lots of pictures of herself going about daily life with tips and responding to questions she’s had from customers. “It’s not all sell, sell, sell, it’s about inspiration and ideas,” she says. Customers are as interested in what she’s wearing to work as what she’s wearing on a night out. “You have to tap into your inner narcissist,” she says.
WITH ABERCROMBIE & FITCH SITTING PRETTY, ITS SISTER BRANDS GET A MAKEOVER, adweek
Gilly Hicks is launching a “revamped digital experience and a new store prototype,” the latter of which is “merchandised according to aesthetic and proportion rather than gender.” “Gilly is really our underwear, loungewear and activewear brand,” says an exec. In other words, it’s their Aerie. The hope is that it could grow over time to be equivalent in size to Abercrombie & Fitch or Hollister, she said.
↳ Elsewhere in A&F: Abercrombie and Fitch is celebrating the launch of its “first bespoke holiday collection” with a pop-up bar on Regent Street. (They don’t elaborate on the bespokeness of the collection, but I’m very curious to know what it entails.)
SQUARE, SEEKING LIFE-LONG USERS, OPENS CASH APP ECOSYSTEM TO TEENS, insider
They’re now letting users 13 to 17 years olds join the platform and open a Cash Card with parental oversight, extending Cash App's US addressable market by 20 million. Speaking of young people’s staggering lack of financial literacy…
Finance class, gamified? I mean, sure. This 90-minute game — that’s literally called "How Not to Suck at Money” — covers basics like building credit and paying off debt. The thinking is that "you don't want to have someone jump to crypto or digital assets before they actually understand what's a stock and how is a company valued to get a stock price,” according to the company. (Not untrue!) It also, interestingly, hopes to help college athletes who just got the green light for endorsement deals from the NCAA.
AN 8-YEAR-OLD EXPLAINS THE METAVERSE, nyt
To be honest, I almost didn’t click on this — surely an 8-year-old explaining the metaverse is like an 8-year-old explaining SPACs, right? I was wrong. Anyway, this is a fascinating look into the lives of Gen Alpha.
As in Mr. Zuckerberg’s metaverse, much of the good stuff is for sale, in this case in the game’s virtual currency, which Anton informed me can be earned by accomplishing tasks in the game, or with real money, which can be siphoned from parents.
One last thought:


P.S. Slight format update in today’s letter. Perhaps it was so slight you didn’t even notice? If you did catch it, would love to hear if it makes scrolling and reading any easier. Or, you know, significantly more terrible. Just hit reply!