J.Crew are "dumb dumbs"
Plus: Tory Burch's kids are building brands, and Honey Deuces are inspiring cool & cringe spins.
Morning,
Housekeeping: I’ll be taking a week off next week for a digital detox/my birthday. I’ll be playing
’s latest Summer Fridays radio and giving my eyeballs a full week’s rest. I’m headed to Comporta, send recs!If you only read one thing in this letter I recco: FAUX VINTAGE. Pair it with STARRING MY TWIN. Palate cleanse with BUTTER BABIES.
As always, the lens of this letter is a best-of-the-best on culture, trends, marketing, etc. What I’m dropping to friends on Slack or finding useful in meetings with brands.
Let’s dive in!
CULTURE
FAUX VINTAGE // This week, Vans did a collab with J.Crew. Hardly eyebrow-raising—until you learn the vintage-inspired catalog imagery was fully AI-generated, a detail only revealed after
published an exposé. Here’s the issue: brands using AI for “creative experimentation” is one thing; lying about it is another. When a shopper asked where to find a striped rugby from one of the images, J.Crew replied, “this is a vintage style,” not “it’s generated.” That’s not creativity, that’s trust-in-the-toilet. As put it (perfectly), we’re seeing “the emergence of ‘humanwashing.” Much like greenwashing before it, as humanness becomes more valuable, brands will increasingly pretend to be human-first even when they’re not. J.Crew’s revival had been working because it felt solid. Rooted. Heritage-honoring yet reborn. But now they’ve blurred the lines, trading hard-won trust for an AI shortcut. What once felt like nostalgic vintage charm now reads synthetic—a positioning blunder that risks shifting them from quality wardrobe-staple credibility to Shein adjacency. Or, as Kirsten summed it up: “what dumb dumbs.”F&B
BUTTER BABIES // Not to be confused with Butterbear, who just dropped their second collection with Zara, Butter Baby is a new character-driven food concept that just opened in Jakarta. The flagship store is called ‘Butterlandia.’ This brand is selling IP, not just donuts. If it’s not yet evident from Labubu-mania, mascot-heavy brands are bound to come stateside, but clearly, the founders don’t think we’re ready yet. The founders? Tory Burch’s twin sons.
DRUGS & BOOZE
GOBLET GAMES // Sports tournaments remain one shining light for the alcohol industry. While there are plenty of N/A options these days, Honey Deuces, champagne in chrome goblets, and spritzes are thriving. They have become a signature piece of the experiences. The Honey Deuce is inspiring brands to make cute things like this. And travesties like this. Hopefully, brands are planning their winter/ summer Olympic offerings. Don’t forget the food.
SILVERS, ALPHAS & ZS
NO VACANCY —>
// While the US real estate market is in a state of paralysis, there’s one bright spot: senior living. More than 4MM people will turn 80 in the next 5 years. Occupancy at senior living centers is soaring, meanwhile inventory growth is below 1%. But don’t go building your old old-folx homes. As I’ve said countless times, this cohort’s (and their millennial adult-kids’) expectations have changed. This continues to be the most opportunity-laden sector most are choosing to ignore.FOODIE BABIES // In celebration of Latin Heritage Month, Little Spoon teamed up with Siete on two limited-edition heat-and-eat meals. Notable: 1) They are high in protein. 14g and 11g each—mirroring their parents’ plate preferences. 2) Alphas have sophisticated palates. It’s not unusual to meet kids who eat oysters, who list sushi as a favorite, and those who crave yuzu or ube. GenZ and millennial nostalgia have yielded the resurgence of Chili’s. What will Alpha nostalgia bring?
CINEMA CYNICISM POPPED // As mentioned, were all going to see the K-Pop Demon Hunters sing-along in theatres. And, they did. In droves. It got 236MM views this week, did ~$20MM in 2 days, and is Netflix’s most-watched movie in history. “It’s a franchise starter, a watercooler talking point for families.” According to studies, Alphas want experiences. They “want moviegoing to feel like an event—in-person experiences that feel heightened, special, and social.” They are craving places to participate in fandom. And their parents are, too.
RETAIL
PERMIT KINGS // Corteiz are not just masters of driving wild turnouts for their 1-day activations, they are masters of permitting.
was invited to check out their latest pop-up and marveled at the logistics. This pop-up was in the abandoned section of the Bowery station that’s typically used as a film set. The team hung hats from the grab bars, customized the signage, maps, and more—so fun. This brand could easily be resting on its laurels like Kith, but it continues to offer fans things money can’t buy: experiences (theme).GET THAT BAG // “Traditional European luxury brands used to be double the price of Coach, but are now about 10 times as expensive,” according to Coach’s CEO. According to him, the sweet spot for price? $200 to $500. While the 10x is reserved for just a few brands, and a slight exaggeration, the world is primed for some mid-tier quality brands. Polène’s popularity is one example. The Horse is another. But many of these lack the personality of a Hermes or Gucci. Is it time for a Kate Spade without the brand baggage?
SSENSIALLY BANKRUPT // SSENSE filed for bankruptcy protection, partly citing pressure from US tariffs. The CEO, Rami Atallah, said he was "surprised" by the elimination of the de minimis exemptions. AI is challenging multi-brand retailers like SSENSE. In the age of AI, middleman brands are going to struggle no matter how solid their social strategy. Brands need to focus on what AI can’t offer. Say it with me: experiences.
TECH
AI CONVERSION // 32% of consumers have or are using AI for purchases. Reluctance has plummeted from 66% to 32% in under 6 months. And yet, I hear daily from teams that don’t use AI. Your consumer won’t wait for your readiness. My bestie is making an enviable killing upskilling teams on AI. Maybe we should do a podcast on retail and AI? Got questions?
STARRING MY TWIN // PJ Ace, the director who made his name making Kalshi’s unhinged AI-fever-dream ad, is back at it. This time, he worked with David Beckham’s answer to AG-1, IM8. This ad, quite bluntly? Not that interesting. Except for one thing: it uses an ‘AI twin’ of tennis player, Aryna Sabalenka. Having a shoot schedule dictated by a talent’s tour schedule is about to be a thing of the past—for better or for worse.
FAKE LABEL // AI twins might have some competition. “AI startup Higgsfield just launched an AI record label” with an AI-generated K-pop idol, Kion. And The Velvet Sundown, an AI-generated soft-rock band, has 1M+ Spotify streams. According to MIT, most people "may not care whether the music they listen to is made by humans or machines". And, only 46% can actually tell the difference. Brands will soon have their own homegrown musical talent—available on demand.
SPORT
GOOD MATCH // Dirt has been publishing STRUNG, a tennis vertical, since January. Now, the partner brand, Court Date, the apparel and racquet club, is launching a platform to meet other players. It has 3 components: the Clubhouse for finding partners, Courts for finding global spots to play, and Pro Tour to “track the latest ATP and WTA action—all in one place.” 3 things: 1) According to Fitt Insider, IRL events are surging, with 75% of people saying they’re the antidote to loneliness and screen fatigue, and 84% having made a close friend through attending. (theme) 2) Court Date’s grunge take on tennis is refreshing, as traditional ‘tennis core’ has reached extremes. Looks a lot like golf’s arc. 3) Are newsletters the new testing ground for community appetite? Build there, then build the product they’re craving?
UNDROPPED KIT // In the UK, 64% of girls stop playing sport before the age of 16. “Yet research shows 70% of 14–16-year-old girls would be more likely to take part in PE if their kit made them feel more comfortable.” So ASICS did something revolutionary. They asked girls for their input. And made them something that doesn’t make assumptions, and tackles real-world concerns like bloating from periods. Like it.
MOM FANS // Taking Cara Babies, a platform that teaches baby sleep courses to very frazzled new parents (speaking from experience), sponsored a college football feeding room. A nice thing, yes, but also points to a bigger thing: female fandom. Female fans aren’t new, but are rarely acknowledged. Great to see some brands getting it. And building for it.
WELLNESS & BEAUTY
nailed it this week: “Fellas, would you go to the doctor if you could play foosball while watching the N.B.A. finals in the waiting room? The Cutler Center for Men sounds like a doctor’s office disguised as a members’ club.” Too accurate. Though the interiors read more like a sporty WeWork. The center is trying to make preventative health appealing to men. “The backbone of the Cutler Center is a dedicated support team known as Joes,“ who make appointments and schedule tests. This might be a bigger unlock than all the TVs.NOT NICHE // Recently, on the podcast, we talked to Midi Health’s CEO about how menopause is not a niche. It affects 50% of the population. Loved Einat’s round-up of the latest players. If you read my
Media Diet, you know to follow Einat for all things Silver adjacent, especially in the health space.TRAVEL
NEVER CRUISERS // Cruise ships are going through a major cultural perception shift in an attempt to convert the ‘never cruisers.’ Ritz-Carlton is offering “surf-and-turf” hybrid vacations that combine cruising with resort stays. Guntû’s Terrace Suite Prestige comes with private saunas and an open-air cypress bath. The Four Seasons I has 10,000-square-foot rooms that are bigger than almost all private yachts. As Silvers live longer, you’ll see more and more of this.
FUN FOR THE WEEK
This giant vagina pop-up by OPositiv is pretty incredible.
Wow. This custom Ert shearling tennis racket case for Venus Williams is amazing.
These Caseify headphone covers, inspired by the Girl With A Pearl Earring, are fun.
- Leadership Top 100 is a treasure trove of books, podcasts, and more.
Marcelo Pinel’s work is fun for a brand. Weird but very fun.
Taylor’s ring will no doubt influence many.
Cracker Barrel, oh Cracker Barrel. How brands get themselves here, I do not know.
Olive Young in LA 2026. Invite me to this opening.
Love these from 1 Hotel for National Pet Day.
Viral rock odysseys & needlepoint Fendi bag epics prove entertainment takes all forms.
Admittedly, this was in July, but Jimmy John’s made a romance novel audiobook. Funny.
This is a fun partnership, Old Navy.
Lockheed Martin is an apparel brand in Korea?
A travel brand should work with these boys.
Much K-beauty coming to Ulta, or you can go to the K-beauty outlet in Woodbury.
Review of beauty is now Flesh World, but either way,
is still dominating.- says Dutch artists are building masterpieces in Minecraft. Love humans.
Also funny.
That’s all, folx.
-Chris
If you read this and liked it, that little heart is there for that. The algo and I appreciate it.
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What a deserved mess for J. Crew...
This is SO good!