New leadership at Tilly's

Tilly's is a CA-based/positioned retailer with a base of 125 stores that's quite similar to the "old" pre-Gary PacSun. And now they have a new CEO too - Daniel Griesemer. His background boasts a series of exec and C-level positions at conservative women's retailer Coldwater Creek and Macy's/Gap before that. One should assume there will be some notable strategic shifts and/or growth in Tilly's future. Let's keep an eye out.

Why Millennials matter

Needless to say, there's a lot of chatter about Millennials lately. It's not the generation itself that's so newsworthy, but rather how their lifestyle and preferences are affecting the young, the old, the everything in lasting ways. Here are 7 reasons why they are changing us in lasting ways:

1. Size: “By 2015, almost half (47%) of the world population will be under the age of 25.”

2. Influence: “Two-thirds of Millennials are now over the age of 21, and many have established careers, families and an incredible amount of influence.”

3. Digital Prowess: “They were raised digital. This fact alone makes Millennials unlike anything the world has seen.”

4. Global Reach: “Technology knocks down borders. Multiculturalism is the norm and new trends and opinions spread quickly.”

5. Brand-Happy: “Brand preference was the #1 personal identifier that Millennials were willing to share about themselves online.”

6. See Themselves as Influencers: “76 percent of Millennials think they are highly depended on for their opinions.

7. Active Advocates (and Detractors): ”Millennials are taking action on behalf of brands, both online and offline, every week. And, those actions aren’t just for high profile lifestyle brands.”

Source: A huge report on these folks from Edelman here.

Upping the Ante: Urban Outfitters to Sell Wedding Dresses

Oh, you fancy, huh?

Yup, like J. Crew successfully did, Urban is launching a new line of wedding wear called BHLDN ("beholden"). Wedding dresses will go for $1000 to $4000 and event dresses for $200-$600.

Read all about it here.

PacSun launches Malibu Native

Last weekend, PacSun launched Malibu Native, a lesser-expensive line from the eclectic French label Le Petit Petit. Sounds a little like Modern Amusement for women.

"Drawing from the surf heritage of the West Coast, Malibu Native gets its inspiration from nature-loving fashionistas such as models Erin Wasson and Chase Cohl, and surfer Chandler Parr. Malibu Native is more laid back than Le Petit Petit's main line, a bit more retro and a lot less boho. But despite these differences, the label’s characteristic Parisian streak is still evident, such as when tiny black Eiffel Towers pop up on mint-colored bikinis. Right now the label is focusing on tees, swimwear, and jewelry but they have plans to design sweatshirts and fleecewear in the near future."

Model Kendall Jenner was on hand for the line's launch at The Grove. I find this a bit surprising as she was the face of Forever 21 last year. I guess models don't have non-competes. :)

Get familiar:
Malibu Native website here.
Le Petit Petit's site here and super lovely blog here.

New Diesel Denim Campaign

Diesel launches its new Powder (girls) and Dirty (guys) denim collection with a pretty rad website. They took a really interesting approach to how they organized the collection by fit.

The "Carrot" fit (aka Skinny Slouch, in PacSun parlance) makes an appearance!

And interestingly, it looks like they only have one legging style for women.

Levi's Ex-Girlfriend Jeans... for Guys.

Weird.

A combination of art and fashion.

The Dress Project. Hand painted fabrics by Naomi Clark and dresses designed by Lauren Nevada.

PacSun competitors cease monthly reporting

PacSun recently decided to go dark on monthly comps reporting, and they're not alone. The three A’s of teen retailing — Abercrombie & Fitch Co., American Eagle Outfitters Inc. and Aéropostale Inc. — just ended their participation. Although the move is part of a larger trend among companies seeking refuge from the spotlight of monthly disclosure, the recent developments could be indicative of precipitous pressure in the teen space.

“Teen has been an overstored segment,” said Weeden & Co. analyst Amy Noblin. “There had been oversupply and underdemand in teen for a while.”

“A lot of management teams have realized that if they are going through business expansion, any strategic changes or a turnaround, doing that out of the limelight…is advantageous,” said Michael Dart, head of private equity at Kurt Salmon. “It diminishes pressure.”

Full article from WWD.

Stores Within Stores: Retail's Savior?

Everyone from Sears to Target to Wal-Mart is carving out space in their stores for specialty retailers to set up shop.

Most fascinating partnership? Sears and Forever 21. Sears is carving out 15% of their floor space in their Costa Mesa store for a Forever 21 shop-in-shop.

Target is leasing out space to Radio Shack to setup mobile phone shops, run by Radio Shack employees, in 1450 of their stores by June. Kroger already leases out space in 23 of stores to Murray cheeses, staffed by Murray's own cheese experts.

Read the rest here.

Zumiez Keeps Abreast

So, after the ever-popular sillybandz were revoked from school yards, what's the next wrist embellishment to get the boot? The breast-cancer awareness: "I ♥ boobies" bracelets. As we all know, lots of people suffer from various cancers, but boobies are probably the most popular body part to be afflicted, so it's not surprising that the public rallies to their side over, say, colons. The controversial phrase is starting conversations [good!] in schools about sexual harassment [bad!] more than cancer. And just how are these bracelets becoming so prolific in schools? Kids just love to go online and search for boobie-branded products to wear? Not in this case. They're sold at Zumiez and when you make a purchase, the associates ask if you'd also like to make a donation to breast cancer research and receive a bracelet. I guess enough people have to start causing a stir. Blast that clever marketing and its repercussions.

Best quote from the article: "The bracelets "act as an awareness-raising tool, allowing young people to engage and start talking about a subject that is scary and taboo and making it positive and upbeat," the organization said in an e-mailed statement. "We fully understand that the 'I Love Boobies' campaign is not for everyone, but we also feel that the word 'boobies' is not a four letter word."

Here's the full article from aolnews.com.

Jean Shopping Strategy

Here blogger Winona, from humorous fashion blog Daddy Likey, offers her advice on how to have a perfect denim shopping outing. She asks for her readers' strategies as well and offers a pair of embellished jeans as a reward to the winner. It's a nice way to use your promo merch. I wonder if, when the data comes back from PacSun focus groups, any of the girls really fell in love with jeans/washes that don't make it through the fall pitch. It could be cool for PSun to embrace a similar strategy, using denim that truly is one of a kind and won't be mass produced as a prize.

East Coast vs. West Coast style

From X: Fashion Blogger Rumi (fashiontoast) gives her pov on East Coast vs. West Coast fashion and asks her readers what their thoughts are - here.

Zumiez culture shines at 100K party

Each year, Zumiez throws an appreciation party for employees who sell over $100K worth of merch (roughly 1400 people). Shop-Eat-Surf posted a rave review of the event here, with an inspiring slideshow of smiling executives, amped-up employees, A-level athletes, and guests from brands big and small. Think P-Rod, Shepard Fairey and the Tom's founder. This true display of stoke and appreciation blurs the line between the business and the culture it celebrates - a far cry from what we might think of as a "mall" skate shop. As Fairy said, Zumiez supports this culture in a real way and it shows. Is Zumiez vibrant culture the secret to its success?

I’m glad I went to the party, because it helps me understand why Zumiez has outperformed so many mall retailers during the recession. The kids are living what they are selling and Zumiez has found a way to harness and reward all that enthusiasm and passion. After that party, I’m sure everyone there is pumped up to go sell, sell, sell.

WWD has spoken: Skinnies are here to stay

Rare is the radically new look that successfully crosses over from trend to new classic. Yet the survey says such is the moment for one controversial style in particular: skinny pants. Just take it from these three experts per WWD:

“They have become a classic in the wardrobe. Even with wide leg coming back in, they will never disappear. It’s a bit like animal prints — fashion comes and go but they remain forever.” — Sarah Rutson, Lane Crawford

“The skinny jean has transcended trend. It’s just become part of our everyday wardrobe.”
— Ken Downing, Neiman Marcus

“The legging just continues…the legging and the skinny jean have just become wardrobe staples.”
— Colleen Sherin, Saks Fifth Avenue

I pray the Jegging falls short of "new classic" status...