Must Read: Arielle Charnas Is Starting a Lifestyle Brand, How Teens Are Using Fashion to Challenge the Traditional Gender Labels
Plus, VSCO girls are trending on TikTok and Instagram.
These are the stories making headlines in fashion on Thursday.
Arielle Charnas is starting a lifestyle brand, raised $10M
Billionaire Silas Chou, who was an early investor in Tommy Hilfiger and Michael Kors, is betting on Arielle Charnas next. Chou and his Vanterra Capital fund are participating in a $10 million funding round that values the Charnas brand at close to $45 million. The investment is one of the largest secured by an influencer to date, and indicates that Charnas wants to turn Something Navy into an independent business. In addition to securing the funds, Charnas has hired Matt Scanlan, co-founder and chief executive of Naadam, to help run her lifestyle brand. She will also end her licensing deal with Nordstrom later this year. {Business of Fashion}
How teens are using fashion to challenge traditional gender labels
More teens are identifying with nontraditional gender labels, and they're relying on clothes, makeup and hair to push beyond a binary perspective. In a new piece for The New York Times, Hayley Krischer gathers insight from the Bat Mitzvah-age kids themselves on how they're using fashion as a method of empowerment and as a form of genderless expression. {The New York Times}
VSCO girls are trending on TikTok and Instagram
The term "VSCO girls" refers to a pack of scrunchie-sporting, Puka-shell-necklace-wearing teens who want to look like IRL versions of the photo editing app's sun-drenched filters. It's a beachy aesthetic that relies heavily on crop tops from Brandy Melville and Fjällräven Kånken backpacks, and it's taken over Gen Z-dominated corners of the internet such as TikTok and Instagram. {NBC}
Uline faces boycotts over its owners' association with Donald Trump
Uline, one of the beauty industry's main shipping supplies vendors, is becoming the SoulCycle of the beauty world as brands decide to cut ties with the company in light of the funding its founders, Elizabeth and Richard Uihlein, provide President Donald Trump and conservative causes. According to Beauty Independent, the Uihleins are the second-biggest donors in the 2020 election cycle so far, pouring nearly $7 million into the coffers of Republican groups and candidates, including $1 million to back pro-Trump organization America First Action. {Beauty Independent}
DTC brands are disrupting the U.S. bridalwear market
The $2.4 billion bridal store market is shrinking as millennials forgo marriage, and as traditional bridal retailers fail to meet the demands of brides in 2019. Meanwhile, several new direct-to-consumer bridal brands have cropped up that offer inclusive sizing and samples, as well as affordable customization options. {Vogue Business}
Financial Times acquires minority stake in Business of Fashion
Business of Fashion has sold a minority stake to the Financial Times, as a part of a new Series B investment round. In an official press statement, Imran Amed, BoF Editor-in-Chief and CEO, said this investment and collaborative partnership will enable the media company to learn from the FT's expertise and to find creative ways to work together in fulfilling BoF's mission of bringing together the world's largest community of fashion professionals." He also said it would allow BoF to dedicate more resources to its membership business. {Fashionista inbox}
Why the dark side of '60s counterculture is trending
Fashion has recently revived its obsession with cult and commune culture. It has something to do with recently released films, like "Charlie Says" and a "Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood," which both portray members of the Manson clan outfitted in ribbon-and-lace-trimmed mini-dresses and crocheted tops paired with frayed cutoffs as they engage in some very dark rituals. "The counterculture's unlikely fusion of darkness and glamour was fascinating in the '60s. And it's fascinating now," writes Ruth La Ferla for The New York Times. {The New York Times}
Woodstock was the last time festival fashion had a political spirit
"In his blue bell bottoms, belly-baring poncho top with blue beaded fringe, and red headband, Hendrix's Woodstock outfits is one of the most iconic in rock history, the paragon of a style that mixed multiple cultural references, sexy gender fluidity and self-expression above all else," writes Rachel Tashjian for GQ. But it was also extremely significant, because it was one of the first moments at which clothing was intrinsic to the politics and social concerns of its wearers. {GQ}
Wild One launched a starter kit for dog owners
Wild One, a one-stop-shop for stylish pet essentials, launched a starter kit for dog owners. The monochromatic tan kit contains a leash, a collar, a poo bag carrier, two bowls, a bed, treats and toys. You can purchase one for $350 here. {Fashionista inbbox}
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